Together, Campbell and Lanegan formed a unique combination of gruff vocals and dulcet voices. They released a series of albums: Ballad of the Broken Seas, which received a nomination in the 2006 Mercury Awards, Sunday at Devil Dirt, which was released in May 2008. The album received US release in Fall 2008. Their third album Hawk was released in August 2010. The same year the live album "Live At The Barbican London 2010 " was released.
Time of The Season
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That don’t really help the situation
She grabbed his coat and kicked him out
Some angel had been praying for salvation
Cats don’t believe in Santa Claus, spayed
and declawed
It’s not me you’re deceiving
And peace and love is all around
You knew I’d been with dirty dogs and kissed
some frogs
You knew how I was feeling
Underneath the mistletoe and stars you know you
set my senses reeling
In your embrace I found my place
Outside it’s freezing
I will love you most of all
At this time of the season
I tracked you down to London town
Met you at the station
Kings Cross by the east coast line
Wanted to explain the situation
Duty calls with ties that bind
I know you have your reasons
We all do what we have to do
At this time of the season
I dreamed of you in Birmingham
We had no plan
That’s what really made it
That Christmas song by Boney M.
The deejay at the local station played it
You took a job in Zanzibar
I did my Christmas shopping
I thought about you all the way
On my Atlantic crossing
Spoke with you in Amsterdam
Said if we stand a chance, we should take it
The red lights and the coffee stands
Said if we’re feeling love then we should make it
Like a child I gave my heart
Now why do you have to break it?
If there’s sense inside that head of yours
Well now’s the time to wake it
Baby in a manger cries
And men who’re wise
Well seeing is believing
No pantomime
No alibi
The joker in the pack is always dealing
If loving someone is a crime
Then strike me down
Within the spell
I’m weaving
And pair me with the circus clown
At this time of the season
The song "Time of the Season" by Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan is a reflective and melancholic ballad about a complicated relationship that evolves over the years. The lyrics start with a Christmas Eve where the lights went out, and the female protagonist asks her partner to leave. However, she mentions that some angel had been praying for salvation and that peace and love are all around during the season, suggesting that despite the breakup, there is still hope for reconciliation. The following verses reminisce about their past encounters, encounters with other people, and missed opportunities. It's clear that there is a strong connection between the two protagonists, even if they are not together, and they are both looking for ways to fix it. The repetition of the phrase "At this time of the season" suggests that despite the difficulties, it is always possible to find a way back to love and forgiveness, especially during the holidays.
The song is both nostalgic and hopeful, with a bittersweet atmosphere that captures the complexities of love and relationships. The singers' emotions are portrayed in a raw and honest way, and there is a sense of vulnerability and strength in their struggle to overcome the obstacles that keep them apart. The reference to "Baby in a manger cries/ And men who're wise" suggests that there is a spiritual aspect to their connection, and that, like the wise men, they need to keep searching for the truth and the path to redemption.
Line by Line Meaning
Christmas Eve the lights went out
The power went out on Christmas Eve.
That don’t really help the situation
The power outage didn't make things any better.
She grabbed his coat and kicked him out
She threw him out of the house.
Some angel had been praying for salvation
Someone must have been praying for a miracle.
Cats don’t believe in Santa Claus, spayed
and declawed
Cats that have been spayed and declawed don't believe in Santa Claus.
It’s not me you’re deceiving
You're not fooling me.
And peace and love is all around
The holiday season is full of peace and love.
At this time of the season
During the holiday season.
You knew I’d been with dirty dogs and kissed
some frogs
You knew I had been with some less-than-ideal partners in the past.
You knew how I was feeling
You understood my emotional state.
Underneath the mistletoe and stars you know you
set my senses reeling
Being near you under the mistletoe made me feel euphoric.
In your embrace I found my place
Being held by you felt like the right place for me to be.
Outside it’s freezing
It's very cold outside.
I will love you most of all
I will love you above anyone else.
I tracked you down to London town
I searched for you and found you in London.
Met you at the station
I met you at the train station.
Kings Cross by the east coast line
We met at Kings Cross Station which is located on the East Coast line.
Wanted to explain the situation
I wanted to clarify what was going on.
Duty calls with ties that bind
Responsibilities and obligations are holding me back.
I know you have your reasons
I understand that you have your own valid reasons for doing what you do.
We all do what we have to do
We all make choices based on our circumstances.
I dreamed of you in Birmingham
I had a dream about you while I was in Birmingham.
We had no plan
We didn't have any specific plans.
That’s what really made it
That's what made the experience special.
That Christmas song by Boney M.
The Christmas song by Boney M. that we heard on the radio.
The deejay at the local station played it
The local radio station DJ played it.
You took a job in Zanzibar
You got a job in Zanzibar.
I did my Christmas shopping
I did my Christmas shopping.
I thought about you all the way
I couldn't stop thinking about you the whole time.
On my Atlantic crossing
While I was crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
Spoke with you in Amsterdam
I talked to you while I was in Amsterdam.
Said if we stand a chance, we should take it
I suggested that we should pursue a relationship if we have a chance.
The red lights and the coffee stands
The red lights and cafes of Amsterdam.
Said if we’re feeling love then we should make it
I said that if we have feelings for each other, we should act on them.
Like a child I gave my heart
I gave you my heart with childlike innocence and vulnerability.
Now why do you have to break it?
Why did you have to break my heart?
If there’s sense inside that head of yours
Well now’s the time to wake it
If you have any common sense, you should use it now.
Baby in a manger cries
A baby in a manger is crying.
And men who’re wise
The wise men.
Well seeing is believing
You have to see something to believe it.
No pantomime
It's not an act or show.
No alibi
No excuse or justification.
The joker in the pack is always dealing
Life is unpredictable and often humorous.
If loving someone is a crime
If it's a crime to love someone.
Then strike me down
Punish me for loving someone.
Within the spell
I’m weaving
I'm under some kind of enchantment or trance.
And pair me with the circus clown
If loving someone is a crime, then pair me with the lowest of the low.
At this time of the season
During the holiday season.
Contributed by Joshua S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.