Recent live dates have included a return to Scandinavia for the Norretljes Blues and Rock Festival near Stockholm, Sweden, and London shows with SALT, Mick's 70s blues rock band formed with Stevie Smith - the first new SALT gigs for 33 years.
Mick began his solo career in the early 80s and has become an established name on the European scene, touring regularly in every country from Finland down to Italy. Praised for his fiery "straight from the wood" guitar sound, he has appeared on numerous festivals with artists such as Robert Cray, Johnny Winter and the late Rory Gallagher.
Recent tours have included appearances at the Baden Blues Festival in Switzerland, "Rock at Sea" in Stockholm, Sweden, Harelbeke Rock and Blues in Belgium and the Bragdoya Blues Festival in Norway. In 2005 Mick headlined the Saturday night at the Great British R&B Festival in Colne, England as part of the British Blues All Stars.. also featuring Kim Simmonds and Maggie Bell.
Mick has also toured several times in the U.S.A. and appeared with artists such as Johnny Winter,Canned Heat, Big Jay McNeely and C.J.Chenier plus rock shows with Foghat, Savoy Brown and the Paladins. The Southern California Blues Society called him "One of the finest blues players to come out of England".
Mick began his career with Killing Floor part of the British blues boom of the late 60s. The band backed Texas blues guitar star Freddie King and toured with legends such as Howlin' Wolf and Otis Spann. . In 2003 the original band got together again to record a brand new CD, and in January 2004 Killing Floor released "Zero Tolerance" - its first new album for 32 years. The band has now begun to play selected festival appearances around Europe, and a fourth album is currently in production.
In the mid 70s Mick co-formed SALT a powerful blues-rock act who were a big hit on the London scene in the 70s playing regularly at the Marquee and other top venues. The band played at the Reading Festival and also opened for Muddy Waters at two major London concerts. SALT has also reformed for occasional re-union tours.
Micks first solo album Looking For Trouble came out on the Italian label Appaloosa in the early 80s and sold well. More albums quickly followed including West Coast Connection recorded in Portland, Oregon with local musicians. Recent releases have been on the German label Taxim, including the classic "No Compromise",and "Happy Home" on Mick's U.S. label Burnside features just Mick with Lou Martin on piano and some old favourite songs. "Live in Luxembourg" is Mick's first ever live album, recorded in 2002 at the "Big Blues" in Luxembourg, and the 2007 "Solid Ground" contains thirteen brand new original blues rock compositions.
Mick's new album "The Rambunctious Blues Experiment" was recorded at Mick's home studio in Surrey, and is an attempt at a completely spontaneous blues recording. Tracks were recorded first take with no rehearsal, therefore capturing a live feel that would be difficult to achieve otherwise. The album features Mick with Russell Chaney on Drums and Dangerous Dave Newman on harp. Released on Rockfold Records / iTunes - international distribution is through BGO.
House of Cards
Mick Clarke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fall from the heaven above
Rainin down on your happy home
Rain on the one you love
Maybe right to your neighbourhood
Comin' down from afar
To bring your love all tumblin down
Maybe right in your family
Closer than the beat of your heart
One word best left unsaid
Drivin' you apart
Mmm mmm mm
No matter who you are
When your love come crashin' down
Like a house of cards
Mm mm mm
Mm mm mm
Dont let your love come crashing down
Like a house of cards
The lyrics to Mick Clarke's song "House of Cards" speak to the fragile nature of love and relationships. The blues, symbolizing hardships and troubles, fall down like a thunderstorm from the heavens above, raining on the happiness of a home and the person we love. These troubles might come from afar, unexpectedly, and have the power to bring love crashing down like a house of cards.
The lyrics suggest that these troubles can infiltrate even the closest circles, such as your neighborhood or family, closer than the beat of your heart. It emphasizes the impact of one word left unsaid, which can drive people apart, leading to the disintegration of love.
Overall, the song serves as a reminder to be mindful of the delicate nature of love and the potential for it to come crashing down, urging listeners to take care and avoid letting their love dissolve like a house of cards.
Line by Line Meaning
Blues fallin down like a thunder storm
Troubles and sadness overwhelming you like a powerful and intense storm
Fall from the heaven above
Emerging unexpectedly, as if influenced by higher forces
Rainin down on your happy home
Bringing unhappiness and turmoil into the place where you should feel joy and comfort
Rain on the one you love
Affecting and hurting the person who holds a special place in your heart
Maybe right to your neighbourhood
Possibly reaching the people closest to you, those in your immediate surroundings
Comin' down from afar
Originating from a distance, symbolizing the unexpected arrival of negativity
To bring your love all tumblin down
Causing your love and happiness to collapse and crumble like a fragile deck of cards
Maybe right in your family
Perhaps affecting your own kin, those who should offer you support and love
Closer than the beat of your heart
Even closer to you than the vital rhythm of your own heartbeat
One word best left unsaid
The existence of a harmful or damaging word that would be better off unspoken
Drivin' you apart
Acting as a force that separates and creates division between you and your loved ones
Mmm mmm mm
Expressions of contemplation and introspection, suggesting the gravity of the situation
No matter who you are
Indicating that this experience of emotional collapse is universal and can affect anyone
When your love come crashin' down
When your affection and emotional connection are shattered and destroyed
Mm mm mm
Continued expressions of reflection and realization
Dont let your love come crashing down
Advice and plea to prevent the devastating collapse of your affection and relationships
Like a house of cards
An analogy to convey the fragility and vulnerability of your love, showing how easily it can be destroyed
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind