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.
Don
Kirsty MacColl Lyrics
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You walked away
You couldn't hear what I wanted to say
I had a dream
I was alone
Nowhere was mine
No one was home
Darkness come and take me
You light my life darling
You light the night
Darling don't go
I closed my eyes
You came to me
I was in love
I held a dream
Fragile and brief
A wonderful thing
Like a new leaf
But only a dream
Sunshine don't you wake me
Nighttime don't forsake me
You light my life darling
You light the night
Darling don't go
I had a dream
Whispers and sighs
Walk in the stream
Look in my eyes
Sunshine don't you wake me
Darkness come and take me
You light my life darling
You light the night
Darling don't go home
In Kirsty MacColl's song "Don't Go Home," the lyrics depict a lover's fear of abandonment and the desperate plea to their partner not to leave. The singer had a dream in which their lover walked away and wouldn't listen to what they had to say. This dream leaves the singer feeling alone and helpless, with nowhere to turn. The lyrics express the idea of clinging to love, not wanting to let go of something that provides comfort and happiness, even if it's just a fleeting dream.
The chorus contains the lyrics "Sunshine don't you wake me, darkness come and take me, you light my life darling, you light the night, darling don't go." This implies that the singer is torn between wanting to stay in the light and embrace love and wanting to stay in the darkness, where pain and heartbreak do not exist. The singer knows that their lover is what makes life worth living, and requests that they do not leave, as it would be too difficult to bear. Overall, the song expresses a desire for love and companionship while simultaneously acknowledging the fear of losing it.
Line by Line Meaning
I had a dream
She had a dream
You walked away
Her significant other left her
You couldn't hear what I wanted to say
She wasn't able to express her true feelings to her significant other
I had a dream
She had another dream
I was alone
She was alone in her dream
Nowhere was mine
She didn't belong anywhere in her dream
No one was home
There was no home to go back to in her dream
Sunshine don't you wake me
She doesn't want to wake up from her dream
Darkness come and take me
She wants to stay in her dream-like state
You light my life darling
Her significant other brings happiness to her life
You light the night
Her significant other brings light to her darkest hours
Darling don't go
She doesn't want her significant other to leave her
I closed my eyes
She closed her eyes to try and go back to her dream
You came to me
Her significant other appeared in her dream
I was in love
She fell in love with her significant other in her dream
I held a dream
She held onto her dream, but it wasn't a reality
Fragile and brief
Her dream was fleeting and fragile
A wonderful thing
Her dream was beautiful
Like a new leaf
Her dream was like a new beginning
But only a dream
Her dream wasn't a reality
Nighttime don't forsake me
She doesn't want to wake up from her dream-like state even in the darkness
I had a dream
She had yet another dream
Whispers and sighs
Her dream was accompanied by whispers and sighs
Walk in the stream
She wants someone to accompany her through life's journey
Look in my eyes
Her significant other should look into her eyes and understand her
Darling don't go home
She begs her significant other not to leave her
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KIRSTY ANNA MACCOLL, MARK EDWARD CASCIAN NEVIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind