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 To Be Lonely
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
This is how it 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
This is how it 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
This is how it feels to be small
This is how it feels when your word means nothing at all
The lyrics of Inspiral Carpets' "This Is How It Feels To Be Lonely" express the feeling of loneliness and insignificance that can come from being overlooked and discounted by the people around you. The first two lines suggest a lack of communication within a family, with the husband unable to grasp his wife's struggles and the children unaware of what is causing her distress. The third and fourth lines act as a bridge, highlighting the importance of being heard and understood by those around us. However, even when we try to express ourselves, others may still fail to see or acknowledge our struggles.
The second half of the lyrics shift focus to a larger societal issue. A wealthy man has everything he wants except for the love of a woman from a working-class background. Despite his privilege, he is still unable to connect with someone he desires. The phrase "he had it all on a plate" suggests that he had every resource to win her over but failed. This contrasts with the struggles of the family in the first half of the song, who presumably have far less privilege and power. Despite this difference, the two scenarios share a similar theme of loneliness and the difficulty of connecting with others.
Overall, the lyrics of "This Is How It Feels To Be Lonely" paint a picture of the struggle to connect and be seen by others. The song highlights the importance of clear communication to avoid misunderstandings and the feeling of isolation that can come from being unable to express oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
Husband don't know what he's done
The husband is unaware of the cause of distress in his family.
Kids don't know what's wrong with mum
The children are unable to comprehend the situation their mother is in.
She can't say, they can't see,
The mother cannot express her feelings and the children cannot perceive the underlying problem.
Putting it down to another bad day
The family attributes the mother's emotional state to just another unfortunate day.
Daddy don't know what he's done
The father is still unaware of his actions that have caused distress in the family.
Kids don't know what's wrong with mum
The children are still unable to understand their mother's predicament.
Black car drives through the town,
A car, probably belonging to someone wealthy, passes by in the town.
Some guy from the top estate
The owner of the car is likely someone from the affluent community.
Left a note for a local girl,
The affluent person left a message for a girl in the local community.
And yet he had it all on a plate
Despite having everything, the person still yearns for a connection with someone beyond their own wealth and status.
This is how it feels to be lonely
Loneliness can make one feel small and insignificant.
This is how it feels to be small
The feeling of loneliness can make one feel insignificant and powerless.
This is how it feels when your word means nothing at all
Loneliness can make one feel like their voice is unheard and their opinions are of no significance.
So this is how it feels to be lonely
The feeling of loneliness is further emphasized.
This is how it feels to be small
The feeling of insignificance is further emphasized.
This is how it feels when your word means nothing at all
The feeling of powerlessness and unheard voice is further emphasized.
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group
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 Watersโs and Deep Purple concerts , when they were here in Moscow. This music can equally praise up to the sky and destruct us and thatโs 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.