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)
The Kingdom
Icehouse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That just comes and goes
It's not so special
She watches the birds
That rest on a ledge
Outside her room
The wallpaper old and faded
A crack in the window pane
Playing that same old song.
She smiles to herself
"they think that I'm strange,
They say I'm a dreamer
But I don't complain,
Though I don't have much
To call my own."
And she's not a movie star, no
And she's not a beauty queen
She'll tell you it doesn't matter
'cause she's not the only one
She says,
"I know a place
Where I keep the best of things
I'm not gonna wait
For my piece of heaven.
Where there's a road
It leads to the promised land
I just turn the key
The key to the
Kingdom"
She stares at the page
Of a new magazine, the morning papers
She walks into town
And catches a show
If she can find the time
And she's not a movie star, no
And she's not a beauty queen
She'll tell you it doesn't matter
'cause she's not the only one.
She says,
"I know a place
Where I keep the best of things
I'm not gonna wait
For my piece of heaven
Where there's a road
It leads to the promised land
I just turn the key
The key to the
Kingdom"
The Icehouse's song, The Kingdom, talks about a woman who is content with her life, and finds solace in the small things. The lyrics describe how she spends her day watching birds and listening to the radio, while the world goes by outside her faded wallpapered room. The woman is happy despite not having much, and she refuses to complain. She accepts that she is not a movie star or beauty queen, but she doesn't mind. She knows that she is not alone, and that there are others like her who are content with what they have.
The song's chorus, "I know a place where I keep the best of things, I'm not gonna wait for my piece of heaven," highlights the woman's willingness to accept her life for what it is and find happiness in the small things. She expresses her belief that there is a place where her dreams are fulfilled, a road to the promised land. The key to this kingdom lies within her, and she doesn't need to wait for someone else to provide it for her.
In essence, The Kingdom is a song about finding contentment in life, regardless of one's station in life. The woman in the song is actively seeking her own happiness and refusing to wait for it to come to her. The lyrics emphasize the importance of self-sufficiency and self-acceptance.
Line by Line Meaning
One of those days
A day that feels ordinary and unremarkable
That just comes and goes
It passes by without any significant events
It's not so special
The day doesn't stand out from others
She watches the birds
She observes the beauty of nature
That rest on a ledge
The birds stay still on a surface outside her window
Outside her room
In the world outside of her own space
The wallpaper old and faded
The decoration of her room is outdated and worn out
A crack in the window pane
The window is damaged with a small gap
The radio just keeps playing
The radio is on and the music keeps going
Playing that same old song.
The same tune is repeated
She smiles to herself
She finds joy in the moment
"they think that I'm strange,
Other people see her as odd
They say I'm a dreamer
She is seen as unrealistic or perhaps impractical
But I don't complain,
She is content despite how others perceive her
Though I don't have much
She doesn't possess many tangible things
To call my own."
She doesn't have much that belongs solely to her
And she's not a movie star, no
She's not a famous actress
And she's not a beauty queen
She isn't a traditional symbol of beauty
She'll tell you it doesn't matter
Those things aren't important to her
'cause she's not the only one
There are others who feel similarly
She says,
She tells someone about her perspective
"I know a place
She has knowledge about a special location
Where I keep the best of things
She has her most valued possessions there
I'm not gonna wait
She won't sit around for what she wants
For my piece of heaven.
Her own version of paradise
Where there's a road
There is a path to follow
It leads to the promised land
The road goes to a place of abundance
I just turn the key
She has control to unlock this destination
The key to the
The solution to her problems
Kingdom"
Is the place she goes to achieve what she desires
She stares at the page
She looks closely at something
Of a new magazine, the morning papers
She reads a fresh source of information
She walks into town
She leaves her room and goes outside
And catches a show
She attends a performance or event
If she can find the time
If she has availability in her schedule
And she's not a movie star, no
She reemphasizes her lack of fame
And she's not a beauty queen
She isn't a physical symbol of perfection
She'll tell you it doesn't matter
She isn't bothered by her lack of conventional success
'cause she's not the only one.
There are others who feel the same
She says,
She tells someone else
"I know a place
Reiterating her secret knowledge
Where I keep the best of things
Where she has her most important treasures
I'm not gonna wait
She won't wait idly
For my piece of heaven
She wants to create her own paradise
Where there's a road
This place is accessible
It leads to the promised land
The place provides abundance and success
I just turn the key
She has the power to bring herself there
The key to the
The solution to her problems
Kingdom"
Represents the place where she can create her own paradise
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Ivor Arthur Davies, Robert Grant Kretschmer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind