(Edit: 2/4/2010: Love Spit Love is sadly also long gone - 13 years gone, in fact. Apparently the long-term intentions were crushed by the reality of hardly anyone knowing about them, Richard's pre-existing claim to fame notwithstanding. LSL was considerably more cerebral and introspective than The Furs. Too intelligent for the masses, perhaps, they didn't go on to release anything beyond Trysome Eatone. However, what comes around goes around. The Furs recently regrouped and went on tour in 2009. Intentions unknown as to whether Richard and Co. will be releasing any new material as The Psychedelic Furs.)
Like the band's music, their second album's title "Trysome Eatone" was an invitation both dangerous and alluring. The 12 songs included ''Fall On Tears,'' ''Hurts When I Laugh,'' ''Sweet Thing,'' ''All God's Children,'' ''Well Well Well'' and the LP's debut single and video ''Long Long Time.'' Throughout, the Love Spit Love sound was sharp and moody, blending Butler's unmistakable vocals with the shimmering guitar textures of Richard Fortus and the penetrating rhythm section of drummer Frank Ferrer and new bassist Chris Wilson.
Produced by Butler, Fortus and Ben Grosse (Filter, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Violent Femmes), Trysome Eatone aimed for the head and heart, with harmonically complex melodies, dynamic rhythms and subtly poignant lyrics.
Trysome Eatone was both a union of European and American pop styles and a powerful slice of pre-millennial melancholia and humor. On the album's first single ''Long Long Time,'' Butler waxed philosophical, while the band created a deceptively tempered groove. ''Fall On Tears'' and ''It Hurts When I Laugh'' represent a striking marriage of folk melody and foreboding lyricism, while ''More Than Money'' was a manic celebration of transistorized noise, volcanic rhythm and apocalyptic guitar. In all, Trysome Eatone took pop experimentation to heady new levels.
''I wanted to make a record that had all great songs,'' Butler said, ''Not all singles necessarily, just great songs. I also wanted the record to be varied, with lots of different moods, but make it so it all hung together.''
The album winds its way through Butler's tales and observations about life and everyday situations and confrontations, The inspiration for Butler's lyrics? ''I suppose things that I overhear people say, situations I find myself in,'' he says. ''I kind of like lyrics to be pretty simple-sounding and not impose themselves too much and not try to be clever. Kind of like nursery rhymes that sound innocent but are really pretty dark.''
''Little Fist'', a song written about people on St, Marks Place below his apartment window, opens with the lines:
I've got lipstick on my front teeth I'm full of pills but I don' t feel good yet I 'm tied up running out of good luck Eyeliner tears are running down my neck
''I think all songs are autobiographical; it's always either writing about yourself or putting yourself in someone else's shoes,'' Butler explained. ''Whatever you write about tells something about yourself, Songs can start from a title or a melody or taking words you've already written and squeezing them into a tune. Usually, it starts with the music and a melody. Then the feel of the music puts you in a certain mood; then you have to write lyrics with that mood.''
''I tend not to write love songs,'' he continued. ''They sound too much like somebody cornering you in a bar and moaning about their ex-wife - does anybody really care? But songs about love are a different thing.''
As a founding member of the Psychedelic Furs, Richard Butler has cast a long, folkloric shadow over the modern pop landscape. With Love Spit Love, he tried to tear down his own myth and replace it with a gleaming new creation.
The roots of Love Spit Love extend back to 1992. In the wake of the Psychedelic Furs' dissolution, Butler moved from his native England to New York. Seeking a new platform for his musical and lyrical visions, the singer teamed with Richard Fortus, who had impressed Butler when opening for the Furs with his former band.
Drummer Frank Ferrer was next to join the band's ranks, his authoritative rhythms providing a perfect foil for Butler's literate musings and Fortus's melodic inventions. Named after an erotic art exhibit, Love Spit Love was officially conceived.
For Love Spit Love's debut on the now-defunct Imago label, Butler's brother Tim was brought in to provide the bottom end on drums, while Chris Wilson assumed bass-playing duties just before the band's 1994-95 tour. He made his Love Spit Love recording debut on the band's second album.
On the band's self-titled 1994 debut recording, Butler and his bandmates created lush soundscapes punctuated by dissonant shards of noise and orchestration. In its effusive critique, The Trouser Press Record Guide noted that, ''Butler has never sounded better -- his nicotine-coated growl has, over the years, mellowed into a powerful, scratchy croon that shimmers on his most accessible record since the Furs' glory days.'' Elsewhere, Cover magazine claimed Love Spit Love to be ''both the best new band and the best debut album of 1994.''
Building on the debut disc's momentum, Trysome Eatone painted with broad musical strokes. Recorded in New York, Detroit and Los Angeles, Trysome Eatone is the kind of album that yields fresh surprises with each listen. Yet for all its lyrical insight, the record never reveals too much. Richard Butler remains an enigma, and as the singer himself crooned on ''Long Long Time'':
If I seem to make no sense I make no sense sometimes
It was a perfect lyric from a man who's always known how to engage his fans in a deep mystery.
Love spit love was perhaps most famous for their song "How Soon Is Now?", a cover of The Smiths. The song was used as the theme of the long-running TV show Charmed, and was also used in The Craft soundtrack.
