The group initially signed with Elektra Records in 1993. However, just before they released their first single, two tragedies struck the band. Lead singer Hunt was seriously injured in a car accident resulting in his being in a coma for three days. Shortly after, the UK arm of the record label closed its doors leaving the Longpigs' future in doubt. Elektra set a price of £500,000 to release them from their contract.
The Longpigs contract was purchased by U2's new record label, Mother Records. The band had a series of fortunate gigs, including opening for Echobelly, Supergrass and finally Radiohead in early 1995. Their first singles, Happy Again, She Said and Jesus Christ did little in the charts. The band played the 1995 Reading Festival and subsequently, new track All Hype was featured on the compilation CD Volume 14: Reading '95 Special.
Their next single, the poppy Far, managed to hit the UK Top 40. In March 1996, this was followed by the ballad On & On which received considerable radio play and hit the UK Top 20. The song had a guitar riff remarkably similar to Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here. In April 1996 the band released their debut album The Sun Is Often Out, which was declared one of 1996's 50 best albums by both Q Magazine and Melody Maker. On the heels of their newfound success, the band then repackaged and re-released She Said which hit the UK top 30 in June 1996.
The band waited more than two years to release their next material, an eternity in the Britpop world. Their second album, Mobile Home, was released in 1999, with singles including Blue Skies and The Frank Sonata. Despite briefly reaching the UK top 20, the album failed to achieve any notable success. Dee Boyle left the band, and shortly after Mother Records folded in 2000, the rest of the band split up. Guitarist Richard Hawley went on to tour with Pulp.
In late 2004, Hunt lent his voice to the self-titled album by pop/electronic supergroup Mayonnaise on the Lunaticworks/BMG label. Richard Hawley has a flourishing solo career and has also worked with Jarvis Cocker in the electro group Relaxed Muscle. Hunt has since been seen recording with a new band, Gramercy with the help of Dylan Rippon (producer of albums by Emma Townsend) and Nigel Hoyle, once of Britpop-rockers Gay Dad.
On And On
Longpigs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
More often than you know
You're the love that I've clung to
More often than I've let it show.
And I wish you would leave me
And I wish you would go
And I wish you didn't need me
'Cause I just can't go on
So please don't do me wrong
No I won't do you harm
My love for you goes on and on
There's no-one else I want beside you
Give me your coldest shoulder to cry upon
You're never anywhere I find you
You're never anything I rely upon.
And I wish you would leave me
And I wish you would go
And I wish you didn't need me
And I wish I didn't know.
That I just can't go on
So please don't do me wrong
No I won't do you harm
My love for you goes on and on
No I just can't go on
So please don't do me wrong
No I won't do you harm
My love
Goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on
And on and on and on and on and on and on and on and
On and on and on and on and on and on.
The Longpigs' song "On and On" is a haunting ballad about a love that is both consuming and unrequited. The song has a slow and melancholic melody with beautiful piano accompaniment that perfectly complements the anguished lyrics.
The first verse reflects on the singer's tendency to hide his feelings, stating that he has sung songs for his love but had rarely revealed his true feelings. The second verse reveals that the singer's love is not reciprocated, and he wishes his beloved would leave him and move on. Nonetheless, he admits that he cannot let go of his feelings, even though they cause him pain.
The chorus highlights the singer's desperation and his desire for his beloved not to do him wrong, despite his challenging emotional state. He promises not to harm his love and declares that his love for her goes on and on. The repetition of "on and on" at the end of the song emphasizes the singer's emotional turmoil and the never-ending cycle of his unrequited love.
Line by Line Meaning
All the songs that I've sung you
I have sung many songs to you.
More often than you know
But you may not even be aware of how many of these songs I have sung to you.
You're the love that I've clung to
You are my only true love in my life.
More often than I've let it show.
Although I sing to you constantly of my love, I do not always outwardly show it.
And I wish you would leave me
I am in so much pain that I do not want to be with you.
And I wish you would go
I cannot bear to be with you.
And I wish you didn't need me
I wish you were self-sufficient and did not need me to survive.
And I wish I didn't love you so.
I hate that I love you so much that it causes me such pain.
'Cause I just can't go on
My heart is broken and I cannot continue like this.
So please don't do me wrong
Please do not cause me any more pain than I am already feeling.
No, I won't do you harm
Despite my pain, I will not harm you in any way.
My love for you goes on and on
My love for you is endless, no matter how much pain it causes me.
There's no-one else I want beside you
You are the only person I want to be with.
Give me your coldest shoulder to cry upon
I am so deeply hurting that even the coldness of your embrace would provide some relief.
You're never anywhere I find you
I am constantly searching for you, but you seem to be unreachable at times.
You're never anything I rely upon.
Although I love you so deeply, you are not someone that I can depend on for emotional support.
And I wish you would leave me
I wish I could escape this painful love and be without you.
And I wish you would go
I cannot bear to be with you any longer.
And I wish you didn't need me
I wish I wasn't the only one you relied on.
And I wish I didn't know.
I wish I didn't have to feel this pain and that I could walk away from you without it causing me such heartache.
That I just can't go on
I am at a breaking point and cannot continue to live in this state of pain and heartbreak.
So please don't do me wrong
I am begging you to be kind to me because I cannot bear any more pain.
No, I won't do you harm
No matter how much pain I am in, I will not inflict any harm on you.
My love for you goes on and on
Despite how unbearable the pain is, my love for you will never cease.
No, I just can't go on
I am breaking and cannot go on living like this.
So please don't do me wrong
I am so beaten down and fragile that any additional pain may shatter me completely.
No, I won't do you harm
Although my heart is breaking, I would never dream of causing you pain.
My love goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on
My love for you is infinite and never-ending.
And on and on and on and on and on and on and on and
No matter how much I wish I could move on, my love never fades.
On and on and on and on and on and on.
My love for you will last forever.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CRISPIN MACMICHAEL SANDYS HUNT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jeffchavarria4219
All the songs that I've sung you
More often than you know
You're the love that I've clung to
More often than I've let it show.
And I wish you would leave me
And I wish you would go
And I wish you didn't need me
And I wish I didn't love you so.
'Cause I just can't go on
So please don't do me wrong
No I won't do you harm
My love for you goes on and on
There's no-one else I want beside you
Give me your coldest shoulder to cry upon
You're never anywhere I find you
You're never anything I rely upon.
And I wish you would leave me
And I wish you would go
And I wish you didn't need me
And I wish I didn't know.
That I just can't go on
So please don't do me wrong
No I won't do you harm
My love for you goes on and on
No I just can't go on
So please don't do me wrong
No I won't do you harm
My love
Goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on
And on and on and on and on and on and on and on and
On and on and on and on and on and on
@nicoletta2971
I was at a concert of Pulp. It was a small disco. I didn't knew the Longpigs, they were the opening act. After the first song I was already fallen in love with them. I immediately ran to the really small merchandising stand, bought the album and a shirt.
While Pulp were playing their gig, Crispin stood beside me in the crowd. He has been very kind to me. We talked a little bit. He gave me an autograph on the shirt and the booklet of the CD. I'm still soooooo happy about it ❤
Britpop is not dead! It's still alive in my home 🎶
@Lucy-ys4pz
1996 my first ever gig, 16 years old. Aylesbury civic centre, supporting Sleeper I think. Just the best night I’ll remember forever. What a beautiful song. His voice 😌
@boxmad5523
Probably the best “I love you, but please fuck off” song ever written 🎶🎶
@Dustwitch
It's unrequited love.
@boxmad5523
@Antoinette Demarie it’s whatever you want it to be
@dogsruletheworld4775
Sadly such an underrated band. Longpigs forever and ever for me…… I wish it was the 90ties again 😁
@spacebound7247
Beautiful lil song people don't realise the actually good music out there instead of listening to what sounds like some crap you heard years ago this is a beautiful song 🎶 ❤️❤️
@1978stevec
Face......hearing this song for the first time in ages took me right back to my early 20's, to the best decade ever
@NicolaHoney
I was so obsessed with this band that I made a Longpigs clock in tech in the first year of high school.
@rattlebag
I made a Therapy Troublegum one. You have triggered a memory there.