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.
US Amazonian
Kirsty MacColl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And we pray to our saints and we make love all day
I fell in love with a real city boy
Who's afraid of his nature, afraid of his joy
I punched him out and brought him to this hut
But I know he'll thank me when he wakes up
We got trees, we got snakes, we got acres of sky
His life in the city was making him cry
Come on, come on darling, be brave for a while
You don't look afraid when you laugh and you smile
I'll be good, I'll be strong
I'll be just what you needed all along
Here in the country we dance and we play
And we pray to our saints and we make love all day
I fell in love with a real city boy
Who's afraid of his nature, afraid of his joy
Us Amazonians know where we stand
We got kids, we got jobs, why do we need a man?
Us Amazonians make out alright
But we want something to hold in the forest at night
Come on, come on darling, be brave for a while
You don't look afraid when you laugh and you smile
Breathe in deep, stick with me
You'll still be free as you let yourself be
If you're certain, if you're true
I'll be the only country girl for you
I'll be good, I'll be strong
I'll be just what you needed all along
Here in the country we dance and we play
And we pray to our saints and we make love all day
I fell in love with a real city boy
Gotta teach him about nature, and teach him about joy
Us Amazonians know where we stand
We got kids, we got jobs, why do we need a man?
Us Amazonians make out alright
But we want something to hold in the forest at night
Here's my boyfriend, he's small, he is blue
He is cold, he is rough, he's appalling thatc
hoo
But I love him, he's mine, and he's with me tonight
In the heart of the country, under acres of sky
Kirsty MacColl's song "Us Amazonians" tells the story of a country girl who falls in love with a city boy. Despite his initial fears and reluctance, she takes him to her hut in the countryside and shows him a different way of life. She teaches him about nature, joy, and a simpler way of living that brings them closer together. Throughout the song, she acknowledges the strength and independence of "Us Amazonians," women who don't necessarily need a man but still want someone to hold them at night. In the end, the singer finds happiness in both her unique relationship and her strong sense of self.
One interesting fact about "Us Amazonians" is that it was written and released in 1991, before the term "Amazon Prime" or the massive success of Amazon as a company had even been conceptualized. Additionally, the song was one of the first singles released from Kirsty MacColl's album Electric Landlady, and it received positive reviews from music critics upon its release. The lyrics of the song have also been praised for their feminist message and celebration of strong, independent women.
Line by Line Meaning
Here in the country we dance and we play
Life in the countryside is fun and joyous. People here are carefree and enjoy dancing and playing.
And we pray to our saints and we make love all day
Apart from enjoying life to the fullest, we also pray to our saints and indulge in making love all day.
I fell in love with a real city boy
Despite living in the countryside, I fell in love with someone from the city.
Who's afraid of his nature, afraid of his joy
But unfortunately, my city boy is afraid of embracing his true nature and is hesitant to experience joy.
I punched him out and brought him to this hut
To help him overcome his fears, I had to resort to aggression and bring him to my home in the countryside.
But I know he'll thank me when he wakes up
Although he might not appreciate it now, I am confident that he will eventually thank me once he realizes the beauty of living in the countryside.
We got trees, we got snakes, we got acres of sky
The countryside is blessed with abundant natural resources such as trees, snakes, and vast expanses of sky.
His life in the city was making him cry
Living in the city was taking a toll on my city boy, and he was not happy.
Come on, come on darling, be brave for a while
I urge my city boy to be brave and take a leap of faith in experiencing the wonder of the countryside.
You don't look afraid when you laugh and you smile
Despite his fears, he appears to be happy when he laughs and smiles.
I'll be good, I'll be strong
To support him, I promise to be good and strong for him.
I'll be just what you needed all along
I will be exactly what he truly needed all along - someone to help him find his true self and embrace joy.
Us Amazonians know where we stand
As a member of the Amazonian community, I know exactly where we stand, and we are comfortable with that.
We got kids, we got jobs, why do we need a man?
As strong independent women, we have everything we need in life, including kids and jobs. We question why we would even need a man.
Us Amazonians make out alright
Despite not needing a man, we are completely fine and thriving.
But we want something to hold in the forest at night
Although we don't need a man, we crave companionship and someone to hold close in the forest at night.
Breathe in deep, stick with me
To overcome his fears and embrace the countryside, I encourage him to take deep breaths and stay with me for support.
You'll still be free as you let yourself be
Despite being in a new environment and with me, he will still have the freedom to be himself and let loose.
If you're certain, if you're true
If he is certain and true to himself, he will have my love and support.
I'll be the only country girl for you
If he embraces the countryside and me, he will have my love and attention as the only country girl for him.
Gotta teach him about nature, and teach him about joy
To help my city boy overcome his fears and embrace the countryside, I will have to teach him about nature and help him find joy in life.
Here's my boyfriend, he's small, he is blue
In the end, I introduce him to my boyfriend, who is small and blue and perhaps a metaphor for a simpler lifestyle.
He is cold, he is rough, he's appalling that
While he might seem cold and rough, this simple life is not truly appalling and is, in fact, quite beautiful.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KIRSTY MACCOLL, PETER WILFRED GLENISTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paul Hewitt
How can a song make you smile and cry at the same time? Such a joyous song I cannot only listen to it only once it is on a loop.
Janice Sunseri
Still love her. Still miss her. Wish she put out another album by now.
Find That Music!
Soooo catchy, great track!! Kirsty was a great artist, one of my faves, RIP.
Karen Lahey
In my humble opinion, Tropical Brainstorm is the best album ever--absolutely perfect! Funny, smart, sexy, great latin rhythms. I love it so much. This was my first favourite from it--maybe it still is--so hard to choose. So glad she was able to leave this gift for the world before she was taken.
guitarvocs
The Tracey Ullman video showed up for me today and reminded me of how heartbroken I am at the loss of this beautiful genius. Her voice makes me want to stalk* her, and I can't, and it's a shame. (*I'm not a creeper, it's a reference to another great song on this brilliant album.)
Karen Lahey
Best, funniest song ever!
P N
Adept at so many aspects of music and language.
Dave Wilson
Kirsty your missed xxx
Janice Sunseri
Gosh, Me, my husband, my sisters, we all love her.
Ken Shinn
1 person wouldn't know a good song if it bit them in the arse