Since 1980, Icehouse has released seven albums, several compilations, and music from collaborations with other artists including dance companies. Their 1987 album 'Man of Colours' was released at the apex of their fame and international success. It is considered by many to be the band's magnum opus.
As 'Flowers', Icehouse built up a strong following as a live act around Sydney, Australia, noted for their distinctive cover versions of songs by a wide range of acts including T-Rex and Brian Eno. After signing to the independent Regular Festival Records label, they released their debut single, "Can't Help Myself", which hit the Australian Top 10 in June 1980. This was followed by their first album 'Icehouse', which also made the Top 10 and became one of year's biggest selling albums in Australia. The album made use of synthesisers, especially the Sequential Circuits Prophet 5.
Further singles "We Can Get Together" and "Walls" both hit the Top 20. A European single from this album, "Icehouse", created some interest in the U.K., partly because of a memorable music video. Sensing the possibility of international success, the band decided to change their name in early 1981 to avoid confusion with Scottish group The Flowers. As Icehouse, they spent most of 1981 touring the UK, Canada and US, where "We Can Get Together" hit #62. A single release, "Love In Motion", recorded by Davies alone but the first to be credited to the band's new name, duly hit the Australian Top 10 in November 1981.
In January 1982, the band's original line up split, resulting in Davies recording Icehouse's much-anticipated second album, 'Primitive Man', on his own, with assistance from Keith Forsey, who later worked with Simple Minds. Released in August 1982, Primitive Man was another huge Australian hit and became Icehouse's international breakthrough. The hit single "Hey Little Girl" reached the UK Top 20 and has remained their most regularly played song. Another strong track from this album was "Great Southern Land", which made the Australian Top 5 and was later featured in the late 1980s film 'Young Einstein'.
In 1985, Davies' musical standing was further enhanced when he was commissioned to compose and record the score for the acclaimed Sydney Dance Company production of Graeme Murphy's dance work 'Boxes'. Icehouse's third album, 'Sidewalk', was far more sombre and reflective, featuring the tracks "I Don't Believe Anymore" and "Someone Like You". After this album the band made further inroads into the U.S. market with their 1986 release 'Measure for Measure', which featured none other than Brian Eno as a listed band member.
Icehouse's next work, 'Man of Colours', was their best-selling album. It contained the hit singles "Crazy" and "Electric Blue" (a song co-written by John Oates from the band Hall and Oates). Both singles reached the US Top 20, with "Electric Blue" hitting the #7 slot. With this album, the band reached an international zenith, never surpassing this level of popularity and exposure again.
In 1995, Davies was again involved with the Sydney Dance Company's production of Berlin. The musical score is a collection of cover versions of songs by David Bowie, Brian Eno, Simple Minds, The Psychedelic Furs, Frank Sinatra, Lou Reed, Roxy Music, XTC, Talking Heads, The Velvet Underground, PiL, The Cure and Killing Joke, which saw him collaborating with pianist Max Lambert in the development of the music.
As well as recording the score to the ballet, Davies performed these songs live with Icehouse at each show. He was an intrinsic part of the ballet, in a role similar to the one in Boxes. Iva was extremely successful in creating a translation from the dancers to the audience. Berlin was an instant success and ran for two seasons. Both shows were the most commercially successful that The Sydney Dance Company have had to date.
