John Watts recorded and performed as 'John Watts' during 1981-83 before forming The Cry in 1984. Watts later continued with a new incarnation of Fischer-Z in 1987, with him being the only original member. Albums were released with a similar line-up until 1995 when John Watts returned to being 'J M Watts', 'Watts' and John Watts. In 2002 the moniker was revived once more for the album "Ether". There was a 2004 reunion of the original band for one short show which featured on the Garden Party DVD which was released along with the Fischer-Z Highlights 1979-2004 25th anniversary compilation album.
After this John continued performing and recording solo with the most recent album being 2005's 'Real Life Is Good Enough', "It Has To Be" (2006) and "Morethanmusic & Films" (2009).
In august 2010 John Watts had a couple of shows in the Netherlands with his current band (Sam Walker on drums and Matthew Gest on keyboard) playing good old Fischer-Z repertoire. He presented this band as "the new Fischer-Z". Though John Watts focuses on his solo efforts more than on Fischer-Z (no new releases under that name) lately he revives the band when concert tent to be focused on that period of his live.
Here and Now
Fischer-Z Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A goatee beard.
She's ginger haired.
An English Seine, a pair of jeans, a lite that steams.
A smell of fire, I'm sure there's something burning.
Hang around me
Hang around me
Here and now
A steam of thought runs through my head in technicolor.
I took the Train to Valladolid with engines at both ends.
The woman knew I couldn't speak her language,
But she talked to me.
She'd stating facts, the crowd reacts, a raging bull.
Hang around me
Hang around me
Hang around me
Here and now
I'm tired, I'm tired, I'm tired, I'm tired,
I'm tired in quick succession.
A screaming man says the engine's on.
The rumor might be worthless.
The electricity is absolutely, absolutely free
Hang around me
Hang around me
Hang around me
Here and now
The lyrics to Fischer-Z's song Here and Now depict a series of fleeting moments in time experienced by the singer. The song begins by setting the scene with a television playing a play by Steven Berkoff, an English Seine, a pair of jeans, a beard, and a smell of fire that hints at something burning. The singer then invites the listener to hang around him in the here and now. The second verse continues with a stream of thought in technicolor and a train ride to Valladolid with engines at both ends. The singer recalls a woman who couldn't speak his language but spoke to him anyway, stating facts as the crowd reacted to a raging bull. The chorus returns with the singer again inviting listeners to hang around him in the present moment. The song concludes with the repetition of the phrase "I'm tired" in quick succession, a screaming man saying the engine's on, rumors that could be worthless, and the electricity being absolutely free.
Overall, the song presents a stream of consciousness in which the singer is experiencing various moments in time without any particular order or coherence. The repeated invitation to "hang around me here and now" emphasizes the importance of being present in the current moment rather than trying to live constantly in the past or future.
Line by Line Meaning
A Berkoff play on a television.
A play by the British playwright Steven Berkoff is being broadcast on a TV.
A goatee beard.
A man has a beard shaped like a goatee.
She's ginger haired.
A woman has red hair.
An English Seine, a pair of jeans, a lite that steams.
There is a river in England called the Seine, someone is wearing jeans, and a light is producing steam.
A smell of fire, I'm sure there's something burning.
There is a scent of fire and the artist believes that something is on fire.
Hang around me
The singer wants someone to stay with them.
A steam of thought runs through my head in technicolor.
The singer's thoughts are vivid and colorful.
I took the Train to Valladolid with engines at both ends.
The artist took a train to the Spanish city of Valladolid, and the train had engines on both ends.
The woman knew I couldn't speak her language, but she talked to me.
A woman spoke to the artist even though they do not speak the same language.
She'd stating facts, the crowd reacts, a raging bull.
The woman is expressing factual information, the crowd is responding, and there is a bull that is agitated.
I'm tired, I'm tired, I'm tired, I'm tired, I'm tired in quick succession.
The singer is expressing exhaustion multiple times in a row.
A screaming man says the engine's on.
A man is yelling that an engine is turned on.
The rumor might be worthless.
A piece of information may not have value or usefulness.
The electricity is absolutely, absolutely free
Electricity is being offered at no charge and the singer is emphasizing how free it is.
Hang around me
The singer wants someone to stay with them.
Contributed by Zachary L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.