In 1987, their LP Dumb Poet was released in America by A&M Records and the Psychedelic Furs-esque track "Tragic Comedy" was a minor hit on college radio. The band toured with Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop, Simple Minds, the Stranglers, and the Rolling Stones; however, they grew tired of the English music scene in the late '80s and relocated to Spain, where they were superstars.
Give them a try. Yes today's mega-bands are good - but for sheer originality and unpredictability - the "Fools" are hard to beat.
In 1997, the Immaculate Fools broke up after Weatherill departed from the group. Calling himself Dirty Ray, Weatherill abandoned the Immaculate Fools' Celtic touches for gritty blues on his solo debut Primitive. Influenced by John Lee Hooker, Howlin' Wolf, Tom Waits, and Nick Cave, Weatherill recorded the album with Simon Anderson (percussion) and Rainy Moor (electric organ).
Good Times
Immaculate Fools Lyrics
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who couldn't make a three.
He's got blood on his hands
and blood on his sheets.
He know's what's good
for you and me.
His hands are washed
Good times
never been so bad.
Of rich men's things
poor men dream,
but greed is a prison
you never break free.
There's a hole in my sky
and shit in my sea,
the earth is bleeding,
beneath my feet.
Good times
never been so bad.
You fire your arrows,
you don't care where they land.
Turn my world
to dust and sand.
Where's the captain,
where's his band
of cut throat thugs
we want them hanged.
Truth and justice
all wrapped up in rag,
the jokes on us
we've all been had.
Good times
never been so bad.
The lyrics to Immaculate Fools' song "Good Times" paint a picture of a world in turmoil. There's a sense of despair and hopelessness that permeates the song, as if the singer is resigned to the fact that things will never get better. The first four lines introduce us to a man who seems to be down on his luck. He can't seem to catch a break, and the blood on his hands and sheets suggests that he's been involved in something unsavory. Despite this, he's still trying to do what's best for everyone else.
The chorus of the song - "Good times never been so bad" - is a reminder that even when things seem bleak, there's still some hope to be found. The next verse discusses the idea of wealth and how it can be both a blessing and a curse. Rich people have everything they could ever want, but poor people spend their whole lives dreaming of those same things. The line "greed is a prison you never break free" is a commentary on the idea that money can't buy happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a man at ten
At the brothel, there is a man who comes every day at ten o'clock
who couldn't make a three.
He is impotent and cannot perform sexually
He's got blood on his hands
The man is involved in violent and criminal activities
and blood on his sheets.
There is evidence of his violent activities on his bed
He knows what's good
Despite his criminal background, he has insights into what is good for people
for you and me.
He hopes to share this knowledge with others
His hands are washed
He tries to clean himself of his violent acts
but never clean.
However, he is unable to erase the stains of his past
Good times
Even though the world appears to be filled with problems
never been so bad.
Things have never been this bad
Of rich men's things
Poor people aspire to have the things rich people have
poor men dream,
But the desire for material possessions can become a form of imprisonment
but greed is a prison
The desire for wealth and material possessions can enslave a person
you never break free.
It is difficult to escape one's desires and cravings
There's a hole in my sky
The world is full of problems and troubles
and shit in my sea,
The environment is being polluted and destroyed
the earth is bleeding,
Natural resources are being exploited and depleted
beneath my feet.
These problems are affecting us at a personal level
You fire your arrows,
People act recklessly without caring about the consequences of their actions
you don't care where they land.
They are not concerned about who gets hurt by their actions
Turn my world
These actions completely alter our reality
to dust and sand.
Making things worse than they already are
Where's the captain,
People are looking for someone to blame for all these problems
where's his band
They are also looking for the people responsible for these problems
of cut throat thugs
They assume that those responsible are violent criminals
we want them hanged.
They want them to be punished severely
Truth and justice
People believe in concepts such as truth and justice
all wrapped up in rag,
But these concepts are not valued in the world we live in
the jokes on us
In the end, we are the ones who suffer the most
we've all been had.
We have been fooled into believing that the world is a better place than it really is
Contributed by Vivian P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.