Marc Almond has had a long and varied career spanning circa 40 years. During this time, after a career with Soft Cell and Marc and the Mambas, he has collaborated with an extremely wide range of artists including Antony and The Johnsons, Jools Holland, Siouxsie Sioux, Nick Cave, P.J. Proby, Nico, Kelli Ali of the Sneaker Pimps, Neal X (on the albums Fantastic Star and Open All Night), Marie France, Agnes Bernelle, Lydia Lunch, Gene Pitney on the #1 UK single "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart", Foetus (a.k.a. J. G. Thirlwell), Jimmy Somerville of The Communards and Bronski Beat, Psychic TV, Coil, Sally Timms of Mekons, King Roc, John Cale and David Johansen of The New York Dolls and German band Rosenstolz.
Almond initially shot to fame in the early 1980s as one half of synth duo Soft Cell, whose combination of drama and peep show sleaze set to an electronic beat gave them hits such as "Tainted Love" (UK #1), "Bedsitter" (UK #3), "Torch" (UK #2), "Say Hello Wave Goodbye" (UK #3), "Soul Inside" (UK # 16), "What?" (UK #3) and the club hit "Memorabilia". They were first spotted by David Oddie, boss of Wakefield based Ambergris Records in a Bradford club, who passed his enthusiasm onto Dead Good Records in Lincoln, famous for their Hicks From The Sticks compilation, who in turn approached Polygram, the newly formed amalgam of Polydor and Phonogram. Although Soft Cell disbanded in 1984 just before the release of fourth album, This Last Night In Sodom, the duo reunited in 2001 for live shows and in 2002 released a new album entitled Cruelty Without Beauty, from which the single "The Night" (UK #39) was taken.
His biggest UK hits as a solo artist have been cover versions; the aforementioned 1989 number one duet with Gene Pitney and another near chart-topper in 1991 with David McWilliams' "The Days of Pearly Spencer", which peaked at #4. In 1985, he duetted with Jimmy Somerville and Bronski Beat on a cover of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love (Medley)" and it hit #3. The highest UK positions his self-penned singles have reached so far have been "Stories of Johnny" (#23 in 1985), "Tears Run Rings" (#28 in 1988) and "Adored and Explored" (#25 in 1995).
Almond's work runs the gamut from electronica and dance music to French chanson, traditional piano ballads, and Russian romance songs, as exhibited on his 2003 album Heart on Snow. Influences include David Bowie, a childhood hero of his, as well as early 1960s Northern Soul and disco. Other major influences have been Scott Walker from Walker Brothers and Jacques Brel, 12 of whose songs Almond reworked in English for his 1989 album Jacques. Almond's own lyrics are a creative expression of what he sees and are not to be confused with his own life. He also operates a record label, Blue Star Music, on which he has released many of his solo and collaborative records in the UK.
Almond currently lives in the Bermondsey area of south east London. In his autobiography he describes previously living in Earl's Court, in a converted church in Fulham and most memorably in Soho's Berwick Street, where he lived in a flat overlooking the Raymond Revuebar.
Lost Paradise
Marc Almond Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's here, it's here
Lost paradise, it's here
It's here
Lost paradise, it's here
It's the toy
Broken in the sad child's hand
The one loved so dear
It's a sudden end to childhood's wonderland
A spring that's swiftly grown too old
Here is lost paradise
It's here, it's here
Lost paradise it's here
It's here
Lost paradise it's here
It's the last kiss
That's faded on our lips
From a first love
That quickly parted
One praises to the sky
On our knees in worship
And there we're left
Broken hearted
It's that which escapes us
In the course of our lives
That cannot be retained
With no remembrance
It's only melancholy that survives
Through our painful resonance
It's happiness which passes
And leaves us behind
We couldn't hold it for
It was too whole
We couldn't follow our confidence
Undermined for fear of sinking
Being out of control
Here is lost paradise
It's here, it's here
Lost paradise it's here
It's here
Lost paradise it's here
It's a sleepy town
On the edge of the frontier
It's a dead letter
One has read too late
It's the last love that one believes
Sincere, a failed rendezvous
That would have sealed our fate
Here is lost paradise
It's here, it's here
Lost paradise it's here
It's here
Lost paradise it's here
The lyrics to Marc Almond's song Lost Paradise describe the concept of paradise being something that we can never fully hold onto or maintain in our lives. The first stanza discusses a broken toy that represents the loss of childhood innocence and wonder. The use of "the one loved so dear, the one like gold" emphasizes the importance and value of this loss.
