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.
Quietly Alone
Kirsty MacColl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So I go out for a quiet drink
But it costs a packet and it's such a racket
That I can't hear myself think
There's a microchip one armed bandit with a screw loose
A stripper in the corner with a face like thunder
A terrible band playing "johnny be goode"
So I'd rather go home and stay quietly alone
I get up in the morning with the radio on
I do my makeup and I go to look for work
Somebody tells me that the job's just gone
And I've been replaced by some computer jerk
I would talk to my boyfriend but I never can
'cause a space invader stole my man
There's a dreadful playing "johnny be goode"
So I'd rather go home and stay quietly alone
Trying to keep my sanity is hard to do
Living like a hermit all alone
Find an occupation that won't deafen me
My sense of reality's gone
My temperature is getting higher and higher
And I'm shaking in my jeans
'cause I get so angry when I'm shut in
With one of those machines
I would talk to my boyfriend but I never can
'cause a space invader stole my man
And the synthesizer's playing "johnny be goode"
Then I'd rather go home and stay quietly alone
Quietly alone
Quietly alone
Quietly alone
Quietly alone
The song "Quietly Alone" by Kirsty MacColl is a commentary on the overwhelming nature of modern technology and its effects on how we connect with others. The first verse describes the frustration of trying to escape the chaos of the city by going out for a drink, only to find that even the bar is filled with noise and distractions. The second verse describes the challenges of finding work in a world where jobs are being replaced by machines, and the difficulties of maintaining relationships in the face of constant electronic interference. The repeated chorus of "quietly alone" suggests a resignation to this state of isolation as a kind of self-preservation.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of anger and frustration with the way technology has infiltrated every aspect of our lives, and a longing for simpler times when it was possible to disconnect and experience quiet moments of solitude. The references to old-fashioned pastimes like listening to the radio and playing arcade games serve as a contrast to the overwhelming modernity of the other images in the song.
Line by Line Meaning
There's an old ... coming on my new tv
I turn on my new TV and an old show is on, so I decide to go out for a quiet drink.
But it costs a packet and it's such a racket
That I can't hear myself think
The bar I go to is expensive and noisy, I can't have a peaceful moment to myself there.
There's a microchip one armed bandit with a screw loose
A stripper in the corner with a face like thunder
A terrible band playing "johnny be goode"
So I'd rather go home and stay quietly alone
The bar is filled with unpleasant things like a gambling machine, unfriendly stripper, and a bad music band which makes me want to go back home and stay alone.
I get up in the morning with the radio on
I do my makeup and I go to look for work
Somebody tells me that the job's just gone
And I've been replaced by some computer jerk
In the morning, I turn on the radio and get ready to go to work, but when I get there, I am told that my job is no longer available, and it's been taken over by a computer.
I would talk to my boyfriend but I never can
'cause a space invader stole my man
There's a dreadful playing "johnny be goode"
So I'd rather go home and stay quietly alone
I can't even talk to my boyfriend because I've lost him to a video game, and the same terrible song is playing again, so I'd rather go home and stay alone.
Trying to keep my sanity is hard to do
Living like a hermit all alone
Find an occupation that won't deafen me
My sense of reality's gone
Living in solitude and trying to keep my mental health under control has been tough, so I need to find a job that won't further deteriorate my sanity or make me isolated from reality.
My temperature is getting higher and higher
And I'm shaking in my jeans
'cause I get so angry when I'm shut in
With one of those machines
I become increasingly agitated and anxious when I'm in a confined space with machines, such as video games or crowded bars.
And the synthesizer's playing "johnny be goode"
Then I'd rather go home and stay quietly alone
Quietly alone
Quietly alone
Quietly alone
Quietly alone
When I hear the same old song being played on a synthesizer, I get annoyed and realize it's time to go home and be in my peaceful space.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Kirsty Mac Coll
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Doug E
I loved this song when I was a kid....I looked for it while not thinking I'd find it....ty.
Mary Marino
On wfmu radio now today.pseus thing with a hook.