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.
The Flickering Wall
Ian McCulloch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Life lies upon the floor
The wind blows in and out again
Through windows and through doors
And it's there I'll look
And it's there I'll find
What it was I started after
When I mistook what I had in mind
I heard the footsteps in the street
I saw the lights on the flickering wall
I moved my lips but I couldn't speak
Choked on the wonder of it all
Choked on the wonder of it all
In my dreams, recurring dreams
But I was never there
Life is still invisible
Just needing to be where
With any luck I might just find
What it was I started after
When I undertook what I had in mind
When everything mattered
When I saw the gods up in the sky
I saw the lights on the flickering wall
I saw the world through hazel eyes
And choked on the wonder of it all
Choked on the wonder of it all
I heard the footsteps in the street
I saw the lights on the flickering wall
I moved my lips but I couldn't speak
Choked on the wonder of it all
When I saw the gods up in the sky
I saw the lights on the flickering wall
I saw the world through hazel eyes
And choked on the wonder of it all
Choked on the wonder of it all
Choked on the wonder
Choked on the wonder
Choked on the wonder of it all
The Flickering Wall is a hauntingly beautiful song by Ian McCulloch, the lead singer of Echo and the Bunnymen. The lyrics evoke a sense of yearning for something unattainable, a longing for a deep understanding of life and the universe. The opening lines of the song express a sense of introspection where the singer is reflecting on his world, a small space where life is scattered on the floor. The wind blows in and out through the windows and doors, reminding the singer of the impermanence of things. The singer is searching for meaning and purpose but feels lost, as he mistook what he had in mind for something that mattered.
The second verse shifts the narrative to the singer's dreams, where he is never present. He longs to be where life is, and he hopes to find what he is searching for. The third verse is the climax of the song, where the singer sees the gods up in the sky, emphasizing his desire to understand the universe fully. The flickering wall refers to a TV screen where the singer sees lights and wonders but is choked by his inability to speak.
Line by Line Meaning
In my world, my little world
In my personal space and perception, my own world
Life lies upon the floor
Life is present in my immediate surroundings
The wind blows in and out again, through windows and through doors
The natural movement of air enters and exits through openings, changing the environment
And it's there I'll look, And it's there I'll find What it was I started after when I mistook what I had in mind For something made to matter
I'll find meaning in the things around me, sometimes realizing that what I once thought was important, is not
I heard the footsteps in the street, I saw the lights on the flickering wall I moved my lips but I couldn't speak, Choked on the wonder of it all
I was overwhelmed by the awe-inspiring sight of people and city lights, unable to express myself
In my dreams, recurring dreams But I was never there Life is still invisible Just needing to be where
In my recurring dreams, my absence is notable, and the importance of being present is illuminated
With any luck I might just find What it was I started after When I undertook what I had in mind When everything mattered
By chance, I may rediscover my original goal, from a time when everything had importance
When I saw the gods up in the sky I saw the lights on the flickering wall I saw the world through hazel eyes And choked on the wonder of it all
Witnessing something seemingly divine, or of incredible significance, causes the same overwhelming feeling I experienced before
Choked on the wonder, Choked on the wonder, Choked on the wonder of it all
The feeling of being overwhelmed and unable to articulate feelings caused by beauty, wonder or even fear
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Ian McCulloch
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind