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.
This Is How It Feels
Inspiral Carpets Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kids don't know what's wrong with mum
She can't say, they can't see
Putting it down to another bad day
Daddy don't know what he's done
Kids don't know what's wrong with mum
So this is how it feels to be lonely
This is how it feels when your word means nothing at all
Black car drives through the town
Some guy from the top estate
Left a note for a local girl
And yet he had it all on a plate
So this is how it feels to be lonely (feels to be lonely)
This is how it feels to be small (feels to be small)
This is how it feels when your word means nothing at all
Husband don't know what he's done
Kids don't know what's wrong with mum
She can't say, they can't see
Putting it down to another bad day
So this is how it feels to be lonely (feels to be lonely)
This is how it feels to be small (feels to be small)
This is how it feels when your word means nothing at all
So this is how it feels to be lonely (feels to be lonely)
This is how it feels to be small (feels to be small)
This is how it feels when your word means nothing at all
Nothing at all
Nothing at all
The opening lines of Inspiral Carpets' "This Is How It Feels" elicit a powerful sense of emotional disorientation. With plaintive vocals and a driving, propulsive rhythm, the opening verse sets a scene of confusion and alienation within a family dynamic. The "Husband" and "Daddy" are both at a loss, while the "Kids" are equally clueless about what's troubling their "Mum." With no clear sense of what's causing her obvious distress, the other members of the family are left to chalk it up to "another bad day."
As the song progresses into its chorus, the focus shifts from the specifics of the family dynamic to a more universal expression of loneliness and powerlessness. The repeated refrain of "This is how it feels to be lonely, this is how it feels to be small, this is how it feels when your word means nothing at all" hits with a gut-level emotional impact that's hard to shake. Suddenly, the particulars of the family's situation seem like just one instance of a much broader sense of disconnection and isolation.
The song's second verse adds another layer to its thematic weight, describing a wealthy outsider who seems to have everything handed to him, even as he leaves behind anonymous gestures of longing and desire. With this added perspective, "This Is How It Feels" becomes a kind of anthem for anyone who has ever felt adrift and disconnected from the world around them. Despite its bleak scenario, the song's combination of driving guitar and relentlessly catchy chorus give it an undeniable energy and sense of cathartic release.
Line by Line Meaning
Husband don't know what he's done
The husband does not understand what he has done to upset his spouse
Kids don't know what's wrong with mum
The children are unaware of their mother's emotional state
She can't say, they can't see
The mother is unable to express her emotions and the children are ignorant of the situation
Putting it down to another bad day
The mother and children disregard the mother's emotional state as a typical bad day
Daddy don't know what he's done
The father does not recognize his actions that may have impacted his spouse
So this is how it feels to be lonely
The sense of loneliness manifests itself as a result of emotional disconnect in the family
This is how it feels to be small
The emotional stress makes one feel powerless and insignificant, like a small entity in the world
This is how it feels when your word means nothing at all
In times of emotional turmoil, nothing one says can make a difference or bring about a change
Black car drives through the town
A black car moves through the town
Some guy from the top estate
An individual from an affluent neighborhood of the town
Left a note for a local girl
The wealthy individual left a message for a girl from a less affluent background
And yet he had it all on a plate
Despite being privileged, the individual's life is not completely satisfactory
Nothing at all
Utterly insignificant
Nothing at all
Signifying complete emptiness
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: CLINTON DAVID BOON, CRAIG DOUGLAS GILL, GRAHAM PAUL LAMBERT, MARTYN JOHN WALSH, THOMAS WILLIAM HINGLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tnrc75
Christ - 1990 doesn't feel that far away from 2020. Enjoy your lives kids, time flies.
@mrbojangles977
So so true .......
@drunkroku4054
LOL.....real
@Auty1973
My era loved this song. Monday's Rose's charlatans northside etc etc. Time machine required
@elliothdgaming7530
Im 17 and all i can say is that this music from the 90s is amazing. The shit today is so bad. Wish i grew up in a more simpler and fun time with good music and good times :/
@farmerdan7274
Mate, you described it perfectly. Yesteryear feels like yesterday.
@user-np6pi1ug1n
One of the very very best Indie Brit Pop songs. Thanks for that, Inspiral Carpets!
@welcometothemachine6978
I am from Moscow, and d like to say that I grew up listening to the inspiring, great British rock music of the 20th century( mainly progressive and psychodelic rock) . Without it my life would so poor. Some of the most significant days in my life were when i visited Roger Waters’s and Deep Purple concerts , when they were here in Moscow. This music can equally praise up to the sky and destruct us and that’s why it has always been so breathtaking.
Thank you Great Britain for your culture, for your style, for your music and for dreamy, talented boys from your industrial cities , who had been creating some of the most beautiful non material heritage of our world
@problemchimp4231
What a nice comment. All the best to you my friend... from the UK.
@louisewilliams7492
@ProblemChimp extremely well expressed about something our musicians have done very well.