Sweet Thing
Love Spit Love Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't know why I call it five
Tomorrow's always over there
And falling up and down the stairs
Your car couldn't love you more
That's what real friends are for
She makes me want to kick it in
And mess it up and shove it
She's a sweet sweet sweet sweet thing
Have a happy seventeen
There's nothing left for me to be
Your ma couldn't love you more
You know we've all been there before
Another stupid favorite song
And prettiness goes on and on
They pull the carpet under me
She's a pretty thing or isn't she?
She's a sweet sweet thing
She's a sweet sweet thing
She's a sweet sweet thing
She's a sweet sweet sweet sweet thing
All you have is all you are
And caroline's a stolen car
Her so-called secrets second hand
Her two-faced friends can't even stand
She's a sweet sweet thing
She's a sweet sweet thing
She's a sweet sweet thing
She's a sweet sweet sweet sweet thing
The lyrics to Love Spit Love’s song “Sweet Thing” are cryptic and open to interpretation. At the start of the song, the singer seems to be reflecting on the randomness of life, with shoes being sold at a discount, and tomorrow always seeming out of reach. The line "Your car couldn't love you more, that's what real friends are for," suggests that the singer is speaking to someone who has been let down by people but has found solace in their car. Then, the singer disrupts this mellow vibe by wanting to "kick it in, mess it up and shove it," indicating a desire to break free from the mundane and is likely to be urging someone else to do the same.
The singer goes on to address a person named Caroline, telling her to have a happy seventeen while acknowledging that there's nothing left for him/her to be. The mention of “another stupid favorite song” and “prettiness that goes on and on” can be interpreted as a longing for something different or deeper than the surface-level pleasure given by materialistic things. The singer reflects again on Caroline and alludes to the idea that she may not be trustworthy or authentic, referring to her as a "stolen car" with "so-called secrets second hand" and "two-faced friends who can't even stand." Despite this, she’s still a “sweet sweet thing.” Perhaps the lyrics are about the struggle to find meaning and substance in life, amidst seemingly random events and people who may not be what they seem.
Line by Line Meaning
Shoes at just $4.95
The singer is distracted by a trivial detail and unable to focus on more important matters.
I don't know why I call it five
The singer is reflecting on their own peculiar habits and admitting to not fully understanding themselves.
Tomorrow's always over there
The singer is expressing a sense of hopelessness, feeling distant from the possibility of a better future.
And falling up and down the stairs
The artist feels like they are going nowhere, like they are stuck in the same place and falling back down when they try to move forward.
Your car couldn't love you more
The artist is suggesting that material possessions do not bring true happiness and fulfillment.
That's what real friends are for
The singer recognizes the importance of genuine friendships and the support they provide.
She makes me want to kick it in
The singer is feeling overwhelmed and frustrated by a person or situation.
And mess it up and shove it
The artist is considering taking drastic actions to disrupt the current state of affairs and create change.
She's a sweet sweet thing
The artist is expressing their admiration and appreciation for someone or something they find appealing or attractive.
She's a sweet sweet sweet sweet thing
The artist is emphasizing just how intensely they feel drawn towards this person or thing.
Have a happy seventeen
The singer is offering well-wishes to someone who is young and perhaps experiencing a significant milestone birthday.
There's nothing left for me to be
The artist is conveying a sense of resignation or despair, feeling like there is no meaningful purpose or direction for their life.
Your ma couldn't love you more
The singer is once again emphasizing that true love and happiness cannot be found in material possessions, but rather in genuine human relationships.
You know we've all been there before
The singer is expressing empathy and solidarity with someone going through a difficult situation, acknowledging that they too have faced similar challenges.
Another stupid favorite song
The singer is criticizing themselves for repeating the same patterns and making the same mistakes over and over again.
And prettiness goes on and on
The artist is questioning the value of beauty and superficial appearances, wondering if they are really important or just distractions.
They pull the carpet under me
The artist feels like they are constantly having the rug pulled out from under them, like they can never get a stable foothold in their life.
She's a pretty thing or isn't she?
The singer is acknowledging the ambiguity and subjectivity of beauty, and the fact that not everyone will agree on what is attractive.
She's a sweet sweet thing
The singer is once again expressing their strong attraction to this person or thing.
She's a sweet sweet thing
The artist is continuing to emphasize their feelings of admiration and appeal towards this person or thing.
She's a sweet sweet thing
The artist is once again reinforcing just how much they are drawn towards this person or thing.
She's a sweet sweet sweet sweet thing
The artist is emphasizing the intensity of their feelings and attraction, almost to the point of obsession.
All you have is all you are
The singer is suggesting that external possessions and accomplishments do not define one's true identity or value as a person.
And caroline's a stolen car
The artist is using a metaphor to convey the idea that sometimes people or things that seem shiny and attractive on the surface may actually be rotten or harmful underneath.
Her so-called secrets second hand
The singer is perhaps feeling betrayed, realizing that someone they trusted has shared private information with others.
Her two-faced friends can't even stand
The singer is expressing disgust and frustration with people who pretend to be friends but are actually deceitful and selfish.
She's a sweet sweet thing
The singer is returning once again to their feelings of attraction and admiration towards this person or thing.
She's a sweet sweet thing
The artist is continuing to express their strong desire and fascination with this person or thing.
She's a sweet sweet thing
The artist is reinforcing once again their strong feelings of attraction and appeal towards this person or thing.
She's a sweet sweet sweet sweet thing
The singer is concluding the song by repeating the earlier refrain, emphasizing the intensity of their attraction and desire.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICHARD LOFTHOUSE BUTLER, RICHARD P. FORTUS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind