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.
No Victims
Kirsty MacColl Lyrics
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I must have been driving all day
But I'm getting no further away
All these towns look the same
And the rain is falling in my eyes
Take me away
See all my friends for a day
I'm no longer hurting without you
I'm no victim to pity and cry for
And you're not someone I'd lay down and die for
I was seeing the world through your eyes
There was not much left not to despise
It's a shame but it's true
I started to feel things like you do
But I'm not tearing my heart out for you dear
And when you wake up I won't even be here
Sod all your funny little ways
They don't make me laugh these days any more
I'm no victim to pity and cry for
Or some sad lonely encounter the night before
I'm no victim to pity and cry for
From some sad desperate collision the night before
No I'm not tearing my heart out for you dear
And when you wake up I'll be miles away from here
Baby, I know
In Kirsty MacColl's song "No Victims", the singer is on a long driving trip and feeling stuck in their emotional state. They want to see their friends, but everything around them seems the same and the rain is making it hard to see. The singer declares that they are no longer hurting without their lover and they are not a victim to pity and cry for. There is a sense of empowerment and defiance in their words. They admit that they used to see things from their lover's perspective and started to feel like them, but they are not tearing their heart out over them anymore. The singer is determined to move on and avoid a sad, lonely encounter with someone else. They will be miles away from their former lover when they wake up.
The lyrics of "No Victims" suggest that the singer is ready to take control of their emotions and life. They are not going to allow themselves to be a victim of heartbreak or to be defined by someone else's perception of the world. The driving metaphor represents the journey of a person coming to terms with their feelings and gaining strength in their resolve to move on.
Line by Line Meaning
I must have been driving all day
I have been travelling for a really long time
But I'm getting no further away
But it feels like I'm not getting closer to my destination
All these towns look the same
All the places I pass through seem to be similar
And the rain is falling in my eyes
It's raining heavily causing discomfort to my eyes
Take me away
Help me escape from all of this
See all my friends for a day
Meet all my buddies just for one day
It's strange but it's true
It may sound weird, but it is what it is
I'm no longer hurting without you
I'm not in pain anymore without your presence
I'm no victim to pity and cry for
I'm not someone to sympathize with and feel sorry for
And you're not someone I'd lay down and die for
You're not a person I would sacrifice my life for
I was seeing the world through your eyes
I started seeing things from your perspective
There was not much left not to despise
There was barely anything I didn't hate
It's a shame but it's true
It's regrettable, but it's the reality
I started to feel things like you do
I began having similar emotions to you
But I'm not tearing my heart out for you dear
But I'm not hurting myself because of you anymore
And when you wake up I won't even be here
And when you come to your senses, I'll be long gone
Sod all your funny little ways
I'm tired of all your silly habits
They don't make me laugh these days any more
I don't find them amusing anymore
Or some sad lonely encounter the night before
Nor am I a sad, lonely person whom you met last night
From some sad desperate collision the night before
Nor am I someone who engaged in a last resort sexual encounter last night
No I'm not tearing my heart out for you dear
No, I'm not in agony because of you anymore
And when you wake up I'll be miles away from here
And when you realize it, I'll be far away from you already
Baby, I know
My mind is made up
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: KIRSTY MAC COLL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind