Formed in the late '80s in Peterborough by one Mark D., the band's first release was a flexi disc called You Opened Up My Eyes and featured Sarah C. on vocals. Sarah quickly left the band, supposedly to pursue a career designing crop circles in Peru.
Mark then recruited new members consisting of Katie Keen on vocals, cat lover Paul Huckerby on bass, scottish siren Sheggi Clarkson-Gaffin on guitar and floppy-haired, pig van driver Matthew Johnson on drums.
Soon after the release of their John Peel played single Where's Clare Grogan Now, Katie left the band and Sheggi became the new singer.
Subsequent releases, including the EP Four Songs for Simon, Ferensway EP and The Tulip Explodes, led to a multi-pound recording contract with the fab, London based Vinyl Japan label, home and future home of BMX Bandits, the McCluskey Bros, and Thee Headcoats.
The first of their Vinyl Japan output was an EP entitled Nostalgia and was recorded by Ken McPherson at his studio in Burton-on-Trent. A tour of Germany supporting Throw That Beat in the Garbagecan soon followed.
The band's debut album, Starfish, also recorded by Ken McPherson, came out in 1994 and was followed by two more singles, New Spring Rites for Sarah and Driving Me Wild before the band called it a day.
Offical band web site is at:
http://www.spikey.com/fattulips
Clumsy
Fat Tulips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
...I really am that shy
Clumsy as can be whenever you're near me
Tripping over my feet again
Words falling over my tongue and then I
Fall apart when you're around to see
The bottom of a glass
Hazy as can be
But not too blurred to see
Whisky kissed and dare I say
Better for it anyway
Dutch courage saves the day for me, for me
Tripping over my feet again
Words falling over my tongue and then I
Fall apart when you're around to see, me
It's all too easy looking for answers in
The bottom of a glass
Hazy as can be
But not too blurred to see
When you're around me
The lyrics to Fat Tulips's song Clumsy speak of the familiar feeling of nervousness and self-consciousness around someone you have an affection for. The singer describes how they become clumsy and tongue-tied whenever this person is around. They struggle to maintain eye contact, and their words seem to jumble and fall apart. The singer seems to feel embarrassed by their clumsy behavior and wishes they could be more confident around this person.
The second verse describes how the singer turns to whiskey to help ease their nerves around the person they're interested in. They acknowledge that it's not the best solution, but it gives them some confidence to approach the person they admire. They describe the experience as "whiskey kissed" and claim that it helps them feel better and saves the day for them. Despite this Dutch courage, however, they still struggle to maintain their composure when the object of their affection is nearby.
Overall, the message of the song seems to be about the difficulties of expressing romantic interest when feeling shy or self-conscious. The singer recognizes their own awkwardness and struggles to overcome it, but ultimately finds solace in the temporary confidence boost that comes from whiskey.
Line by Line Meaning
When you walk in I must avoid your eyes
I am so shy that I can't bring myself to make eye contact with you when you enter the room.
Clumsy as can be whenever you're near me
I become incredibly awkward and clumsy whenever you are close to me.
Tripping over my feet again
I am so nervous around you that I end up stumbling over my own feet.
Words falling over my tongue and then I
I find it difficult to speak coherently when I'm interacting with you.
Fall apart when you're around to see
I feel like I'm falling apart and really struggle to keep my composure when you're around.
It's all too easy looking for answers in
I find it tempting to drown my anxieties in alcohol and try to find a solution to my problems by drinking.
The bottom of a glass
I often turn to drinking when I'm feeling anxious or uncomfortable.
Hazy as can be
I become increasingly fuzzy-headed and disoriented the more I drink.
But not too blurred to see
Despite being quite intoxicated, I'm still aware of my surroundings and can see what's going on around me.
Whisky kissed and dare I say
After drinking some whisky, I am emboldened and become more daring than usual.
Better for it anyway
I believe that drinking gives me the courage I need to face my fears and talk to you.
Dutch courage saves the day for me, for me
Thanks to my increased confidence from drinking, I'm able to overcome my shyness and have the courage to talk to you.
When you're around me
Being in your presence is so overwhelming for me that I feel like I need to rely on alcohol to give me the courage to interact with you.
Contributed by Declan A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.