After the usual career-beginning playing in local clubs and pubs, in 1987 Fairground Attraction were signed to RCA, and released their first single, "Perfect", in April 1988. It was an immediate success, reaching number one on the UK singles chart. Their album The First of a Million Kisses was a characteristic blend of folk, jazz, country, and cajun elements (all but one of its songs being written by Mark Nevin). Released in May 1988, it followed the success of "Perfect" by entering the album chart at number three, and rising to number two; it was eventually certified platinum. Three other singles were released from the same album: "Find My Love" (which reached number seven on the UK chart), "A Smile in a Whisper", and "Clare".
At the 1989 Brit Awards "Perfect" won the award for best single, and The First of a Million Kisses won best album.
Although they were popular in European countries, and toured the United States, their main success outside the UK was in Japan, where they toured in 1989 (a tour that produced their only live album, Kawasaki Live in Japan 02.07.89).
In September 1989, however, during the recording of a second album, rumours of arguments circulated, and in January 1990 the rumours were confirmed when the band split up. The album Ay Fond Kiss was released in 1990, and one of its songs, "Walking after Midnight", became their last single.
Fairground Attraction
Fairground Attraction Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And prizes of goldfish
Young men kill tin ducks
In sharp shooter poses
The laughter of the lovers
On the rickety stairs
The rumble of the diesel
And the sounds of the fair
An old gypsy lady
In soft Spanish whispers
Took my hands in hers
And told me their secrets
Your heart is a fire
And his love is an ember
You must forget
What you'll always remember
Superstitious nonsense
Just a fairground attraction
I walked through the neons
In search of distraction
But the tears in my eyes
Knew the truth in my heart
She'd only confirmed
What I knew at the start
Oh-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah
The lyrics to Fairground's song Fairground paint a vivid picture of the sights and sounds of a carnival, with all its joy and excitement. The first verse describes the scene: children eating candyfloss and playing games to win prizes, while young men show off their skill at shooting tin ducks. The sounds of laughter and the diesel engines of the rides fill the air. But then we are introduced to an old gypsy lady, who takes the singer's hands and tells him his fortune. She speaks in soft Spanish whispers, telling him that his heart is still burning with love for someone who no longer loves him back. This person is like a dying ember, and he must try to forget them, even if it feels impossible.
Despite the festive atmosphere surrounding the fair, the singer is preoccupied with his heartbreak, which is made clear in the chorus: "Superstitious nonsense / Just a fairground attraction / I walked through the neons / In search of distraction / But the tears in my eyes / Knew the truth in my heart / She'd only confirmed / What I knew at the start." In spite of his efforts to distract himself, the pain he feels is too real to ignore.
Overall, the lyrics to Fairground's song Fairground combine descriptions of a festive gathering with the melancholy of heartbreak. The scene is set with colorful imagery and sharp sensory details, making the singer's sense of sadness all the more poignant.
Line by Line Meaning
Children with candyfloss
There are children who have candyfloss.
And prizes of goldfish
They also have prizes of goldfish.
Young men kill tin ducks
Young men are participating in a game where they shoot at tin ducks.
In sharp shooter poses
They have posed themselves like sharpshooters.
The laughter of the lovers
Lovers are laughing together.
On the rickety stairs
This laughter is taking place on some unstable or wobbly stairs.
The rumble of the diesel
There is a noise coming from a diesel engine.
And the sounds of the fair
Other sounds associated with the fair can also be heard.
An old gypsy lady
There is an elderly gypsy lady present.
In soft Spanish whispers
She talks to the artist in a soft tone, in Spanish.
Took my hands in hers
She physically grasped the singer's hands.
And told me their secrets
She shared the secrets of the fair with the artist.
Your heart is a fire
The gypsy lady claims that the singer's heart burns like fire.
And his love is an ember
The love of someone else is only a small spark.
You must forget
The gypsy lady advised the singer to forget.
What you'll always remember
The things the artist should forget are what they will always remember.
Superstitious nonsense
The artist believes that the gypsy lady's advice was nothing but superstitious nonsense.
Just a fairground attraction
The singer believes the fair and the gypsy lady are just part of an attraction.
I walked through the neons
The singer physically walked through the neon lights.
In search of distraction
They were seeking something that could distract them.
But the tears in my eyes
Even though the artist was searching for something to distract them, they cried.
Knew the truth in my heart
The artist knew the truth in their heart despite seeking distraction.
She'd only confirmed
The gypsy lady only confirmed what the singer already knew.
What I knew at the start
The artist knew it all from the beginning.
Oh-ah-ah-ah
An expressive interlude, with no particular meaning.
Ah-ah-ah
Another expressive interlude, with no particular meaning.
Ah-ah-ah
Another expressive interlude, with no particular meaning.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MARK EDWARD CASCIAN NEVIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind