The first swirls of what would become Lucky Soul took place in Glasgow in the imagination of a sound engineering student called Andrew Laidlaw. Inspired by the classic Sixties soul playing at a tiny night club called Papa Cool, he began sneaking into the studios at night, plotting to take a seemingly lost kind of pop music and update it for the 21st century. When the course finished, he moved to London, recruited a few friends and put out a classified ad for a singer. A heartfelt request for “no divas, no faux-American accents” seemed to have little effect, but alongside 300 Aguilera-clones emerged a honey-haired woman by the name of Ali Howard with a voice perfectly poised between power and vulnerability and a look that seemed tailor-made for Laidlaw’s music.
The first Lucky Soul album followed in April 2007. Released on the band’s own label Ruffa Lane (set up with the financial help and know-how of a couple of close friends) The Great Unwanted was a massive critical and commercial success: greeted with 4 and 5 stars – “an immediate classic”, “pop at its most glorious and heartbreaking” – across the board and sold 50,000 records worldwide, picking up a top 10 hit in Japan along the way.
Laidlaw’s pop vision had been vindicated, but the band had also thrown everything at that first record. Once the touring was done and with no financial safety net to fall back on while the royalties came through, Lucky Soul returned to their normal lives. Not for the first time, Laidlaw found himself stone broke and south of the river. This time he had no choice but to live inside the band’s studio, then in a draught-ridden converted fire station on the gloomier side of Greenwich. He played piano til the early hours and showered in the local swimming pool, and put his heart and soul into creating a second album, going by his own admission a bit crazy along the way.
Turning down an offer from legendary Bowie producer Tony Visconti, the band opted to retain complete creative control. Laidlaw produced the record himself, only turning to outside help for the mixing sessions, handled in New York by Victor Van Vugt (Nick Cave, Sons & Daughters, Kirsty Macoll, PJ Harvey). Howard, Laidlaw and mercurial guitarist Ivor Sims were all that remained from the original lineup. Russell ‘Rusty’ Grooms and kiwi maverick Paul Atkins took the bass and drum briefs, and a new keyboardist was found in the form of Art Terry, a former protégé of Arthur Lee from Love who had initially just turned up to tune Laidlaw’s piano…
Months were spent in the studio, as Laidlaw – a synaesthetic to whom music appears in the form of vivid visuals that look “like an avant-garde Russian cartoon” – heaved his vision into awesome life. The result is a record with the gloves off, as trumpeted in the form of two advance singles Woah Billy! and White Russian Doll. The first album’s shameless love for pure melody remains, but any hint of knowing pastiche has been replaced with big, confident, lean production; it’s a soaring album of modern pop – music for a new decade.
My Darling Anything
Lucky Soul Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a fuse I burn for you dear,
Like a flower that yearns for moisture,
My roots are tangled, I ain't got no choice dear.
My Darling,
I'll do anything you want,
Oh I'll do anything it takes,
Surrender, surrender.
Dead in the city, walking through traffic,
A burned out head on a broken matchstick,
Life's a trial, life's a burden.
Life's a drag and don't deserve it
My Darling,
I'll do anything you want,
Oh I'll do anything it takes,
To make you fall,
Surrender, surrender.
You've got to remember,
I've got a heart condition,
Just listen closer,
Every fourth beat is missing
If it ain't missing then it's skip, skip, skip, skip, skip, skip, skipping.
It's good for nothing is it good enough for you?
Oh I'll do anything you want.
Oh I'll do anything it takes
Oh I'll do anything you want.
Oh I'll do anything it takes
The lyrics of "My Darling Anything" by Lucky Soul convey the singer's intense desire and willingness to do anything for their beloved. The opening lines compare the singer's burning desire to a lit fuse and a flower in need of moisture. The imagery continues with the singer feeling tangled and powerless to resist their lover's charms. The chorus then states their willingness to do anything to make their lover fall and surrender to them completely.
The second verse shifts to a more bleak view of life, with the singer describing themselves as "dead in the city" and comparing themselves to a burnt out matchstick. The lyrics conveys a sense of hopelessness and burden that life presents. However, despite these struggles, the singer remains devoted to their lover, promising to do anything it takes to please them.
Overall, the lyrics of "My Darling Anything" express intense passion and devotion in the face of life's difficulties. It presents a complex portrayal of love as both empowering and limiting.
Line by Line Meaning
Light the paper, wait for the all clear,
I am patiently waiting for you to give me a sign that you are ready for me, just like how one waits for the all clear signal after lighting a fuse.
Like a fuse I burn for you dear,
My love for you is explosive and unstoppable, like a fuse that keeps burning until it reaches its conclusion.
Like a flower that yearns for moisture,
I am like a flower that is thirsty for your love and affection, and without it, I cannot fully grow or thrive.
My roots are tangled, I ain't got no choice dear.
My emotions and feelings for you are so deep and complex that they have become intertwined and difficult to unravel or control.
My Darling,
I'll do anything you want,
Oh I'll do anything it takes,
To make you fall,
Surrender, surrender.
I am willing to do whatever it takes to win your love and make you mine, even if it means surrendering completely to you.
Dead in the city, walking through traffic,
A burned out head on a broken matchstick,
Life's a trial, life's a burden.
Life's a drag and don't deserve it
Life is difficult and exhausting, and sometimes it feels like I am just going through the motions without purpose or fulfillment. I feel like a broken and useless person in this busy and overwhelming city.
You've got to remember,
I've got a heart condition,
Just listen closer,
Every fourth beat is missing
If it ain't missing then it's skip, skip, skip, skip, skip, skip, skipping.
It's good for nothing is it good enough for you?
My heart is fragile and damaged, and I am not whole without your love. You can hear the palpitations and irregular beats in my chest, but despite its flaws, my heart beats only for you. Will you accept me as I am?
Oh I'll do anything you want.
Oh I'll do anything it takes
I am reiterating my willingness and determination to do whatever is necessary to make you mine, no matter the cost or sacrifice.
Contributed by Victoria Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
M j G
I love this song. I've been playing it since 2008 when I first got the album. It's 2018 now. Timeless. Thank you, Lucky Soul.
fbook001
i love them. i first heard them on pandora and have been listening to them ever since
waan mak
My lovely song when I was teenage ... it has been 15 years alter maybe ,still love your voice and yes still reminded me of those memo time ... hand and beautiful moment
waan mak
God was so high to write this goshhhh
Asiyah
i`m in love with her voice <3
G.A.H.F
Love you, my Irena L.
💑💖📿