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.
See That Girl
Kirsty MacColl Lyrics
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'cause she keeps telling you lies, she's just a full time flirt
Now I know I don't count no more
But you're the one I still care for
And you won't see me no more if you see that girl
Now you may think she's fine when she's out with you
But she only comes around when she's got nothing to do
But that girl seems so insincere
And I won't hang around here if you see that girl
Do you believe the things that she said to you tonight
Why can't you see the way she treats you isn't right?
Now I won't tell you again, it's up to you
But you'd better make up your mind what you're gonna do
Don't you know I want you still
I'm so afraid I always will
And I'll be loving you till you see that girl
I'll keep on loving you till you see that girl
I'll still be loving you till you see that girl
See that girl
See that girl
The lyrics to Kirsty MacColl's song "See That Girl" speak to a person's desire to warn someone they care about of the dangers of falling for someone who may not have their best interests at heart. The song suggests that the person being warned may be blind to the truth of the situation, and that their love interest may be manipulating them with lies and insincerity. The singer confesses that they still have feelings for the person being warned and that they will continue to love them until they see the truth.
Throughout the song, the lyrics use phrases like "open your eyes" and "can't you see" to suggest that the person being warned is ignoring the truth because they are blinded by their infatuation. The lyrics convey the singer's sense of urgency and concern for their loved one's wellbeing, and their frustration at not being able to convince them of the truth. The song's repetition of the phrase "see that girl" reinforces the idea that the object of the warnings is unable to see the truth of their love interest's intentions.
Line by Line Meaning
If you don't open your eyes then you're gonna get hurt
If you don't pay attention, you'll be emotionally hurt by that girl.
'cause she keeps telling you lies, she's just a full time flirt
That girl is a habitual liar and flirts with everyone she meets.
Now I know I don't count no more
I realize that I'm no longer significant to you.
But you're the one I still care for
Despite that, I still care for you.
And you won't see me no more if you see that girl
I won't be around you anymore if you keep seeing that girl.
Now you may think she's fine when she's out with you
You may find her attractive when you're with her.
But she only comes around when she's got nothing to do
That girl is only interested in you when she's bored.
I don't want to interfere
I don't want to be intrusive.
But that girl seems so insincere
Still, that girl appears fake to me.
And I won't hang around here if you see that girl
I won't spend time with you if you keep seeing that girl.
Do you believe the things that she said to you tonight
Do you honestly trust what she told you this evening?
Why can't you see the way she treats you isn't right?
Why don't you recognize that her behavior towards you is inappropriate?
Now I won't tell you again, it's up to you
I won't keep reminding you, it's ultimately your decision.
But you'd better make up your mind what you're gonna do
Nonetheless, you must choose what you're going to do.
Don't you know I want you still
Don't you know that I still desire you?
I'm so afraid I always will
I'm scared that my feelings for you will never go away.
And I'll be loving you till you see that girl
I'll continue to love and support you until you realize that girl is a problem.
I'll keep on loving you till you see that girl
I won't stop loving you until you understand the issue with that girl.
I'll still be loving you till you see that girl
My love for you won't lessen until you recognize that girl is wrong for you.
See that girl
Realize why that girl is not good for you.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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