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)
Nothing to serious
Icehouse Lyrics
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Mountain ranges sliding into the sea
Rivers of blood, running red
I got a broken heart and a broken head
[Chorus]
I had a little accident
Nothing too serious
Nothing too serious
If you close your eyes it may go away
Nothing too serious
We could do it again some other day
Nothing too serious
Well, I shook myself and I fell out of bed
I can't remember a thing, oh, was it something I said
Well, I don't know my name and I don't know my place
There's a crack in the mirror, cracking my face
(Baby is blue) she had a heavy night
(Baby is blue) she's gonna be alright
(Baby is blue) she'll never the same
You better take her home
[Chorus]
The song "Nothing Too Serious" by Icehouse is a combination of post-punk, new wave and synthpop genres. The first verse of the song creates a surreal and apocalyptic image of the world collapsing around the persona. The line "I got a broken heart and a broken head" seems to suggest that the persona is in a state of emotional and mental distress. The chorus, "I had a little accident/ Nothing too serious," seems to downplay the gravity of the situation, hinting at the persona's attempts to keep calm and carry on despite the chaos around.
The second verse introduces a new thread of the storyline, where the persona's mental state is further portrayed as disoriented and confused as he tries to piece together his recent past. The last lines of the second verse casually mention "cracking my face," which is a direct reference to cracking mirrors. This symbolizes not only the fractured state of the persona's identity and self-esteem but also hints at the possible negative repercussions of whatever transpired in the past.
The song ends with a cryptic reference to "Baby" being "blue," which can be interpreted as either a physical or emotional state. It's also unclear if the chorus "We could do it again some other day/ Nothing too serious" indicates an apathetic, nihilistic attitude or a hopeful, optimistic outlook.
Line by Line Meaning
Twenty story buildings coming down on me
I feel like everything is collapsing around me, the weight of the world is too much to bear
Mountain ranges sliding into the sea
The natural order of things is falling apart, nothing is stable or secure
Rivers of blood, running red
Metaphorical or literal violence is present, everything feels dangerous and out of control
I got a broken heart and a broken head
Emotionally and mentally, I am struggling and feeling broken
[Chorus]
Despite all of this chaos and turmoil, I want to downplay it and pretend it's not a big deal
Well, I shook myself and I fell out of bed
I'm disoriented and struggling to make sense of reality
I can't remember a thing, oh, was it something I said
I'm experiencing memory loss or confusion over my actions
Well, I don't know my name and I don't know my place
Identity and sense of self are lost in the chaos of the situation
There's a crack in the mirror, cracking my face
Self-image and perception of oneself are also shattered
(Baby is blue) she had a heavy night
Another person is also struggling or suffering in this situation
(Baby is blue) she's gonna be alright
Despite the difficulties, there is still hope and potential for recovery
(Baby is blue) she'll never the same
The impact of this experience will stay with her, and change her in some way
You better take her home
The best course of action is to try and care for and support those around me in this chaos
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Ivor Arthur Davies
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind