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.
England 2 Colombia 0
Kirsty MacColl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And when you asked me out I really was delighted
So we went to a pub in Belsize Park
And we cheered on England as the sky grew dark
Oh you shouldn't have kissed me cause you started a fire
But then I found out that you're a serial liar
You lied about your status
You never mentioned your three children
And the fact you have a wife
Now it's England 2 Colombia 0
And I know just how those Colombians feel
If you hadn't passed out while I was talking to your friend
It could have really ended badly cause you very nearly had me
If he hadn't taken pity on my heart full of desire
I might never have found out you're a serial liar
You lied about your status
You lied about your life
You forgot you have three children
You forgot you have a wife
Now it's England 2 Colombia 0
And I know just how those Colombians feel
It is not in my nature to ever pick the winning team
Sometimes I think I'm happy then I remember it's a dream
Now it isn't in my nature to ever pick a winner
I always pick a bastard who would have me for his dinner
I can never possess the object of my desire
Cause he's bound to turn out to be a serial liar
OK I didn't mention my kids, I thought I'd wait a bit
But I am free and single and he's a lying git
Cause he lied about his status
He lied about his life
He forgot he had three children
He forgot he had a wife
And it's England 2 Colombia 0
I know just how those Colombians feel
So I got into a taxi and sobbed all the way home
Called my friend up in Sao Paulo and cried down the phone
I played some tragic music and I lay down to die
But later I woke and I hadn't stopped crying
You should never have kissed me, you tasted of deceit
Your perfume was Adultery but I'm not a piece of meat
So I'll be the one that you couldn't acquire
I found out in time you're a serial liar
You lied about your status
You lied about your life
And I pity your three children
And I pity your poor wife
Now you can go to Hell
I'm going to Brazil
Still it's England 2 Colombia 0
The lyrics of Kirsty MacColl’s song England 2 Colombia 0 describe the aftermath of a date with a man who turns out to be a married man with children who lied about his status and life. The song describes how the singer felt deceived, angry, and emotional after finding out the truth about her date. Despite being hurt, she takes ownership of the situation and decides to move on with her life, leaving the lying man behind. The final lines of the song reflect the score of a football match between England and Colombia, creating an allegory for the singer's situation, emphasizing the idea that she won the game by leaving the man behind.
The lyrics of England 2 Colombia 0 reflect the complexity of relationships and how people can be deceived by others, leading them to feel hurt and angry. The song’s repetition of the score, England 2 Colombia 0, highlights the emotional aspect of coming out on top after being deceived, turning the victory of a football match into a victory of self-respect and dignity. However, despite being hurt, the lyrics of the song illuminate a sense of empowerment, reassuring the listener that it is possible to overcome deceit and move on with life.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh you shouldn't have kissed me and got me so excited
You shouldn't have kissed me if you were going to deceive me
And when you asked me out I really was delighted
I was really excited when you asked me out
So we went to a pub in Belsize Park
We went to a pub in Belsize Park
And we cheered on England as the sky grew dark
We cheered for England as it got dark outside
Oh you shouldn't have kissed me cause you started a fire
Your kiss ignited something in me, which was not fair
But then I found out that you're a serial liar
But I found out that you're someone who lies all the time
You lied about your status
You didn't tell me the truth about your social standing
You lied about your life
You didn't tell me the truth about your life
You never mentioned your three children
You didn't reveal to me that you have three kids
And the fact you have a wife
You also hid the fact that you're already married
Now it's England 2 Colombia 0
Now, it's England leading Colombia by 2 points
And I know just how those Colombians feel
And I feel the same way as the Colombians must be feeling
If you hadn't passed out while I was talking to your friend
If you hadn't lost consciousness while I was having a conversation with your friend
It could have really ended badly cause you very nearly had me
Things might have taken an ugly turn because I was falling for you
If he hadn't taken pity on my heart full of desire
If he hadn't felt sorry for my passionate heart
I might never have found out you're a serial liar
I might never have discovered that you're someone who lies regularly
It is not in my nature to ever pick the winning team
I'm not someone who picks winners easily
Sometimes I think I'm happy then I remember it's a dream
At times, I think I'm content, but then I realize it's just an illusion
Now it isn't in my nature to ever pick a winner
Now I know that I'm not someone who can choose the right person easily
I always pick a bastard who would have me for his dinner
I always select someone who would take advantage of me
I can never possess the object of my desire
I can never have the person I want
Cause he's bound to turn out to be a serial liar
Because he's likely to be someone who lies regularly
OK I didn't mention my kids, I thought I'd wait a bit
Okay, I didn't tell you about my children, but I intended to reveal it later
But I am free and single and he's a lying git
But I'm single and free, and he's someone who lies all the time
And I pity your three children
And I feel sorry for your three kids
And I pity your poor wife
And I feel sorry for your wife
Now you can go to Hell
Now, you can go to hell
I'm going to Brazil
I'm heading to Brazil
Still it's England 2 Colombia 0
But, as far as the game goes, England is still leading Colombia by 2 points
So I got into a taxi and sobbed all the way home
So, I hailed a cab and cried throughout the entire ride back home
Called my friend up in Sao Paulo and cried down the phone
Called my friend in Sao Paulo and wept while talking to her over the phone
I played some tragic music and I lay down to die
I played some heart-wrenching songs and lay on my bed as if I was dying
But later I woke and I hadn't stopped crying
But later, I woke up, and I was still weeping
You should never have kissed me, you tasted of deceit
You should not have kissed me because it tasted like deception
Your perfume was Adultery but I'm not a piece of meat
Your scent was like infidelity, but I will not let myself be used
So I'll be the one that you couldn't acquire
So at least, I'll be the one you couldn't possess
I found out in time you're a serial liar
At least, I discovered in time that you're someone who lies all the time
Contributed by Hunter N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.