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)
Goodbye Valentine
Icehouse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, it must be quite some time
I was slaving at the steel mill
Every day on the production line
And I came home one summer evening
The place was empty, ain't that strange?
She left a message on the mirror
It said, I don't like this
And I don't like that
And I'm gonna hit the town
Yes, I'm leaving you
And I won't be back
Goodbye, Valentine
So I called up all my best friends
I said, "hey, boys, just come around"
We've howling like a gang of alley cats
We've up and down and hanging 'round the main
The postman woke me in the morning
He was banging on my door
He said, "I got a postcard from Jamaica
And a telegram from New York"
It says, I don't like this
And I don't like that
This is such a dirty town
Well, I've spent all your money
And it won't be back
Goodbye, Valentine
Well, I'm feeling so much better
Yes, I'm livin' like a king
I'm on my second bottle of Dr. Good
And by now I don't feel a thing
Well, I hope you're happy
Have a real good time
'Cause you know I'll do the same
Yes, I will
Yes, I will
Yes, I will
Later on, I don't remember
Valentine was on the telephone
She said, "I'm living with my mother
And I'm bored, now can I come home?
Now can I come home?"
I don't like this
Don't like that
Well, excuse me, what's your name?
But it's too late now
'Cause I've changed my mind
It's goodbye, Valentine
You can take your silly hat collection
And your sixty pairs of shoes
Your Madonna records always were a pain
Your suitcase full of sequins
Take your bean bag too
This is goodbye, Valentine
Goodbye, Valentine
Well, I don't like this
And I don't like that, no
This is goodbye, Valentine
In the song "Goodbye Valentine," Icehouse portrays a story of heartbreak and betrayal. The singer in the song is working hard at the steel mill every day, and when he comes home, he finds that his lover has left him a message on the mirror. The message is written in pink lipstick, and it reads, "I don't like this, and I don't like that. Yes, I'm leaving you, and I won't be back. Goodbye, Valentine." The man is heartbroken, and to ease his pain, he turns to his friends and goes out to have a good time, but he still feels the loss of his lover.
The story continues, and the postman wakes him up the next morning with a postcard from Jamaica and a telegram from New York, both from his ex-lover. She writes that she is happy and has spent all his money and won't be coming back, again saying goodbye to Valentine. The man then starts to feel better, drinking and not caring about the heartbreak anymore. Later, his ex-lover calls asking if she can come back, but he refuses, telling her he has moved on and no longer cares.
Overall, the song's lyrics are a powerful narrative of how heartbreak can change a person and how the singer learns to move on and let go of his past to find inner peace.
Line by Line Meaning
We were living in this matchbox
Our living situation was cramped and uncomfortable
Well, it must be quite some time
We have been living in this matchbox for a while now
I was slaving at the steel mill
I worked hard every day at the steel mill
Every day on the production line
I worked on the same assembly line every single day
And I came home one summer evening
After a long day at work, I returned home one summer night
The place was empty, ain't that strange?
I found our home completely vacant, which was unexpected
She left a message on the mirror
My partner left a message for me to find
In pink lipstick she signed her name
The message was written in pink lipstick and signed by her
It said, I don't like this
The message detailed all the things she disliked
And I'm gonna hit the town
She was leaving town to go out and have fun
Yes, I'm leaving you
She was breaking up with me and leaving me behind
And I won't be back
She made it clear that she had no intention of returning
Goodbye, Valentine
She said farewell to me
So I called up all my best friends
I reached out to my closest companions
I said, "hey, boys, just come around"
I invited them over to my place
We've howling like a gang of alley cats
We made a lot of noise and commotion
We've up and down and hanging 'round the main
We wandered around town, looking for things to do
The postman woke me in the morning
I was awoken by the postman in the morning
He was banging on my door
The postman knocked loudly on my door
He said, "I got a postcard from Jamaica
The postman informed me that he had received a postcard from Jamaica
And a telegram from New York"
The postman also had a telegram for me from New York
Well, I've spent all your money
My partner had used up all of our money
And it won't be back
The money was gone for good
Well, I'm feeling so much better
After the initial shock and sadness, I started feeling better
Yes, I'm livin' like a king
I embraced the freedom and luxury of being single
I'm on my second bottle of Dr. Good
I drank heavily to cope with my emotions
And by now I don't feel a thing
I had numbed myself emotionally
Well, I hope you're happy
I wished happiness for my ex-partner
Have a real good time
I hoped they enjoyed their new life
'Cause you know I'll do the same
I planned to enjoy my newfound freedom as well
Yes, I will
I was determined to live my life to the fullest
Later on, I don't remember
After a while, the memories became foggy
Valentine was on the telephone
My ex-partner called me on the phone
She said, "I'm living with my mother
They were living with their mother now
And I'm bored, now can I come home?
They expressed a desire to come back home
Don't like that
They still did not like certain aspects of our relationship
Well, excuse me, what's your name?
I was taken aback by their request after leaving me
But it's too late now
Their request came too late after what they had put me through
It's goodbye, Valentine
I said goodbye to them for good this time
You can take your silly hat collection
I wanted nothing of theirs
And your sixty pairs of shoes
They had a vast shoe collection that I did not want
Your Madonna records always were a pain
Their taste in music was not mine
Take your bean bag too
I wanted every last belonging of theirs out of my house
This is goodbye, Valentine
I made one final farewell
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: IVOR DAVIES, S. LLOYD, P. WHEELER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind