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.
There's a Guy Works Down the Chipshop Swears He's Elvis
Kirsty MacColl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Another evening just flew past tonight
And now the daybreak's coming in
And I can't win and it ain't right
You tell me all you've done and seen
And all the places you have been without me
Well, I don't really want to know
And you won't have no cause to think about me
There's a guy works down the chip shop swears he's Elvis
Just like you swore to me that you'd be true
There's a guy works down the chip shop swears he's Elvis
But he's a liar and I'm not sure about you
Oh darling, you're so popular
You were the best thing new in Hicksville
With your mohair suits and foreign shoes
News is you changed your pick-up for a Seville
And now I'm lying here alone
'Cause you're out there on the phone
To some star in New York
I can hear you laughing now
And I can't help feeling that somehow
You don't mean anything you say at all
There's a guy works down the chip shop swears he's Elvis
Just like you swore to me that you'd be true
There's a guy works down the chip shop swears he's Elvis
But he's a liar and I'm not sure about you
There's a guy works down the chip shop swears he's Elvis
Just like you swore to me that you'd be true
There's a guy works down the chip shop swears he's Elvis
But he's a liar and I'm not sure about you
I said he's a liar and I'm not sure about you
I said he's a liar and I'm not sure about you
He's a liar and I'm not sure about you
The lyrics of Kirsty MacColl's song "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis" depict a woman's frustration and sadness in a relationship where she feels neglected and lied to by her partner. In the first verse, she expresses disappointment that their time together always seems to go by too quickly and that she is left feeling unfulfilled. She also mentions that her partner talks about his experiences without her, something she does not want to hear but chooses to remain silent about.
The repetition of the phrase "There's a guy works down the chip shop swears he's Elvis" throughout the chorus suggests that the woman's partner is not trustworthy and may be lying to her, just like the guy at the chip shop who claims to be Elvis. The woman questions her partner's sincerity and honesty, wondering if he is just like the liar at the chip shop. She feels that he is more interested in other things, such as his popularity and status, than in her. The last verse has a resigned and melancholy tone as the woman realizes that her partner does not mean what he says and she is left feeling uncertain and hurt.
Overall, the lyrics highlight the challenges and uncertainty in a relationship where one partner feels neglected and unsure of the other's sincerity. The repetition of the chip shop line emphasizes the theme of deception, creating a sense of skepticism and mistrust.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh darling, why'd you talk so fast?
Why are you in such a hurry to tell me everything, my love?
Another evening just flew past tonight
Time flies when we are together but it's already night-time.
And now the daybreak's coming in
Morning is approaching and I'm unhappy about it.
And I can't win and it ain't right
I feel that I'm losing you and it's not fair.
You tell me all you've done and seen
You're sharing your experiences without me.
And all the places you have been without me
You've been to new places and experienced new things without me.
Well, I don't really want to know
I don't want to hear about it because I feel left out.
But I'll stay quiet and then I'll go
I'll pretend to listen and then leave without saying anything.
And you won't have no cause to think about me
You won't have any reason to miss me or wonder where I went.
There's a guy works down the chip shop swears he's Elvis
There's a man who works at the chip shop who claims he's Elvis Presley.
Just like you swore to me that you'd be true
Just like you promised to be faithful to me.
But he's a liar and I'm not sure about you
I doubt his honesty and unsure of your faithfulness to me.
Oh darling, you're so popular
You're well-liked and famous in our small town.
You were the best thing new in Hicksville
People in our town were excited about you when you first arrived.
With your mohair suits and foreign shoes
You wore fancy clothes and shoes that weren't from our town.
News is you changed your pick-up for a Seville
I've heard that you bought a new car that's fancier than your old one.
And now I'm lying here alone
I'm alone in bed and feeling lonely.
'Cause you're out there on the phone
You're talking on the phone somewhere else.
To some star in New York
You're talking to a famous person in New York City.
I can hear you laughing now
I can hear you laughing over the phone and it hurts me.
And I can't help feeling that somehow
I can't shake off the feeling that you don't care about me.
You don't mean anything you say at all
I feel that you're not truthful in what you say to me.
I said he's a liar and I'm not sure about you
Both the man at the chip shop and you have lost my trust.
I said he's a liar and I'm not sure about you
I repeat that I don't believe either of you.
He's a liar and I'm not sure about you
The man at the chip shop is dishonest and I have doubts about you.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: KIRSTY MACCOLL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind