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.
Soho Square
Kirsty MacColl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An empty bench in Soho Square
Forgotten now I turn away
Just save me for a rainy day
But don't be sorry
I don't want to hear it baby
My feet froze in the winter chill
But I was praying we could fill
An empty bench and still
You're so sorry
But I don't want your pity baby
It's all yours now please don't tease
The pigeons shiver in the naked trees
And I'll do anything but
Please don't hurt me
Just kiss me quick
'Cause it's my birthday
And I feel so small
I don't know why
But no I'm not too old to cry
An empty bench in Soho Square
If you'd have come you'd have found me there
But you never did 'cause you don't care
And I'm so sorry baby
I don't mind loneliness too much
But when I met you I was touched
And that was good enough for me
But do we always have to be sorry
Why can't we just be happy baby?
One day you'll be waiting there
No empty bench in Soho Square
And we'll dance around like we don't care
And I'll be much too old to cry
And you'll kiss me quick in case I die
Before my birthday
One day you'll be waving there
No empty bench in Soho Square
No I don't know the reason why
I'll love you till the day I die
But one day you'll be waiting there
Come summertime in Soho Square
And I'll be painting stars up in the sky
Before I get too old to cry
Before my birthday
I hope I see those pigeons fly
Before my birthday
In Soho Square on my birthday
The lyrics to Kirsty MacColl's Soho Square are laced with melancholy and heartfelt longing. The song tells a story of a woman who is waiting for someone special to arrive but to no avail. She waits on an empty bench in Soho Square, watching her name 'freeze on the winter air', hoping her loved one will arrive. But they don't show up, leaving her alone to weather the cold winter chill. The woman wants her companion to come because she's touched by their presence and being alone is not something she wants to do. Kirsty MacColl's lyrics truly capture the pathos of a love that is left unrequited.
The second verse starts with the woman's feet freezing in the winter chill as she waits for her companion. Despite the worries about getting ill, she longs for them to be with her. She demands someone to kiss her, telling them not to hurt her. The woman feels small on her birthday, and crying seems the only option, but she's not too old for it. In the third verse, the woman concludes that she doesn't mind loneliness too much, but when she met her lover, they made her feel touched, and that was enough. She wonders why they always have to be sorry and longs for happiness with the person she loves.
Overall, Soho Square is a tribute to lost love, the hope of reconciliation, and the persistent longing for a happy ending. MacColl delivers a powerful ballad with heartfelt lyrics that will resonate with anyone who's ever been in the waiting game of unrequited love.
Line by Line Meaning
Your name froze on the winter air
I felt the cold of winter and remembered your name
An empty bench in Soho Square
I sat alone in Soho Square, hoping for company
Forgotten now I turn away
I gave up on waiting for you to come
Just save me for a rainy day
Keep me in mind, but not right now
But don't be sorry
I don't want your apologies
I don't want to hear it baby
Please don't try to explain or justify
It's all yours now please don't tease
You have my heart, please don't toy with it
The pigeons shiver in the naked trees
Even the birds are cold and alone
And I'll do anything but
I'm desperate to keep you happy, but...
Please don't hurt me
Please don't break my heart
Just kiss me quick
Just a brief moment of affection
'Cause it's my birthday
I want to feel special on my birthday
And I feel so small
I'm vulnerable and insecure
I don't know why
I don't understand my feelings
But no I'm not too old to cry
I still have emotions and I'm not ashamed to show them
If you'd have come you'd have found me there
If you had cared, you would have looked for me
But you never did 'cause you don't care
You didn't come because you don't love me
And I'm so sorry baby
I'm sorry I cared about you so much
I don't mind loneliness too much
I can handle being alone, but...
But when I met you I was touched
You made me feel something special
And that was good enough for me
That was all I needed to be happy
But do we always have to be sorry
Must we always apologize for our feelings
Why can't we just be happy baby?
Why can't we just enjoy each other's company and be content
One day you'll be waiting there
Someday you'll regret losing me
No empty bench in Soho Square
But I won't be there waiting for you
And we'll dance around like we don't care
We'll be happy and carefree without each other
And I'll be much too old to cry
I won't shed tears over you anymore
And you'll kiss me quick in case I die
You'll give me a final goodbye just in case
Before my birthday
Before I grow any older
No I don't know the reason why
I don't understand why I love you so much
I'll love you till the day I die
But I know I'll always have feelings for you
Come summertime in Soho Square
Maybe I'll find happiness with someone else
And I'll be painting stars up in the sky
I'll be creating my own happiness
Before I get too old to cry
Before it's too late for me to find love
Before my birthday
Before another year of loneliness
I hope I see those pigeons fly
I hope I find joy in the little things
In Soho Square on my birthday
Even if it's just in my own imagination
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KIRSTY ANNA MACCOLL, MARK EDWARD CASCIAN NEVIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
lottiebelottie
20 years ago today since you were so cruelly taken... Much missed xx
AMan
In London right now, about to visit Kirsty's bench in Soho Square. I so miss the music we didn't get a chance to hear. RIP Kirsty.
BGElks
I was visiting London last week and sat on the bench and listened to this song through my iPod. Very cool experience.
Darran McAteer
Great idea. I always try and visit the bench when I’m in London but have never thought of doing that 🥰
nlgbbbblth
"Soho Square on my birthday...." would have been 60 today. Sadly missed.
crapple009
I visited Soho Square in Oct. 2003 and it was very peaceful and quiet, unlike nearby Oxford Street. As I was leaving, imagine my surprise to literally bump into Sir Paul McCartney and having a very brief one-to-one. Thank-you for the beautiful music, Kirsty- you are sorely missed!
Arcturas the Moo Cow
So sad she is not with us. Her music moves me to tears.
Brigid Stephenson
Thank you, Kirsty, ty for the years of wonderful songs. You are deeply missed
Arcturas the Moo Cow
When I first heard this song, it made me cry. I was going through some rough stuff with depression, and I had gotten a cd compilation of Kirsty's work, and when I came to this song, it reminded me of a recent failed romance. Now that some time has passed, I no longer cry, i just feel somehow lifted whenever I listen to it. Its like the pain is gone, like the wound has healed, even if the memory is still there. I love this song, and i love Kirsty, and I think her music healed me of a deep hurt i was not fully aware of. This is what real music does; it changes us in ways we never expect.
Jarvis Pym
This. I came looking for this on YouTube bc I can’t find it on Apple Music. I remember the first time I heard it years ago it was devastating... still so. Can’t listen to it when I’m with other people though. I just lose it. R.I.P. Kirsty.