The second stanza expands on the idea of loss in the context of love, referencing the "last kiss" of a failed relationship and the feeling of being left "broken-hearted". The line "It's that which escapes us in the course of our lives that cannot be retained with no remembrance" reflects on how memories and experiences can fade over time, leaving only a sense of melancholy.
Line by Line Meaning
Here is lost paradise
Marc Almond is introducing the concept of lost paradise, which is the central theme of the song.
It's here, it's here
He emphasizes that lost paradise is present, pervasive and all around us.
Lost paradise, it's here
The idea of a lost paradise is repeated to emphasize its importance and relevance.
It's here
A simpler repetition of the previous line to drive home the point.
Lost paradise, it's here
One more repetition to highlight the omnipresence of lost paradise.
It's the toy
Marc Almond introduces a metaphor: Lost paradise is like a toy.
Broken in the sad child's hand
This toy has been broken, and the sadness of the child represents the loss and the pain of losing paradise.
The one loved so dear
The toy was loved deeply, and this adds to the feeling of loss and nostalgia associated with paradise.
The one like gold
The toy is precious, like gold, and its loss feels like a tragedy.
It's a sudden end to childhood's wonderland
This toy symbolizes the end of childhood, and the wonder and magic it once held. The loss of paradise can feel like the end of innocence and wonderment.
A spring that's swiftly grown too old
This line is a continuation of the metaphor from the previous line, describing the fleeting nature of paradise as something that grows old and fades away quickly.
It's the last kiss
The next metaphor introduced is that of a kiss, which represents love, passion and intimacy.
That's faded on our lips
This last kiss is a distant memory, dissolved and vanished, and is a symbol of the loss of love and intimacy that can feel like paradise.
From a first love
The kiss was from a first love, which is often an intense and powerful experience.
That quickly parted
This love didn't last, and ended too soon, creating a sense of longing and regret.
One praises to the sky
The next metaphor is a religious one, depicting an act of worship.
On our knees in worship
This worship is done in a posture of humility and submission.
And there we're left
Despite our prayers and devotion, we are still left with the loss of paradise and the feeling of emptiness it brings.
Broken hearted
The loss of paradise can leave us emotionally shattered and heartbroken.
It's that which escapes us
The next metaphor is a philosophical one, describing paradise as something that is evasive and fleeting.
In the course of our lives
Paradise can escape us during the course of our lives, often due to circumstances beyond our control.
That cannot be retained
Despite our efforts to hold onto it, paradise is something that cannot be kept or maintained indefinitely.
With no remembrance
Even our memories of paradise can fade away, leaving us with no reference point or anchor.
It's only melancholy that survives
The only thing that remains of paradise is a sense of melancholy and longing, which can persist for a long time.
Through our painful resonance
This melancholy is something that resonates deeply within us, often causing pain and discomfort.
It's happiness which passes
The next metaphor introduced is that of happiness.
And leaves us behind
Happiness can be fleeting, and it can leave us behind when it departs, leaving us with a sense of loss and longing.
We couldn't hold it for
Despite our efforts, we can't hold onto happiness for a long time, and it eventually fades away.
It was too whole
Happiness is a complete and all-encompassing feeling which makes it hard to sustain for long periods.
We couldn't follow our confidence
The next metaphor is of confidence, which represents our sense of self-assurance and belief in ourselves.
Undermined for fear of sinking
This confidence can be undermined by the fear of failure and the possibility of negative outcomes, which makes us hesitant to take risks.
Being out of control
This fear can make us feel out of control, which further fuels our sense of helplessness and loss.
It's a sleepy town
The final metaphor is of a town or a place which represents an idyllic setting for paradise.
On the edge of the frontier
This town is on the edge of the frontier, representing a boundary between the known and unknown, between paradise and the world.
It's a dead letter
This town has lost its charm, and has become stagnant and lifeless, mirroring the loss of paradise we feel in our lives.
One has read too late
The final line represents the last straw in our experiences of loss and regret, when we realize too late that paradise has passed us by, leaving us with a sense of unfulfilled longing and despair.
It's the last love that one believes
Sincere, a failed rendezvous
That would have sealed our fate
This set of lines describes the idea of lost love and the pain it can cause, the feeling that destiny and fate have slipped away, leaving us with broken hearts.
Lost paradise it's here
The repetition of the main theme is the conclusion of the song, reinforcing the idea that paradise is indeed lost, and that it is all around us, creating a sense of nostalgia, loss and longing that can be hard to shake off.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind