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)
One By One
Icehouse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The memory still remains
You may never learn
You make the same mistakes again
One by one
You count them one by one
The memory still remains
Here in this empty room
You count them one by one
One by one
You count them one by one
Here in this empty room
You count them one by one
Oh hoh
Oh hoh
One by one
You count them one by one
One by one
You count them one by one
Here in this empty room
The memory still remains
And you never learn
You make the same mistake again
Those days are lost and found
The memories will still remain
The memories will remain
You make the same mistake again
One by one
One by one
One by one
One by one
The lyrics of Icehouse's song "One by One" speak about the pain and regret that comes with repeating the same mistakes over and over again. The "empty room" described in the lyrics is a metaphor for the emptiness one feels when they have lost something important, such as time or relationships, due to their repeated mistakes. The memories of these losses still remain, haunting the person even as they continue to make the same mistakes.
The repetition of the phrase "one by one" emphasizes the laborious task of counting all of the losses suffered, and also suggests a sense of futility or resignation. The phrase "days that were lost and found" highlights the fleeting nature of time and how difficult it is to regain what has been lost. The lyrics convey a sense of melancholy and frustration that anyone who has experienced the pain of regret can relate to.
Overall, "One by One" is a poignant and introspective song that captures the universal experience of making mistakes and longing for what has been lost.
Line by Line Meaning
Here in this empty room
In this desolate space, where nothing remains
The memory still remains
The recollections persist, never quite leaving
You may never learn
Perhaps you'll never comprehend
You make the same mistakes again
Reliving the blunders with no sign of improvement
One by one
Every error, methodically counted
Days that were lost and found
Forgotten moments, rediscovered yet again
Here in this empty room
Back in this vacuous chamber
You count them one by one
Recounting everything with precision
Oh hoh
An expression of sorrow, a lament
One by one
Individually, one at a time
You count them one by one
Tabulating every misstep
The memories will still remain
The experiences endure, everlasting
You make the same mistake again
Repeating the same misunderstandings
One by one
Each blunder, enumerated
One by one
One after the other, without end
One by one
Sequentially, never stopping
One by one
Methodically, piece by piece
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: RHETT DAVIES, BRIAN ENO, ROBERT WYATT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind