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)
Break These Chains
Icehouse Lyrics
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Break These Chains
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Iva Davies
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So tell me where are you now
Now you know the way it feels
Was always easy for you
I saw you turning to go
I saw you walk away from me
I
I don't have to play your game
I never did belong in here
I don't hear you any more
Now you listen to me 'cause I'm
Standing on the outside
Watching it all come down on you
I've got to break these chains
No you never could hold me down
I've got to break these chains
It doesn't matter to me
Now I can leave it all behind
Well it's the anger in me
You put the anger in me
And I remember a time
You know it's not so long ago
I
Was always on the other side
And I knew there must be more
Hearing all your empty words
Your promises but now
I'm standing on the outside
Watching it all come down on you
I've got to break these chains
No you never could hold me down
I've got to break these chains
I've got to break these chains
So tell me where are you now
Now you know the way it feels
Was always easy for you
They never let you down before
I saw you turning to go
I saw you walk away from me
I
Was always on the other side
And I knew there must be more
Hearing all your empty words
Your promises but now
I'm standing on the outside
Watching it all come down on you
I've got to break these chains
No you never could hold me down
Break these chains
I've got to break these chains
No you never could hold me down
Break these chains
I've got to break these chains
Oh these chains
No you never could hold me down
No you never could hold me down
Break these chains
I've got to break these chains
The lyrics to "Break These Chains" by Icehouse are about breaking free from a toxic relationship or situation. The singer is addressing their ex-partner or a former colleague/friend, who always saw them as someone easily controllable and manipulable. The singer recognizes that they were never meant to play their ex-partner's game and never belonged in the toxic environment they were in. They are now standing on the outside, watching everything crumble, and they realize that they need to break free from the chains that held them down, cut ties, and move on with their life. The singer realizes that the former partner was the one who put the anger in them, and they have to put an end to the cycle.
The lyrics are open to interpretation but generally talk about finally breaking free that emotion of being trapped is conveyed throughout the lyrics, which include "I've got to break these chains, No, you never could hold me down, Now I can leave it all behind." The chorus emphasizes how the singer has to break free from the chains, and there is an urgency in the lyrics, as if the singer can't hold back any longer. Similarly, the verse "I saw you walk away from me, I was always on the other side, Hearing all your empty words, Your promises but now," conveys a sense of resignation on the singer's part that they don't have to stay in that situation anymore.
Line by Line Meaning
So tell me where are you now
Icehouse is questioning the whereabouts of the person who caused his misery
Now you know the way it feels
Icehouse wants the person who hurt him to feel the same pain
Was always easy for you
Icehouse believes that the person who hurt him had it easy
They never let you down before
The person who hurt Icehouse was never let down by anyone before
I saw you turning to go
Icehouse witnessed the person who hurt him walking away
I saw you walk away from me
Icehouse saw the person who hurt him leaving
I
Icehouse is emphasizing his own individuality and strength
I don't have to play your game
Icehouse doesn't want to be a part of the person's game anymore
I never did belong in here
Icehouse never felt like he belonged in the relationship with the person who hurt him
I don't hear you any more
Icehouse has stopped listening to the person who hurt him
Now you listen to me 'cause I'm
Icehouse is demanding the person who hurt him to listen to him
Standing on the outside
Icehouse is now standing outside and away from the toxic relationship
Watching it all come down on you
Icehouse is witnessing the downfall of the person who hurt him
I've got to break these chains
Icehouse wants to break free from the emotional chains that bind him to the person who hurt him
No you never could hold me down
Icehouse believes that the person who hurt him could never have controlled him completely
It doesn't matter to me
Icehouse doesn't care anymore about the person who hurt him
Now I can leave it all behind
Icehouse has accepted the situation and is ready to move on
Well it's the anger in me
Icehouse's anger is driving him to break free from the toxic relationship
You put the anger in me
The person who hurt Icehouse is the reason for his anger
And I remember a time
Icehouse reflects on a time when things were different
You know it's not so long ago
The past is still fresh in Icehouse's mind
I was always on the other side
Icehouse always felt like an outsider in the relationship
And I knew there must be more
Icehouse believed there was more to life than the toxic relationship
Hearing all your empty words
Icehouse is no longer fooled by the person's empty promises
Your promises but now
The person who hurt Icehouse made promises that were never kept
Oh these chains
Icehouse is emphasizing the weight of the emotional chains that bind him
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Ivor Arthur Davies
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind