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.
Sticked and Stoned
Kirsty MacColl Lyrics
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Transfixed upon the screen above
Behind the air of his repose
He wonders if they're caught his love
Sticked and stoned he was
Sticked and stoned
Sticked and stoned he was
She waved goodbye a hunded years
And nothing now could hurt him
He only knew the fear of loving
Something that's uncertain
Sticked and stoned he was
Sticked and stoned
Sticked and stoned he was
Sticked and stoned
He likes to keep his crystal cup
In case of a surprise attack
When you don't know your enemy
It's wiser not to turn your back
Sticked and stoned he was
Sticked and stoned
Sticked and stoned he was
Sticked and stoned
The song Sticked and Stoned by Kirsty MacColl tells a story of a man who is lonely and lost in his own thoughts. He is sitting alone staring at a screen with golden eyes and wondering if he can find love. He considers the possibility that someone might notice him on the screen and love him, but he feels like he is stuck and unable to move. He has been hurt before, and he fears another disappointment. This fear makes him feel like he is "sticked and stoned," as he cannot move past his vulnerability.
The lyrics suggest that the man has been hurt before, perhaps many years ago when someone he loved waved goodbye to him. Now he is afraid of loving again, afraid of the uncertainty that comes with falling for someone new. He tries to protect himself by keeping a crystal cup nearby in case of an attack, not wanting to turn his back on anything that might come his way.
The lyrics convey a sense of sadness and loneliness, although they also suggest that the man is stuck in his own thoughts and unable to move forward. The use of repetition in the chorus reinforces this feeling of being stuck, as if the man is caught in a cycle of fear and vulnerability.
Line by Line Meaning
The stranger sits with golden eyes
The unknown person is sitting with an intense gaze
Transfixed upon the screen above
Captivated by the monitor right in front of him
Behind the air of his repose
Though he seems calm on the outside
He wonders if they're caught his love
He questions whether his actions have conveyed his affection
Sticked and stoned he was
He was stuck in a rut, unable to move ahead in life
Sticked and stoned
He felt trapped and unable to escape his current situation
She waved goodbye a hunded years
His past love departed a long time ago
And nothing now could hurt him
He believed he was no longer capable of being hurt
He only knew the fear of loving
He was scared of being hurt again by another person he loved
Something that's uncertain
He was hesitant to form attachments to dubious prospects.
He likes to keep his crystal cup
He keeps a crystal glass for defensive purposes
In case of a surprise attack
He fears being caught off guard
When you don't know your enemy
It's better to be wary of new/unfamiliar faces
It's wiser not to turn your back
He values caution in dealing with uncertain situations.
Contributed by Amelia C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.