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.
My Way Home
Kirsty MacColl Lyrics
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All it took was the time it takes
To smoke a cigarette or jam on the brakes
I nearly had it in my hands and now it's gone
Am I complaining 'bout by luck again?
Well it seems to me I was the one
Stood moaning in the morning sun
I keep feeling, feeling my way home
Now you see me, now you don't
You say you will but I know you won't
You nearly had me in your hands but now I'm gone
But not complaining 'bout my life again
No siree, and what I've got belongs to me entirely
I look left and I look right and I cross this road alone
'cause I'm feeling my way
I may go up, I may go down but wherever I may roam
I keep feeling my way home
Shall I explain away my life again?
Well it seems to me it's too far gone
To wonder where it all went wrong
I get up and I get down but I get there on my own
And I'm feeling my way
I look left and I look right and I cross this road alone
'cause I'm feeling my way home
The lyrics of Kirsty MacColl's "My Way Home" seem to contemplate the ups and downs of life as an unpredictable journey. The first verse talks about missed opportunities, how the chance of having something almost comes within reach and then disappears. The singer then wonders if they are once again complaining about their luck but it is clear that the missed opportunity is something that was important to them. The second verse is a response to an unreliable person who says they will show up, but the singer knows they will not. It is almost the same feeling as in the first verse, where something is promised to them but not delivered. The refrain of the song is "feeling my way home," which seems to mean that the singer is looking for a sense of direction while dealing with life's unpredictable journey. They know they may go up or down, but they will continue to navigate their way through life.
The third verse is an attempt for the singer to come to terms with their life's path. They question whether they should explain their life once again, but it's too late to regret. They acknowledge that life has its ups and downs, but they continue to push forward and reach their destination. The song ends with the same refrain, "feeling my way home," suggesting that the journey of life is ongoing and will continue to be unpredictable, but the singer will find their way home in their own time.
Line by Line Meaning
All it took was the time it takes
Things can change in the blink of an eye
To smoke a cigarette or jam on the brakes
A moment is all it takes for everything to be different
I nearly had it in my hands and now it's gone
Something you thought you had can slip away
Am I complaining 'bout by luck again?
Wondering why things never go your way
Well it seems to me I was the one
Realizing you are the one responsible for your own life
Stood moaning in the morning sun
Complaining won't change what has already happened
And now it doesn't matter much wherever I may roam
Where you go doesn't matter as long as you keep moving forward
I keep feeling, feeling my way home
Continuously searching for the right path to take
Now you see me, now you don't
People can come in and out of your life
You say you will but I know you won't
People can make promises they can't keep
You nearly had me in your hands but now I'm gone
Someone can almost have control over you, but then you regain your independence
But not complaining 'bout my life again
Choosing to accept things as they are
No siree, and what I've got belongs to me entirely
Acknowledging that you are in control of what you have
I look left and I look right and I cross this road alone
Taking ownership of your life and journey
'cause I'm feeling my way
Trusting your instincts and intuition
I may go up, I may go down but wherever I may roam
Life's journey is full of ups and downs no matter where you go
I keep feeling my way home
Your goal is always to find your way to where you feel at peace and belong
Shall I explain away my life again?
Wondering if an explanation can even justify your experience
Well it seems to me it's too far gone
It's too late to change the past
To wonder where it all went wrong
Questioning how everything got worse
I get up and I get down but I get there on my own
Persisting and pushing through struggles alone
And I'm feeling my way
Persevering through hardships and difficulties to find your way forward
I look left and I look right and I cross this road alone
Taking responsibility for your own journey and life path
'cause I'm feeling my way home
Trusting your instincts and intuition to lead you to where you belong
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: KRISTY MACCOLL, PETE GLENISTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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