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.
Sun on the Water
Kirsty MacColl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Making it hard to see
Sun on the water
Lapping around my feet
Sun on the water
Making it hard to see
Sun on the water
A farmer's daughter
Living a long time ago
She had a notion
To go where the rivers flow
Farmer's daughter
Walked for a year and a day
When she reached the ocean
Grew a tail and swam away
It was the place where she felt free
And Heaven lies under the sea
Hell is just dry land to me
When I'm dreaming
Sun on the water
Lapping around my feet
Sun on the water
Making it hard to see
Sun on the water
Lapping around my feet
Sun on the water
Making it hard to see
I want to be the one to say
I'm happy here and here I'll stay
I won't remember yesterday
When I'm dreaming
It was the place where she felt free
And Heaven lies under the sea
Hell is just dry land to me
When I'm dreaming
The lyrics to Kirsty MacColl's song Sun on the Water seem to be describing the feeling of being near the ocean, and the freedom and escape that can be found there. The repetition of the lines "Sun on the water / Making it hard to see / Sun on the water / Lapping around my feet" creates a sense of being caught up in the beauty and sensory experience of the moment.
The second half of the song tells the story of a farmer's daughter who walks for a year and a day to reach the ocean, where she transforms into a mermaid and swims away. This represents a desire to leave behind the constraints of everyday life and find something magical and transformative. The repeated refrain, "It was the place where she felt free / And Heaven lies under the sea / Hell is just dry land to me / When I'm dreaming" reinforces this idea of freedom and escape.
Overall, the lyrics to Sun on the Water suggest that the ocean is a place of transformation and healing, where one can escape the burdens of daily life and find a sense of peace and freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
Sun on the water
The bright sunlight shining on the water surface.
Making it hard to see
The bright sunlight reflecting off the water making it difficult to see through.
Lapping around my feet
The gentle sound of waves striking the feet with a soothing feeling.
A farmer's daughter
A reference to a girl from the countryside who wants to explore nature and rivers.
Living a long time ago
This girl lived in the past where things were different and primitive.
She had a notion
She had an idea, a thought of exploration and adventure.
To go where the rivers flow
Her desire to go along the streams to explore new places and things.
Walked for a year and a day
The long and tiresome journey she took, taking her almost two years.
When she reached the ocean
The point where her adventure culminated and she found the true freedom she was looking for.
Grew a tail and swam away
An imaginary tale, perhaps a metaphor for finding one's true calling.
It was the place where she felt free
The moment of liberation and happiness after all the struggles she went through.
And Heaven lies under the sea
The place where true happiness, peace and tranquility can be found.
Hell is just dry land to me
The mundane, routine life is a form of torture for those who want to explore and be free.
When I'm dreaming
The dream world is where anything is possible.
I want to be the one to say
Her desire to be the author of her own destiny and make her own choices.
I'm happy here and here I'll stay
Her satisfaction with the present moment and decision to stay at peace.
I won't remember yesterday
Her decision to move on from past experiences and not let them define her future.
Contributed by Alaina E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
FalconWhite
What I would dearly love is if a certain ex-husband could release the rest of the tracks that were down for the actual second album, possibly named Real, which was finished but she wasn't allowed to release. A few are on the Croydon to Cuba compilation, and Annie is thankfully on youtube. He managed to get hold of Berlin, Camel Crossing, Roman Gardens so where are the others?? Instead of putting the majority of Kite on the compilation which you can now find easily, he should have put tracks from the Real sessions on because they're locked in an archive somewhere! We no longer have Kirsty any more, so those with the power, rights etc, could at least get those shelved tracks out there! It's a complete album we do not have by her! Her legacy deserves it given the hell she went through with record companies her entire career!
Diana Medden
I heard this track years and years ago and have only just found it again today . As beautiful as the first time I heard it x
Arcturas the Moo Cow
Thank you for putting this track up! She was genius. Love and miss her.
Lee Harrison
My kids were singing this song upstairs. Kirsty was fabulous.
TheChoofy1
Can't you just picture our Kirsty lounging on the sand on holiday?
sfshortbus
Where did you find this demo! I thought I'd heard everything Kirsty, but apparently I haven't!!
swanpuppy
just heard about kristy and wow what a sad thing to happen.....now that's a mom
Chloe Lorentzen
And I was one of those kids singing that song upstairs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD1M7dGoexI