In October 1978, McCulloch founded Echo & the Bunnymen with Will Sergeant (guitar), Les Pattinson (bass), and a drum machine (allegedly named Echo), making their live début at Eric's in November that year. In October 1979 the Bunnymen exchanged the drum machine for Pete de Freitas on drums. With their line up solidified, the Bunnymen played in the late 1970s and early 1980s, releasing their critically praised debut album, Crocodiles in 1980, and the heavier, bass driven, Heaven up Here in 1981. They released their third album Porcupine in 1983 with the lead single "The Cutter" finishing in the Top 10 of the UK Charts. Ocean Rain followed in 1984.
In 1988, McCulloch left the group to pursue a solo career under the impression the Bunnymen would be laid to rest, if only temporarily. When the remaining Bunnymen continued using the name with new singer Noel Burke, the split became permanent with McCulloch referring to the band as "Echo & the Bogusmen".
In 1990, McCulloch released the album Candleland which reflected a more mature outlook on the world, owing to the recent deaths of McCulloch's father and his friend Pete de Freitas. The album peaked at number 18 in the UK Charts. It yielded two Modern Rock Tracks hits, "Proud To Fall" (No. 1 for 4 weeks) and "Faith and Healing." His album Mysterio was released in 1992, but the public's interest in the former Bunnyman was waning and it sold less than its predecessor. Shortly after, McCulloch left the public eye to devote more time to his family.
McCulloch rekindled his relationship with Will Sergeant, leading to the formation of Electrafixion in 1994. The band released the album Burned which peaked at number 38 in the UK and included the top-30 hit "Sister Pain." The band soon found themselves performing set lists composed of half Electrafixion songs and half Echo & the Bunnymen songs.
In 1997, Echo & the Bunnymen reformed and released the album Evergreen to positive reviews and chart success. Evergreen made the Top 10 of the UK Albums Chart and the single "Nothing Lasts Forever reached No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart.[12] The reformed Bunnymen have since recorded several further albums, the most recent being Meteorites[/abum] which was released in 2014.
RescuE
Ian McCulloch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Would you sympathize?
Could you sympathize?
I'm jumbled up
Maybe I'm losing my touch
I'm jumbled up
Maybe I'm losing my touch
But you know I didn't have it anyway
Won't you come on down to my
Won't you come on down to my
Rescue
Things are wrong
Things are going wrong
Can you tell that in a song?
I don't know what I want anymore
First I want a kiss and then I want it all
Won't you come on down to my
Won't you come on down to my
Rescue
Things are wrong
Things are going wrong
Can you tell that in a song?
Losing sense of those harder things
Is this the blues I'm singing?....
The lyrics of "Rescue" by Ian McCulloch convey a sense of confusion and insecurity through a series of questions and doubts. The repeated phrase "jumbled up" portrays the singer's scattered thoughts and mixed emotions. The first verse includes the question "If I said I'd lost my way, would you sympathize?" suggesting a plea for help or reassurance. The line "Maybe I'm losing my touch, but you know I didn't have it anyway" reveals the singer's loss of confidence and self-doubt.
The chorus of the song introduces the idea of rescue as a solution to the singer's problems. The repetition of the phrase "won't you come on down to my rescue" emphasizes the desperation of the situation. The second verse continues with the theme of uncertainty and mixed feelings. The line "I don't know what I want anymore, first I want a kiss and then I want it all" suggests a conflict of desires and confusion about priorities.
The song's final lines introduce the idea of the blues, a genre often associated with melancholy and hardship. The question "is this the blues I'm singing?" brings up the idea of using music as a way to express or cope with difficult emotions. Overall, "Rescue" is a song about the struggle to overcome personal challenges and the desire for support and understanding from others.
Line by Line Meaning
If I said I'd lost my way
I am currently facing hardships and struggling to find my way
Would you sympathize?
Would you be able to understand and share my feelings of pain and distress?
Could you sympathize?
Are you willing to empathize with my situation and provide me with support?
I'm jumbled up
I am confused and disoriented with my current circumstances
Maybe I'm losing my touch
Perhaps I am no longer as successful or skilled as I used to be
But you know I didn't have it anyway
Nevertheless, it does not matter as I was not genuinely talented in the first place
Won't you come on down to my Rescue
Could you please assist me during this difficult time?
Things are wrong
I am currently experiencing problems and challenges
Can you tell that in a song?
Is it possible to express my struggles through music?
I don't know what I want anymore
I am unsure of my goals and desires
First I want a kiss and then I want it all
My desires are constantly changing, and I am seeking various forms of affection and success
Losing sense of those harder things
I am struggling to cope with more difficult aspects of life
Is this the blues I'm singing?
Am I expressing my sadness and distress through music?
Contributed by Aaron R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.