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.
Tread Lightly
Kirsty MacColl Lyrics
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Another baby on the way
A dreamboy for your nightmare nights
Who never shouts and never fights
Happy with your 2.2
What else is there for you to do
But turn and wet the baby's head
And pray he will be happier than you or me?
It's called a lifetime
At first you never notice
Then the years go flying by and I say
Tread lightly in your dreams
They might come true for you tomorrow
Say sorry to the boys and girls
You're sorry for this bloody world
Sorry for the sick and old
And sorry for the lies you told
Sorry for the things I did
The thighs we should have left unsaid
And walked away instead of
Rubbing salt on all those open sores and wounds
We should have left to heal
I never knew just what to feel or to expect
I tried to stretch my mind but I'd just
Get my body wrecked and now I
Tread lightly in my dreams
They might come true tomorrow
And I don't sleep at night in case
I don't wake up tomorrow
I curse the day I met you
But I won't forget you
Not in my lifetime
Another time, another day
You'd never give your heart away
You'd never think and never cry
You'd look the devil in the eye
And tell him to be gone, bye bye
He'll never get you in this lifetime
He'd love to touch you but his hands are tied
So just tread lightly in your dreams
They might come true for you tomorrow
Tread lightly in your dreams
They might come true for you tomorrow
They might come true for you tomorrow
They might come true tomorrow
In the song "Tread Lightly", Kirsty MacColl sings about the passage of time and the regrets that come with it. The first verse speaks to the conventional expectations of settling down and having a family, represented by the "2.2" (two children and two cars) and wetting the baby's head with alcohol. MacColl suggests that this formula for happiness may not be sufficient, as she sings "pray he will be happier than you or me". She warns to "tread lightly in your dreams" because they might come true, implying that sometimes dreams can disappoint or turn into nightmares.
The second verse seems to reflect on personal mistakes and sorrow for the world's problems. MacColl apologizes for lying and causing pain and admits to not knowing how to feel or expect in certain situations. She dwells on the past, cursing the day she met someone, but also acknowledging that she won't forget them in her lifetime. The final chorus returns to the idea of treading lightly in one's dreams, as the devil's hands are tied, and the future is uncertain.
Overall, the song seems to urge listeners to be careful with their dreams and appreciate the present rather than fixating on the past or obsessing over the future. The regret and reflection in the lyrics give the song a melancholic tone, underscored by MacColl's haunting vocals.
Line by Line Meaning
Another time, another day
Reflecting on a different time or day
Another baby on the way
Another child is coming
A dreamboy for your nightmare nights
A soothing presence to calm your fears
Who never shouts and never fights
Always calm and never combative
Happy with your 2.2
Satisfied with the typical family structure of two children and two parents
What else is there for you to do
What other options do you have
But turn and wet the baby's head
Celebrate the birth of the baby by drinking alcohol
And pray he will be happier than you or me?
Hope the child will have a better life than the artist or the person they are addressing
That's how it's meant to be
This is the way things are supposed to happen
It's called a lifetime
This is what life is
At first you never notice
In the beginning, you don't realize
Then the years go flying by and I say
After years pass, the artist has something to say
Tread lightly in your dreams
Be cautious about what you dream for
They might come true for you tomorrow
Dreams may become a reality
Say sorry to the boys and girls
Apologize to everyone
You're sorry for this bloody world
Apologizing for the state of the world
Sorry for the sick and old
Apologizing for those who are ill and old
And sorry for the lies you told
Apologizing for telling lies
Sorry for the things I did
Apologizing for actions taken
The thighs we should have left unsaid
Things that shouldn't have been spoken
And walked away instead of rubbing salt on all those open sores and wounds
Should have left things alone instead of making them worse
We should have left to heal
Should have allowed time to heal wounds
I never knew just what to feel or to expect
Uncertain of how to feel or what would happen
I tried to stretch my mind but I'd just get my body wrecked
Trying to expand intellectually, but it had negative physical effects
And now I tread lightly in my dreams
Being cautious about dreaming
They might come true tomorrow
Dreams might become real in the future
And I don't sleep at night in case I don't wake up tomorrow
Possibly dying in your sleep
I curse the day I met you
Regretting meeting someone
But I won't forget you
Despite the regret, still remembering the person
Not in my lifetime
In the singer's lifetime, they won't forget
You'd never give your heart away
Not easily giving your heart to someone
You'd never think and never cry
Not expressing emotions
You'd look the devil in the eye
Fearless in the face of danger
And tell him to be gone, bye bye
Commanding the devil to leave
He'll never get you in this lifetime
The devil will never defeat you
He'd love to touch you but his hands are tied
The devil wants to hurt you, but can't
So just tread lightly in your dreams
Be wary of what you dream for
They might come true for you tomorrow
Dreams may become a reality
They might come true for you tomorrow
Dreams may become a reality
They might come true tomorrow
Dreams may become a reality
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: KIRSTY ANNA MAC COLL, PETER WILFRED GLENISTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Crispin
Her voice is very different to Kirsty's but she does a good job of singing the song the way it was written.
The band do and incredible job, very tight performance.
Thomas Ovens
I was there right at the front. Amy McDonald's performance was incredible.