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.
She Sings
Ian McCulloch Lyrics
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The lies that they told her just made her feel older
She's running; her time is coming
It's over; she's certain
A bargain's been struck now
She knows that her luck is changing
She sings
Must I wait all my life?
Why does it take all my life?
When is it coming?
When is it coming?
When is it coming?
She's lying in darkness and silence
The radio's playing
She lies there praying to no one
Saying to no one
She sings
All my life
Must I wait all my life?
Why does it take all my life?
When is it coming?
When is it coming?
When is it coming?
She sings
Do do do do doot do doot do do
It's over; she's certain
The lies that they told her just made her feel colder
She's running; her time is coming
She sings
All my life
Must I wait all my life?
Why does it take all my life?
When is it coming?
When is it coming?
When is it coming?
The lyrics of Ian McCulloch's "She Sings" seem to describe a woman who has finally realized that she has been lied to and feels betrayed. The first verse sets the mood for the rest of the song, saying that she knows it's over, but she's running and her time is coming. It suggests that the woman is trying to escape from something, possibly her life or someone who has hurt her. It's clear that she wants change, and she wants it soon. She asks why it takes so long for the good things in life to happen when she has been waiting all her life.
The second verse paints a solitary, lonely picture of the woman lying in darkness and silence, with only the radio playing in the background. She sings to herself, desperately seeking answers to her questions about the timing of the good things that she has been waiting for. In the chorus, she repeats her question, asking why it takes all her life and when the much-awaited change is coming.
In the final verse, she acknowledges that the lies she has been told have made her feel colder, indicating that she has been scarred by the lies that she believed. However, she still has hope and continues to sing, "when is it coming?" expressing her faith in the positive changes that she longs for.
Overall, "She Sings" is a song about loneliness, betrayal, and hope. The woman in the song is longing for something better, but she's unsure when it will come.
Line by Line Meaning
It's over; she's certain
The situation or relationship she was in has come to an end and she has no doubts about it.
The lies that they told her just made her feel older
She has been deceived by someone and the lies they told her only aged her mentally.
She's running; her time is coming
She is trying to escape from something or someone, but knows that she can't keep doing it forever and will soon face the consequences.
A bargain's been struck now
She has made some sort of deal or agreement with someone.
She knows that her luck is changing
She is optimistic about the future and believes things will start going her way.
She sings
She expresses herself through music and finds comfort in it.
All my life
Throughout her entire life.
Must I wait all my life?
She has been waiting for something or someone for a long time and wonders if she will ever see it happen in her lifetime.
Why does it take all my life?
She questions why it's taking so long for whatever she's waiting for to come.
When is it coming?
She wants to know when the thing she's waiting for will arrive.
She's lying in darkness and silence
She is alone in a dark and quiet place.
The radio's playing
There is background noise, but she is paying no attention to it.
She lies there praying to no one
She is lost and desperate, seeking guidance from something or someone that may not exist.
Saying to no one
She is talking to herself or simply uttering thoughts without a specific audience.
The lies that they told her just made her feel colder
The lies she was told have made her feel even more isolated and distant.
Do do do do doot do doot do do
Non-lyrical part of the song that could be interpreted as a filler or musical interlude.
Contributed by Grace W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.