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.
The End Of A Perfect Day
Kirsty MacColl Lyrics
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It's not a secret or anything
You're not alone in being alone
At the end of a perfect day
And if you leave all your dependents
Then they will gain their independence
Don't make a martyr of yourself
And it's never how it seems
The rain may fall on the best laid schemes
But in a written testimonial I'd say
I never really knew you anyway
I want to tell you something
Now don't go crazy or anything
Just want to tell you that it's over
It's the end of a perfect day
Do you want sign language?
Don't want a knuckle sandwich!
Now you can love or you can hate it's just
The end of a perfect day
You can't get inside someone
So don't ask me if we're close
I really couldn't tell you
But I know you wouldn't really listen anyway
It's a pain you have to bear
And it's always going to be there
But if you disappeared tomorrow
Then the world would carry on without you anyway
Mind over matter it seems
Can stop you falling apart at the seams
It's a matter of honour with me
I could write out a hundred times
Put my hand on my heart and say
That I don't want to lie
Don't want to lie
Don't want to lie
About the way it is
I want to tell you something
Don't act surprised now or anything
Now you can revel in yourself 'cause
It's just the end of a perfect day
No it's not a pretty world out there
With people dying of their own despair
But in a written testimonial you'd say
You never really knew them anyway
The lyrics to Kirsty MacColl's "The End of a Perfect Day" can be interpreted in many ways, but overall they seem to suggest reflections on the fleeting and unpredictable nature of life. The first verse speaks to the singer's desire to share with someone that it's okay to be alone at the end of a perfect day, hinting perhaps at the futility of trying to control or predict life's outcomes. The second verse seems directed at someone who may be contemplating self-sacrifice or martyrdom, encouraging them not to feel guilty for leaving their dependents to gain independence. It's as if the singer is telling the listener to let go of any sense of ownership or control over their lives and just let things be.
The chorus emphasizes the idea that life rarely goes as planned and that any illusions of control people may harbor are just that - illusions. The lines "you can love or you can hate it's just the end of a perfect day" suggest that it's pointless to try to fight or resist what life throws our way, and that it's better to accept things as they are. The verse that starts with "You can't get inside someone" seems to touch on the idea that despite our best efforts, we can never truly know another person, and that this frustrates and isolates us. The final verse speaks to the singer's need for authenticity and honesty, even if that means conceding that things aren't great.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to tell you something
The singer has something to say
It's not a secret or anything
The singer wants to say something openly
You're not alone in being alone
The singer wants to reassure the listener that others are also alone
At the end of a perfect day
This feeling of loneliness comes at the end of a day, even if it's been a perfect one
And if you leave all your dependents
If you abandon those who depend on you
Then they will gain their independence
Those dependents will be forced to become independent without your support
Don't make a martyr of yourself
Don't harm yourself or become a martyr for the sake of others
It's just the end of a perfect day
This feeling of loneliness is just a result of a perfect day coming to an end
And it's never how it seems
Things are never as they appear
The rain may fall on the best laid schemes
Problems and setbacks can occur even with the best of plans
But in a written testimonial I'd say
The singer would write in a testimonial
I never really knew you anyway
The artist didn't truly know the listener
Now don't go crazy or anything
The singer wants the listener to remain calm
Just want to tell you that it's over
The singer wants to inform the listener that something is finished
Do you want sign language?
The singer is teasing the listener
Don't want a knuckle sandwich!
The artist does not want the listener to become violent
Now you can love or you can hate it's just
You are free to feel any emotion, it doesn't matter
You can't get inside someone
It's impossible to understand someone completely
So don't ask me if we're close
The singer doesn't want to be asked if they're close to someone
I really couldn't tell you
The artist doesn't have an answer
But I know you wouldn't really listen anyway
The artist thinks the listener wouldn't pay attention anyway
It's a pain you have to bear
This feeling of loneliness is a pain that you have to endure
And it's always going to be there
This feeling will remain present in your life
But if you disappeared tomorrow
If you were to vanish unexpectedly
Then the world would carry on without you anyway
The world would continue to exist and function without your presence
Mind over matter it seems
It's a matter of mindset
Can stop you falling apart at the seams
Having a positive mindset can prevent you from breaking down
It's a matter of honour with me
The artist takes this seriously
I could write out a hundred times
The artist could write something numerous times
Put my hand on my heart and say
The singer would be very sincere and truthful
That I don't want to lie
The singer doesn't want to lie
Don't want to lie
The artist repeats that they don't want to tell a lie
About the way it is
They don't want to lie about the truth
Don't act surprised now or anything
The artist doesn't want the listener to be surprised
Now you can revel in yourself 'cause
Now the listener can celebrate themselves because
No it's not a pretty world out there
The world is not beautiful
With people dying of their own despair
People may die due to their own sadness
But in a written testimonial you'd say
You would write a testimonial
You never really knew them anyway
You didn't truly know them
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: JOHNNY MARR, KIRSTY MAC COLL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
jason o
Birth is the start and death is the end to a perfect day. This is perhaps the least introspective of all her songs. The abstraction that she constructs of the human condition suffered by all is her most complex and impressive songwriting effort in my view. Elvis Costello is the male Kirsty Macoll in this respect.
Caz B
Pure class ❤️
Ollie Dredge
Bless her soul