On 16 August 2006, Icehouse were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame along side acts such as Midnight Oil, Divinyls and Rose Tattoo. Also in 2006, Icehouse featured prominently on the Triple M Essential 2006 Countdown with 14 songs selected including:
*"Man Of Colours"
*"Electric Blue"
*"We Can Get Together"
*"Don't Believe Any More"
*"Great Southern Land" (which came in at number 12)
Anybody's War
Icehouse Lyrics
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His clouds flying black and white
She hears the voice between the lines
He hears the warning, he turns his black
Anybody's war
Who is there to catch the pieces
Anybody's war
She catches every last regret
She holds it gently like a dying star
He stands like a small boy in the street
Throwing rocks and stones into the crowd
Anybody's war
Who is there to catch the pieces
Anybody's war
Faces we don't recognize
Anybody's war
Turning round and round in circles
Anybody's war
People just like you and I
Just a little too afraid
To take the blame that they can't hide
Like a frightened child who is running scared
And they know each other well
Through the innocence long gone
Is the only thing they ever shared
She'll promise that she'll try again
He'll promise that he'll settle down
And they will call themselves the best of friends
But still they're strangers, just like anyone
Anybody's war
The Icehouse song “Anybody’s War” is a moving meditation on conflict and its aftermath. The song starts with a vivid image: a woman holding a blue flag, while a man watches storm clouds roll in, the flag he holds torn between black and white colours. While she hears something unspoken, the man possesses a deeper understanding of what is to come, as he prepares to turn his back on the coming war. The chorus speaks to the confusion caused by conflict: “Anybody’s war/ Who is there to catch the pieces/ Anybody’s war/ Faces we don’t recognize”. Caught up in the turmoil, people who were once friends and neighbors now become strangers to each other, their individual pain and loss muddled together into a single, incomprehensible tragedy.
The song illustrates how wars create wounds that stretch beyond physical harm. As the verses continue, the man and woman are seen dealing with their respective struggles. She tries to gently hold on to the memories of better days, while he lashes out as though rebelling against the universe that seems to have turned against him. The song’s refrain echoes the song’s message: “Anybody’s war/ Turning round and round in circles/ Anybody’s war/ People just like you and I”. The once ordinary people are now caught up in an endless cycle of violence, struggling to make sense of their new reality. In the end, they are thrown together, trying to find a way forward, but forever scarred by the war that they have most likely lost.
Line by Line Meaning
Her arms around a flag of blue
She is holding a flag that represents something important to her and her country.
His clouds flying black and white
He sees the world in a dark and contrasting way, full of both good and evil.
She hears the voice between the lines
She is able to pick up on subtle messages and underlying meanings in what people say.
He hears the warning, he turns his black
He is able to recognize when something bad is about to happen and he becomes more protective and cautious.
Anybody's war
A war in which everyone is affected, regardless of their views or circumstances.
Who is there to catch the pieces
Nobody is there to pick up the broken pieces and restore peace after the war.
Faces we don't recognize
People have changed or become unrecognizable after the war.
She catches every last regret
She holds onto every mistake made during the war and takes them to heart.
She holds it gently like a dying star
She is very delicate with her emotions and her pain like a beautiful celestial object that is fading fast.
He stands like a small boy in the street
He feels helpless and powerless in the face of war, like a small and vulnerable child.
Throwing rocks and stones into the crowd
He tries to make his voice heard by taking action against the crowd, but it is futile.
Turning round and round in circles
The cycle of war and its destruction is never-ending and always repeats itself.
People just like you and I
The people affected by the war are ordinary individuals like anyone else.
Just a little too afraid
They are scared to take action against the war, even if they disagree with it.
To take the blame that they can't hide
They are reluctant to take responsibility for the war and its repercussions that they cannot avoid.
Like a frightened child who is running scared
They are fearful like children and wish to escape the chaos of the war.
And they know each other well
Despite their differences, they understand and empathize with one another.
Through the innocence long gone
They have lost their child-like innocence and became more serious due to the tragedy of war.
Is the only thing they ever shared
Their mutual hardships created a bond between them that allowed them to connect on a deeper level.
She'll promise that she'll try again
She hopes to make things better and to heal the brokenness resulting from the war.
He'll promise that he'll settle down
He wishes to calm the chaos and bring about stability after the war.
And they will call themselves the best of friends
Despite the harsh realities of war, they become close friends with a deep bond of understanding.
But still they're strangers, just like anyone
Even though they share a bond, the traumas of war changed them too much to ever truly understand each other fully.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: IVOR ARTHUR DAVIES, ROBERT GRANT KRETSCHMER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind