John Watts is from a family of singers. He progressed through school and college bands inspired equally by the late 60s Trojan catalogue and great maverick artists, from Alex Harvey to Lou Reed, Captain Beefheart to Tom Waits and the ‘Hunky Dory’ David Bowie. Watts moved to the point where punk, art-wave and reggae crossed over. With college friend Steve Skolnik and rhythm section Steve Liddle and Dave Graham, Watts landed a record deal as Fischer-Z with United Artists in 1978 alongside the Buzzcocks and the Stranglers. They became well known throughout continental Europe and achieved chart success as far abroad as Australia.
Watts has amassed a considerable body of creative work since. His quality song-writing has evolved steadily against a variety of musical colours. It has encompassed written word, poetry and humour as easily as rap-scape, rare groove and indie guitar influences, all with a characteristic singing and written ‘voice’. The original Fischer-Z split up in 1981.
The double worldwide release of the Real Life Is Good Enough and related It Has To Be albums represents a fresh new era for John; a return to more organic music-making and humorous writing. He is touring extensively solo and in a three-piece format with drummer and multi-instrumentalist Sam Walker and Matthew Gest on keyboard.
The album Morethanmusic was released in october 2010, with the songs he used to play on the MoreThanMusic live shows in the prior year.
In 2010 he had a couple of shows as Fischer-Z with Sam Walker on drums, Matthew Gest on keyboards and Matthew Wear on bass. This appeared to be a quite succesful revival. In april 2011 he released a remix album of the most succesful Fischer-Z songs via crowd funding site PledgeMusic.com. This album was titled Fischer-Z.
Carousel
John Watts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He had trouble in lighting his cigarette.
He'd spilt his drink so his cuff was wet when she moved on to the floor.
CAROUSEL.... vermilion nails and a painted face.
So young and full of experience.
He felt alone till he heard her sing, then it made him want to
cry - CAROUSEL....
Never in his life had he felt so warm as when she came up to his
He was lying in those sensual arms, when a waiter spotted his
sleeping form.
He shook his dreams, he awoke in pain and was thrown out in the road.
CAROUSEL.
Never in his life had he felt so cold as when he bounced
into the neon outside.
He closed his eyes....it almost broke his heart. CAROUSEL!
The song Carousel by John Watts tells the story of a man who is drowning in his misery, turning to alcohol to forget his pain. He notices a young woman dancing on the dance floor with vermilion nails and a painted face. He is struck by her beauty and the way she carries herself so confidently despite her youth. As she sings, he is moved to tears, feeling a warmth within him that he had never felt before. When she approaches him and touches his chin, he feels an overwhelming sense of comfort and love. He is lost in her embrace, only to be woken up by a waiter who spots him sleeping. The man is thrown out into the cold, harsh reality of the world, feeling more alone and broken than ever before.
The lyrics portray the feeling of being lost and alone, turning to unhealthy behaviors to mask the pain. The carousel represents the cycle of life and the ups and downs that come with it. The man rides this carousel, searching for a way out of his misery, only to be thrown back into it once again. He is numb to the world around him, until he is touched by the beauty and innocence of the young woman. The song conveys a message of hope, that even in the darkest of times, there is love and beauty to be found.
Line by Line Meaning
The alcohol had made him sweat.
He had been drinking and was now sweating as a result.
He had trouble in lighting his cigarette.
Because of his inebriation, he was having difficulty lighting his cigarette.
He'd spilt his drink so his cuff was wet when she moved on to the floor.
Just as a woman began to dance, he spilled his drink, getting his cuff wet.
CAROUSEL.... vermilion nails and a painted face.
The scene depicts a lavish and colorful carousel, with a woman having bright red nails and a made-up face.
So young and full of experience.
The woman on the carousel appears youthful, but has an air of worldly experience about her.
He felt alone till he heard her sing, then it made him want to
cry - CAROUSEL....
When the woman began to sing, he suddenly felt emotional, alone no longer, and even felt like crying.
Never in his life had he felt so warm as when she came up to his
table and touched his chin. He closed his eyes....it almost broke his heart.
When the woman came over to him and caressed his chin, he felt an intense warmth and emotion that nearly overwhelmed him.
He was lying in those sensual arms, when a waiter spotted his
sleeping form.
As he relaxed in the woman's embrace, a waiter came upon him and saw that he had passed out.
He shook his dreams, he awoke in pain and was thrown out in the road.
When he finally came to, he was in pain and was kicked out onto the street.
CAROUSEL.
Everything happening in the scene is a part of a larger, all-consuming carnival atmosphere.
Never in his life had he felt so cold as when he bounced
into the neon outside.
As he stumbled out into the street, he felt an intense coldness.
He closed his eyes....it almost broke his heart. CAROUSEL!
Again, he is overwhelmed by the emotional and all-encompassing experience of the carnival and everything it represents.
Contributed by Makayla R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.