Early history
Major Accident was originally formed in late 1977 in Darlington.[2] Their first studio recording came in the early 1980s, when they recorded a single called Terrorist Gang with the B-side "Self Appointed Hero", and an early version of Massacred Melodies, which the band re-recorded in 1981 - this became their first LP. They planned to release "Warboots" from this session and got as far as test pressings before being signed by Step Forward records, home of Chelsea, Sham 69 and the Cortinas amongst others.
The band released their first single, "Mr Nobody", with Step-Forward Records before the release of their first studio LP. A UK tour supporting Chelsea helped promote the release of the record. They had UK Independent Chart hits with singles "Fight To Win" (no. 24) and "Leaders of Tomorrow" (no. 19, featuring drummer Evo, formerly from The Angelic Upstarts and The Blood who went on to form punk influenced thrash and speed metal NWOBHM band Warfare),followed by "Respectable" (featuring "The Big G" - Garteh Jones on drums) all released on the Flicknife Records label, as was the LP A Clockwork Legion, by which time the band's name had been shortened to "Accident". A live album, Tortured Tunes – the Official Bootleg, was released in 1984, reaching no. 24 on the Uk Independent Chart.[2] Around this time the band appeared on BBC2 playing three songs live.[3] American label Toxic Shock released a follow-up album ...Crazy! in 1985, just before the band split up.[1][4][5][6]
1996–present
Major Accident re-formed in 1996, once again using the full name rather than just "Accident". The re-formation was accompanied by a new studio album, The Ultimate High, released on We Bite Records, with a seven-inch single, Representation Not Reality, which was released in 1999 on Upstart Productions. The band's final release was a split album with Welsh street punks Foreign Legion entitled Cry Of Legion.[1][4][6][7][8]
Live performances followed, including a night at New York's CBGB in 2001 with a "clockwork punk" theme.[9] The band's activity was sharply curtailed when drummer Laze was involved in a motorcycle accident. The band currently plays just two or three concerts each year.
Clockwork punks
Major Accident popularized a punk style of dress based on the costumes worn in the 1971 film A Clockwork Orange,[10] including bowler hats, white shirts, white trousers and black boots. Fans of the group, and sometimes members of Major Accident themselves, also occasionally wore fishtail coats, though more often they wore black leather biker jackets. The "clockwork punk" style also extended to an appreciation of Ludwig van Beethoven's music, again following the movie's protagonist. Major Accident played the composer's 9th Symphony with guitar, bass and drums in their interpretations The Glorious 9th and The March. Little evidence of any further interest in classical music was shown from the band.[1][4][5]
Major Accident's use of A Clockwork Orange imagery is also seen in the sleeve designs on their albums, with their early LPs, CDs and seven-inch singles using stark black and white imagery (though they began to include red after their 1996 reformation), and characters dressed in the Clockwork Orange style. Their final album in 1985 (before their reformation) ...Crazy! depicts a scene from the film, where the protagonist, Alex, is shown strapped into a laboratory chair, his eyes held open with metal clips.[11]
Other 1970s and 1980s Clockwork punk bands include The Adicts (whose version had a more fun, circus-clown emphasis), Die Toten Hosen (who released the themed album Ein kleines bisschen Horrorschau), Blitz (who wore some of the dress later in their career) and The Violators who along with Blitz recorded on the 'No Future' record label. [12]
Lies
Major Accident Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I just don't know what to say.
And I don't know if you believe me.
Or when you here the words I say.
They say the truth is out there somewhere
It's staring you right in the face.
And I don't know if you believe me
I said the truth is out there somewhere.
It's staring you right in the face.
And I don't know if you believe me.
I'm gonna put him in his place.
[Chorus:] Telling you lies [x4]
The lyrics of the song "Lies" by Major Accident are a reflection of the difficulties one faces when they are caught in a situation where they have to choose between telling the truth and keeping a secret. The singer is struggling to find appropriate words to express their thoughts and feelings, and they are unsure if what they say will be believed by the other person. They recognize that there is some truth to be found but don't know whether it will make a difference.
The first two lines "And I just don't know what to tell you, And I just don't know what to say" suggest that the singer is hesitant to divulge something, possibly a secret or something uncomfortable. The following lines, "And I don't know if you believe me. Or when you hear the words I say" indicate that the singer's doubts, and also a lack of trust in the listener. It is, therefore, tough for them to determine if the truth will be accepted or ignored.
The chorus, "Telling you lies," is repeated four times, and it is essentially the essence of the song. It suggests that the singer is struggling to keep up their end of the deal, whether for their own sake or for someone else's. The lyrics "I'm gonna put him in his place" indicate that there might be some conflict or confrontation associated with the situation talked about in the song.
Overall, the song captures the mood of suspicion and mistrust, which can cloud one's judgment when they are caught in such a difficult situation.
Line by Line Meaning
And I just don't know what to tell you,
I am at a loss for words as to what to say to you.
And I just don't know what to say.
I am struggling to find the right words to convey to you.
And I don't know if you believe me.
I am unsure if you trust what I am saying.
Or when you hear the words I say.
I am unsure of the impact my words will have on you.
They say the truth is out there somewhere
There is a common belief that the truth can be found if sought after.
It's staring you right in the face.
The truth is blatantly obvious and should be easy to recognize.
And I don't know if you believe me
I am still uncertain if you have faith in my statements.
I'll put that bastard in his place.
I will assert myself and confront the individual who is lying.
I said the truth is out there somewhere.
I have already stated that the truth can be discovered.
It's staring you right in the face.
The truth is so obvious that it cannot be ignored.
And I don't know if you believe me.
My confidence in your trust is still uncertain.
I'm gonna put him in his place.
I will take action against the person who is deceiving you.
Telling you lies [x4]
Repeated a total of four times, this line emphasizes the theme of deception and falsehoods being conveyed to the listener.
Contributed by Austin A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.