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.
Treachery
Kirsty MacColl Lyrics
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He lives in a high rise block
And here I am
He shouldn't have turned my rock
He's brushing his teeth
He doesn't look bad from this far
I'm hailing a cab
And I'm gonna follow his car
I won't be too far behind
Just hanging around
Driving him out of his mind
Treachery made a monster out of me
Treachery made a monster out of me
I'm stalking a fan
He used to write all the time
How lovely I am
He really made me feel fine
But how they forget
He needed a wake-up call
And he will regret
Having been so shallow
He made me believe
That I was some kind of myth
So here I am
How could he treat me like this?
Treachery made a monster out of me
Treachery made a monster out of me
Treachery made a monster out of me
Treachery made a monster out of me
Wherever he goes
I won't be too far behind
Just hanging around
Driving him out of his mind
I'm stalking a fan
He's gone to the record store
To buy a cd
By some other girl not me
He's taking her home
Getting her out of her box
And putting her on
And dancing around in his socks
Treachery made a monster out of me
Treachery made a monster out of me
Treachery made a monster out of me
Treachery made a monster out of me
Getting her out of her box
Treachery
And dancing around in his socks
Treachery
Treachery
And dancing around in his socks
Treachery
Driving him out of his mind
The song "Treachery" by Kirsty MacColl is a haunting and somewhat disturbing tale of an obsessive stalker who is following a fan who had turned on her. The song is told from the perspective of the stalker, who is lurking around his high-rise apartment and stalking him as he goes about his day. The first verse describes the stalker's initial encounter with the fan, who had apparently written her letters professing his admiration. However, the relationship goes south when the fan turns on her and brushes her aside, causing the stalker to lose her mind and follow him everywhere he goes. The chorus repeats the refrain "Treachery made a monster out of me," which seems to suggest that the stalker feels justified in her behavior due to the perceived betrayal of the fan.
The second verse provides more insight into the stalker's motivations, with the lyrics "He made me believe/ That I was some kind of myth/ So here I am/ How could he treat me like this?" suggesting that the stalked believed she was entitled to his attention and adoration due to his previous devotion. The final verse is a disturbing picture of the stalker watching the fan buy a CD by another musician, and then taking the girl home, putting on her music, and dancing around in his socks. The stalker seems almost jealous of the girl, who is now receiving the fan's attention in place of her own.
Overall, "Treachery" is a somber and eerie portrayal of an unhealthy and obsessive relationship. The song highlights the dangers of idolizing celebrities or musicians and the pitfalls of taking fandom too far.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm stalking a fan
I am following a person who used to write letters and praise me for my talents.
He lives in a high rise block
The person I am stalking lives in a tall apartment building.
And here I am
I am present now to fulfill my intentions.
He shouldn't have turned my rock
He shouldn't have stopped writing to me and making me feel good.
He's brushing his teeth
The person I am following is currently brushing his teeth.
He doesn't look bad from this far
From where I am standing, he looks attractive.
I'm hailing a cab
I am calling for a taxi to follow him discreetly.
And I'm gonna follow his car
I am planning to follow his car and monitor his movements.
Wherever he goes
No matter where he goes, I will follow him.
I won't be too far behind
I will keep a close distance from him.
Just hanging around
I will be around him without approaching him.
Driving him out of his mind
I will cause him frustration and fear.
Treachery made a monster out of me
My actions are wrong, and they have turned me into an unrecognizable monster.
He used to write all the time
The person I am stalking used to send me letters regularly.
How lovely I am
He praised me for my talents and appearance.
He really made me feel fine
His letters made me feel good about myself.
But how they forget
People have a tendency to forget the good things you do for them.
He needed a wake-up call
He needs to realize that his actions have consequences.
And he will regret
He will feel sorry for treating me badly.
Having been so shallow
He failed to recognize my true worth as a person.
He made me believe
He convinced me that I was something special.
That I was some kind of myth
He made me feel like a legend, something people talk about but hardly ever see.
So here I am
I am present now to teach him a lesson.
How could he treat me like this?
I am angry and frustrated at the way he has been treating me lately.
He's gone to the record store
The person I am following has gone to buy music.
To buy a cd
He is buying a physical copy of an album.
By some other girl not me
He is buying an album by a different female artist, and not me.
He's taking her home
He is bringing the other girl back to his apartment.
Getting her out of her box
He is taking the CD out of its packaging.
And putting her on
He is putting the album on his stereo to listen to it.
And dancing around in his socks
He is enjoying the music and dancing around in his socks.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GRAHAM GOULDMAN, KIRSTY MACCOLL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind