Nick Marsh (Vocals/Guitar) & James Mitchell (Drums) start Flesh For… Read Full Bio ↴1982
Nick Marsh (Vocals/Guitar) & James Mitchell (Drums) start Flesh For Lulu & are swiftly joined by Glen Bishop (Bass) and ex-Wasted Youth Guitarist Rocco Barker (Guitar/Vocals)
Flesh become part of the “Batcave scene” and are key amongst early glam-goth bands, touring with the likes of Specimen and Alien Sex Fiend
1983
The band record demo tracks which include an early version of “Restless” (then called “All That You Know”), “Spy In Your Mind”, “DNA” and “Dark & The Gun”
On the strength of the demos and the live reaction they are starting to generate Flesh are signed to Polydor
Their first release release for the label is “Roman Candle” on 7" & 12” – the 12” EP including the immortal words “24 Minutes Of Music Very Cheap!” on the cover
1984
The debut album is recorded and Polydor choose “Subteranneans” as the first single
The month of May is spent touring the UK in a support slot for The Sisters Of Mercy
The band release their self titled first album to a luke-warm response
“Restless” is released as a follow up single
Polydor “fail to promote” the first album well enough and sales are low – Flesh are dropped from the label
Glen Bishop leaves the band and is replaced by Kevin Mills (ex-Specimen)
The year finishes with “Subteraneans” reaching number 39 in "John Peels Festive Fifty" (a joint placing with Cocteau Twins “Pandora”)
1985
Flesh sign to Hybrid Records
“Blue Sisters Swing" released
The “nun’s kissing” cover is banned in Spain
More demos are recorded including the songs “Crime Of Passsion”, “Good For You”, and an early version of “I Go Crazy”
Flesh meet with Craig Leon to produce new material
“Baby Hurricane” released
“Big Fun City” released
1986
A live show is released on video under the title “Live Flesh” filmed at the Camden Palace in London on 19th May 1985
A live album “Fresh Flesh”, featuring all the non-Polydor tracks from the gig is planned but never released
Flesh are signed to Beggars Banquet Records
“I Go Crazy” is used in the John Hughes’ film "Some Kind Of Wonderful" and is released on MCA Records
US college radio play makes it a minor hit
1986/7
Flesh Spend more time in USA
Derek “Del Boy” Greening (ex-Peter & The Test Tube Babies, also known as Del “Strange Fish”) joins to play guitar
1987
Beggar’s Banquet release “Siamese Twist”
“Postcards from Paradise” released by Beggar’s Banquet as the second single from “Long Live The New Flesh”
“Long Live The New Flesh” released to some acclaim in the US, but limited interest in the UK
The US version of the album includes the track “I Go Crazy”, the UK version does not
Much touring in US ensues – including supporting Bush
1988
Beggar’s Banquet release “I Go Crazy”
1989
“Plastic Fantastic” released
Singles from “Plastic Fantastic” include “Time & Space”, and “Decline & Fall”
Final part of the year is spent touring the USA in a support slot for Public Image Limited
1991/2
Flesh For Lulu can be considered defunct at some point between the end of 91 and early 1992
1996
Nick & Rocco re-group and become Gigantic and release the album “Disenchanted” on Columbia Records after failing to strike a deal with Hollywood Records
They are joined by Dave Blair on bass and Al Fletcher on drums
The album was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Tim Palmer, who had previously worked with the Mission, Tin Machine and The Mighty Lemon Drops
1996/7
Gigantic tour the US with Bush and The Goo Goo Dolls
1998
Gigantic are dropped by Columbia Records and the band splits up
2001
Flesh For Lulu re-claim their original name and do a short tour in California during May & June with Gene Loves Jezebel
2002/3
Nick spends time on various projects including "Naked Goat" and lounge-core influenced solo material
2002/3
Rocco forms The Space Police a band which features raga toaster General Levy and Doctor Cat
Some gigs and an album titled “Money Maker” result
2003
Nick records & seeks a deal for a solo album (recorded by Mediaeval Babe Katherine Blake)
Gets management in the US, but no album release
2004
A compilation CD of “Big Fun City” & “Blue Sisters Swing” is released by Cherry Red Records
Good liner notes written by Nick and Rocco, but no bonus tracks
“Long Live The New Flesh”, is re-released on Supafecta Records
It is a digitally re-mastered version of the US release and contains four bonus tracks
In December rumours start to circulate about a new album, a front page for a website goes up promising a release through Gig Records
Flesh perform two gigs at Bring Your Own Poison @ The Rhythm Factory (London) some 16 years since their last UK appearance
2005
Rocco and his partner Dawn are to feature in a Channel 4 programme called "A Place In Spain" following them as they buy property in Spain
As part of the filming for the show a gig is played at the Borderline in London on the 28th April
2006
Nicks solo album "A Universe Between Us" is released
2013
More recently since 2013, having reformed with a new lineup.
House of Cards
Flesh For Lulu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Across the desert plain
You build a house of cards
Around a loveless heart
Wild country in your head
Gone dead, river bed
In the dust you cry, cry, cry
Bone dry, built on sand
A house of cards that will never stand
The doors crash open and the flood comes in
And the flood takes everything
So speak the language slow
Beg some foreign money
You're growing up on dog food
In the land of milk and honey
Shoot for the moon
Live a life out of a window
In your room, all alone
You watch the sky, watch the storm
Coming down
On your house of cards
Drink another drink
And I spill my stories
But when I wake up
I forget my stories
Magnificent in failure
Resplendent in decay
Tall tales of the land and the sea
And the tides
That tore away my house of cards
It's so hot, so hot in here
I can't sleep with you so near
And the time goes by so slow
And the night peels away like gasoline
Shoot for the moon
Live a life out of a window
In your room, all alone
You watch the sky
Watch the storm
Coming down, coming down
On your house of cards
The lyrics of Flesh For Lulu's song House of Cards are a vivid portrayal of a person’s struggle to deal with the consequences of their actions. The song opens with the lines, “You drag this ball and chain, Across the desert plain, You build a house of cards, Around a loveless heart”. These lines paint the picture of the singer being trapped in an environment that they have created for themselves. The ‘ball and chain’ represents the weight of their actions, and the ‘house of cards’ is a metaphor for the fragile foundation of their life. The loveless heart signifies the absence of love, which has led to a lack of emotional stability.
The chorus of the song, “In the dust you cry, cry, cry, There's no water in the skies, Bone dry, built on sand, A house of cards that will never stand”, reinforces the idea that the singer’s life is fragile and on the brink of collapse. Their efforts to build a life on a weak foundation in the desert, away from civilization, are futile. They are fighting a losing battle that they cannot ever win. Finally, the chorus ends with the lines, “The doors crash open and the flood comes in, And the flood takes everything”, which is a poetic way of showing how the singer’s life crumbles due to their choices.
The song highlights the hopelessness of the singer, who is consumed by their past actions and is unable to break free from them. It emphasizes the consequences of the choices we make and the unrealistic expectations we put on our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
You drag this ball and chain
You carry the weight of your past mistakes
Across the desert plain
Through the lonely, barren stretch of your life
You build a house of cards
You create a fragile facade of love to hide your heart's emptiness
Around a loveless heart
And surround yourself with a flimsy shell to avoid facing the truth
Wild country in your head
Your thoughts are untamed and chaotic
Gone dead, river bed
The once flowing river of your emotions has run dry
In the dust you cry, cry, cry
You weep alone in despair
There's no water in the skies
You feel hopeless and trapped in a bleak reality
Bone dry, built on sand
Your foundation is weak and unstable
A house of cards that will never stand
Your illusions of love will never be strong enough to last
The doors crash open and the flood comes in
Reality hits you hard and exposes your fragile façade
And the flood takes everything
Leaving you with nothing but the harsh truth of your failures
So speak the language slow
Take your time to communicate clearly
Beg some foreign money
Struggle to survive in unfamiliar surroundings
You're growing up on dog food
You're forced to settle for less than what you deserve
In the land of milk and honey
In a place where you were promised abundance and joy
Shoot for the moon
Aim high and dream big
Live a life out of a window
Escape reality and live in your imagination
In your room, all alone
In the captivity of your own mind
You watch the sky, watch the storm
You find solace in watching the chaos of the outside world
Coming down
The storm is approaching
On your house of cards
And your fragile illusion of love
Drink another drink
Find comfort in temporary distractions
And I spill my stories
Share your deepest thoughts with someone close
But when I wake up
But in the morning
I forget my stories
You forget the confessions you made the night before
Magnificent in failure
Despite your mistakes, you remain proud of who you are
Resplendent in decay
Your flaws make you shine in your own unique way
Tall tales of the land and the sea
Fanciful stories of adventure and escape
And the tides
And the natural forces that rule your life
That tore away my house of cards
That destroyed your illusion of love
It's so hot, so hot in here
You feel suffocated and trapped
I can't sleep with you so near
You can't find peace even with someone beside you
And the time goes by so slow
You feel like time is standing still
And the night peels away like gasoline
The darkness is oppressive and suffocating
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMES WILLIAM MITCHELL, KEVIN SEAN MILLS, NICK MARSH, ROCCO MICHELE BARKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind