Kirsty Anna MacColl (Croydon, England, UK on 10 October 1959 - 18 December … Read Full Bio ↴Kirsty Anna MacColl (Croydon, England, UK on 10 October 1959 - 18 December 2000) was a British pop singer-songwriter. She was the daughter of dancer Jean Newlove and noted folk singer Ewan MacColl.

MacColl began her career in the late 1970s UK punk rock scene, singing backing vocals for Drug Addix. Her UK hits included the 1981 single "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis", a cover of Billy Bragg's "A New England" in 1985, a duet with Shane MacGowan of The Pogues on "Fairytale of New York" in 1987, and a cover of The Kinks' song "Days" in 1989. She was probably most recognizable in the United States as the writer of "They Don't Know" a hit in 1979.

After a break from the music industry for much of the 1990s, several trips to Cuba and Brazil restored MacColl's creative muse, and the world music-inspired (particularly Cuban and other Latin American forms) Tropical Brainstorm, often described as her finest work, was released in 2000.

On 18 December 2000, while swimming in a restricted diving area with her family on a holiday in Cozumel, she was killed in a collision with a powerboat while managing to drag her son out of its path. The boat was owned by Mexican supermarket millionaire Guillermo González Nova (owner of Comercial Mexicana), who was on board with several members of his family. A boathand, José Cen Yam, claimed to have been driving the boat and was found guilty of culpable homicide and, under Mexican law, allowed to pay a fine of 1034 pesos (about USD 90) in lieu of a prison sentence of that many days. However, eyewitnesses contradict Cen Yam's claim to have been driving and also González Nova's claim that the boat was travelling at a speed of only one knot. MacColl's family are campaigning for a judicial review into the events surrounding her death, including an application to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. The BBC has featured on several of its channels a documentary by Olivia Lichtenstein, entitled Who Killed Kirsty MacColl?

In 2001, a bench was placed by the southern entrance to London's Soho Square as a memorial to her, after a lyric from one of her most poignant songs: "One day I'll be waiting there/ No empty bench inSoho Square.

Dancing In Limbo
Kirsty MacColl Lyrics

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(kirsty maccoll)

He said, 'baby don't go'
So she sat down again
And they said they'd be friends
Her mother said
She'd told her so
She'd made her own bed

Now she'd have to lie in it, and the

Time goes
Summertime slow
And the world stops turning
And they're dancing in limbo, limbo, limbo

Took my pills today
But I don't feel better
In a funny sort of way
When it's too hot for anything
It's too hot to sleep
Your mind runs down to where
The river runs deep, and the

Time goes
Summertime slow
And the world stops turning
And they're dancing in limbo, limbo, limbo

His dream, peaches and cream
A cheesecake betty from the celluloid screen
So close he holds out his hand
But she sleeps like a woman
When he wakes like a man, and the

Time goes
Summertime slow

And the world stops turning
And they're dancing in limbo, limbo, limbo

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Kirsty MacColl's song "Dancing In Limbo" describe the slow passage of time during the summer, where the world seems to stop turning and people are left in a state of limbo. The first verse tells the story of a woman who was told by her mother that if she made her own bed, she would have to lie in it. The singer sits down again after being urged by a man not to leave, and they agree to be friends. The chorus repeats the phrase "time goes, summertime slow, and the world stops turning."

The second verse describes the feeling of being stuck in a hot and restless state of mind. The singer has taken pills to try to feel better but finds that they don't help. The heat is so oppressive that it's too hot to sleep, and thoughts drift to deeper issues. The chorus repeats, adding to the feeling of being caught in a state of limbo.

The third verse tells the story of a man who dreams of a perfect woman, a "cheesecake Betty from the celluloid screen." He reaches out to touch her but finds she is sleeping, and wakes up to the reality of being a man instead of a dreamer. The chorus repeats once again, emphasizing the feeling of being stuck in a place between dreams and reality.

Overall, the lyrics of "Dancing In Limbo" convey a sense of being trapped in a state of ambiguity and uncertainty, where time seems to drag on endlessly and dreams remain unfulfilled.

Line by Line Meaning

He said, 'baby don't go'
A man asked a woman not to leave

So she sat down again
The woman decided to stay

And they said they'd be friends
Both parties agreed to remain friends

Her mother said
The woman's mother spoke

She'd told her so
The mother had warned her daughter previously

She'd made her own bed
The woman had caused her own problems

Now she'd have to lie in it, and the
The woman would have to deal with the consequences

Time goes
The passage of time

Summertime slow
Time seems to move slower during the summer

And the world stops turning
Everything seems to slow down

And they're dancing in limbo, limbo, limbo
Despite being unsure of their situation, they're carrying on with life