The band originated with vocalist Stephen Holt (vocals) and guitarist Graham Lambert. Another uncredited founding member, was basist Glenn Chesworth. His partnership with the band lasted only a couple of years. The band emerged alongside The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays from the indie scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Bassist, Martyn Walsh, and drummer, Craig Gill, joined in 1984. Playing garage rock, they were joined by keyboardist, Clint Boon, who changed their sound based around harmonic (and often psychedelic) keyboards and jangly guitars.
After a couple of singles on a local indie label, Holt left the group and was replaced by Tom Hingley. The band were propelled to fame after being 'discovered' by the Radio 1 DJ John Peel and had their greatest chart success in the UK with a single entitled This is How it Feels, which is a song about loneliness and unemployment.
At the time of their initial success, the band earned some notoriety for their squiggly-eyed cow 'Cool as Fuck' T-shirts; a student at Oxford Polytechnic was prosecuted on obscenity charges for wearing one. One of their roadies, Noel Gallagher, went on to great success with the band Oasis. The band is named after an Inspiral Carpets tour poster which included the venue Swindon Oasis.
They reworked their single Find Out Why as the theme tune to early 90's kids TV show 'The 8:15 From Manchester'. Another release I Want You was used by Sony to advertise their in-car entertainment systems on this advert ; an early example of advertising agencies co-opting and promoting non-mainstream music to add kudos to mainstream brands (a trend that has increased significantly).
After the release of their 4th studio album, Devil Hopping, they started to record new, more darker-sounding demos in 1995 which their label, Mute Records rejected. An amicable split followed but they re-formed in 2003 for a tour and new compilation. For the next several years, they played gigs on and off, until Hingley could no longer give his 100% commitment so original vocalist, Stephen Holt, rejoined in March 2011.
Here Comes the Flood
Inspiral Carpets Lyrics
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God made the distance between me and you
Always walking the tightrope, always walking the line
Placing your head in the lion's jaws
Here comes the flood, it's just washing you down
Here comes the flood, it's just washing you down
Flood, flood, here comes the flood
Watching your river turn into an ocean
Sailing your ship off the edge of the world
Watching the sail as it carries you on
The wind twists like lovers in each other's arms
Here comes the flood, it's just washing you down
Here comes the flood, it's just washing you down
Flood (it's just washing you down)
Flood (it's just washing you down)
Flood, here comes the flood
This is my future and this is my past
And they meet in the middle of nowhere
Won't you lend me a hand, stuck out in nowhereland
Waiting for someone to hear me
Here comes the flood, it's just washing you down
Here comes the flood, it's just washing you down
Flood (it's just washing you down)
Flood (it's just washing you down)
Flood, here comes the flood
Oh, here comes the flood, here comes the flood
Here comes the flood
Here comes the flood
Here comes the flood
Here comes the flood
Here comes the flood
Here comes the flood
Here comes the flood
The lyrics of "Here Comes the Flood" by Inspiral Carpets hint at themes of distance, separation, loss, and facing the consequences of one's actions. The lines "The sky is red, and the sea is blue / God made the distance between me and you" suggest a feeling of separation that exists between two people even though they are surrounded by and share the same environment. The lyric "Always walking the tightrope, always walking the line / Placing your head in the lion's jaws" references the precarious nature of relationships and how individuals can put themselves in harm's way by taking risks, perhaps blindly in love.
The flood that is mentioned throughout the song represents life's troubles and obstacles that can overwhelm and wash over one at any time. The lines "Watching your river turn into an ocean / Sailing your ship off the edge of the world" suggest that one can easily lose control and drift away into unknown territories. The singer also acknowledges their own isolated existence with the lines "This is my future and this is my past / And they meet in the middle of nowhere / Won't you lend me a hand, stuck out in nowhereland / Waiting for someone to hear me," painting a picture of someone who feels lost and alone in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
The sky is red, and the sea is blue
The distance between us is as inexplicable and impossible as the sky being red and the sea being blue. It's all in God's hands.
God made the distance between me and you
It's not in our control, but God created this distance between us.
Always walking the tightrope, always walking the line
We are constantly trying to balance our lives and our relationship, like a tightrope walker, walking a thin line.
Placing your head in the lion's jaws
We are taking a big risk by trying to make this work. It's like putting our heads into the jaws of a lion.
Watching your river turn into an ocean
As we continue to work on our relationship, we see it grow and expand, like a river that turns into an ocean.
Sailing your ship off the edge of the world
We are both taking a leap of faith by committing to this relationship, and it feels like we could be sailing off the edge of the world.
Watching the sail as it carries you on
We are being carried by our love and commitment, and we are watching it all happen like a sail on a ship.
The wind twists like lovers in each other's arms
The wind is a metaphor for the ups and downs of our relationship, and it twists and turns like two lovers in each other's arms.
This is my future and this is my past
We are both bringing our histories and hopes for the future into this relationship.
And they meet in the middle of nowhere
Our past and future collide in the present moment, and it feels like we are in a place of uncertainty and nowhere.
Won't you lend me a hand, stuck out in nowhereland
We need each other's support to navigate the uncertainty and ambiguity of our relationship and find our way out of “nowhereland”.
Waiting for someone to hear me
We both long for someone to understand us and hear us out.
Here comes the flood, it's just washing you down
The flood is a metaphor for the overwhelming emotions that come with being in a relationship. It's washing away all sense of security and stability.
Flood (it's just washing you down)
The flood is so overwhelming that it's easy to get lost in it and feel like you are being carried away.
Here comes the flood (here it comes)
The flood is inevitable and unstoppable, it's coming no matter what.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Mute Song Limited
Written by: CLINTON DAVID BOON, CRAIG DOUGLAS GILL, GRAHAM PAUL LAMBERT, MARTYN JOHN WALSH, THOMAS WILLIAM HINGLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind