Anderson and Berenyi had been friends since the early 1980s, and published the Alphabet Soup fanzine together. In 1986 Anderson joined The Rover Girls as bassist and Berenyi joined The Bugs as guitarist but neither band lasted long.
Lush formed in 1987, initially named The Baby Machines, with a line-up of Meriel Barham (vocals), Emma Anderson (guitar), Miki Berenyi (guitar), Steve Rippon (bass), and Chris Acland (drums). After Rippon joined, the band members decided on a change of name to Lush, making their live debut at the Camden Falcon on 6 March 1988. Barham was fired, with the rest of the band deciding she lacked commitment (she later joined Pale Saints). Anderson and Berenyi then took on lead vocal duties.
Lush gained recognition when Robin Guthrie helped the band sign to 4AD. The band's first release was Scar, an EP, in 1989. Critical praise for Scar and a wildly popular live show established Lush as one of the best-selling alternative bands of the period. That year the EPs Mad Love, produced by Robin Guthrie, and Sweetness and Light, produced by Tim Friese-Greene of Talk Talk fame, followed.
In 1990 the compilation Gala, which combined the material from the first three EPs, was released by Reprise in the United States, this being the first exposure of Lush in North America.
Lush's first full-length album of completely new material was Spooky in 1992. Produced by Robin Guthrie, Spooky featured a sound very similar to Guthrie's band Cocteau Twins, with walls of sound and a great deal of flange. Reviews were mixed and critics of the album hold that Guthrie's production brought the sound away from the band's original creative vision. Bassist Steve Rippon left the band at this stage in order to concentrate on writing, though his book Cold Turkey Sandwich - a fictionalized chronicle of his time in touring - was rejected by publishers. He was replaced by Phil King. Also in 1992, Lush toured America as part of the Lollapalooza festival.
The band's second studio album Split was released in 1994 and featured a harsher sound alternated with long and softer tracks as "Desire Lines" and "Never-Never". Despite critical praise, the album sold poorly.
After adapting to the newly popular sounds of the Britpop era, Lush's 1996 Lovelife became the biggest seller of their career, including the hit singles "Ladykillers", "500" and "Single Girl", which was released in several different versions with different tracks along with the title track. Also on this album, Jarvis Cocker from Pulp contributed guest vocals to "Ciao!" and the record included the now classic/melancholic favorite "Last Night".
In 1996, drummer Chris Acland committed suicide by hanging, at his parents' house, allegedly due to depression. The situation proved too hard for the band, and in 23 February 1998 the three remaining members of Lush decided to disband.
Emma Anderson has since formed a new band, Sing-Sing, who have released two full-length albums to date.
On September 28th 2015 Lush announced their reunion. The reunited band consists of Anderson, Berenyi & King with the addition of Justin Welch on drums, an old friend of Acland.
Lush discography:
Scar EP (1989)
Mad Love EP (1990)
Sweetness and Light EP (1990)
Gala compliation of the above EPs (1990)
Spooky (1992)
Split (1994)
Lovelife (1996)
Baby Talk
Lush Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's struggling now, she can't break free
And my eyes are closed, my lips are sealed
She can't escape but I can feel
Kicks in me
Climbing my spine, she's inside me
And I wish I could tell you what she feels
And I wish I could hear when she speaks
In my sleep
In my dreams
At first glance, the lyrics of Lush's song "Baby Talk" may seem confusing and abstract. However, a closer interpretation reveals a deeper meaning behind the words. The titular "baby" in the song refers not to an actual child, but rather to a representation of the singer's emotions or memories that they cannnot escape from. The lines "Swallowed her down, she's inside me / She's struggling now, she can't break free" evoke a feeling of being overwhelmed and consumed by one's own thoughts and feelings, unable to escape them despite trying.
The singer goes on to say "And my eyes are closed, my lips are sealed / She can't escape but I can feel / Kicks in me," revealing that while they may be physically closed off from the outside world, they are still very in tune with their inner turmoil. The "kicks" that they feel could signify a sense of discomfort or unease caused by their internal struggles. The second verse continues with this theme, with the singer acknowledging the desire to escape from this emotional burden but feeling unable to do so. The line "In my sleep / In my dreams" further adds to the idea that the baby represents something that is difficult to shake even when unconscious.
Line by Line Meaning
Swallowed her down, she's inside me
I'm carrying a burden and it's weighing me down
She's struggling now, she can't break free
My problems are getting worse and I'm feeling trapped
And my eyes are closed, my lips are sealed
I'm hiding my pain and not letting anyone in
She can't escape but I can feel
I'm aware of my pain but choose not to confront it
Kicks in me
My pain is becoming more and more evident
Climbing my spine, she's inside me
My problems are starting to affect me physically
Wants to escape, wants to breathe
I'm longing for release and a way to breathe again
And I wish I could tell you what she feels
I wish I could express my emotions and get help
And I wish I could hear when she speaks
I wish I could listen to my feelings and understand them
In my sleep
Even my subconscious is affected by my problems
In my dreams
My desires and fears manifest themselves in my dreams
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MIKI BERENYI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind