Like their former band, My Friend The Chocolate Cake's music can be seen to straddle the worlds of ambient and world music, with an emphasis on piano and violin-led acoustic music. Influences range from the obvious (such as Penguin Cafe Orchestra and Celtic folk music), to the less obvious (such as John Cale and Talk Talk).
In 1989, Bridie and Mountfort were playing in globally acclaimed ambient/world music ensemble Not Drowning, Waving when they opted to unplug and unwind with a few more breezy compositions. The idea of the band began when Bridie took a holiday in New Zealand and wrote a collection of songs that didn't fit into the Not Drowning, Waving style. He & Mountfort then began My Friend The Chocolate Cake with the intention of playing all acoustic music.
From the inception My Friend The Chocolate Cake emerged as an enjoyable ensemble, as musical friends & colleagues came together one by one to form their own unique sound. Hope Csutoros, a violinist with eastern European gypsy roots and a flamboyant stage presence to match, was an inspired early accomplice. Mandolinist Andrew Carswell and guitarist Andrew Richardson added to an exotic web of acoustic textures. Russell Bradley was the first of several percussionists.
The band's collective musical influences are diverse and include: Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Irish & Scottish folk music, Joy Division & folk / pop / rock performers such as Billy Bragg, Arvo Part, Talk Talk, John Cale & Michelle Shocked. My Friend The Chocolate Cake write songs of lyrical & musical mastery about people, characters and their community. Defying categorisation, the band perform emotive musical pieces that move from subtle chamber instrumentals to frayed acoustic pop, and songs of wry observation.
By no means formal in their presentation, My Friend The Chocolate Cake travel between atmospheric and ambient through to full scale romps and ballads. The band offer a unique and unsurpassed combination of moods. In addition to Bridie and Mountfort, the band includes Andrew Carswell, Greg Patten, Dean Addison, Andrew Richardson, and Hope Csutoros. Previous members have included Russel Bradley, Michael Barker, and David Adiuso.
My Friend the Chocolate Cake are:
David Bridie : piano, harmonium, vocals
Andrew Carswell : mandolin and tin whistle
Helen Mountfort : cello and backing vocals
Greg Patten : drums and backing vocals
Dean Addison : double bass
Andrew Richardson : guitar
Hope Csutoros : violin
and past members:
Russel Bradley : snare drum and shakers
Michael Barker : drums and percussion
David Adiuso : double bass
sirens
My Friend The Chocolate Cake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can you hear the hot wind blow,
It comes at the same time,
Every year.
And we stay out half the night to hide,
From sleeping in our homes,
Its the north wind.
Here come the sirens, hear them roar.
Here come the sirens, hear them roar.
Here come the sirens, hear them roar,
Once more.
I lay back in the room with dark red curtains,
Wake up to the trucks outside my door,
Short of sleep.
And the sky tonight it's a deadly one,
It hardly lets us breath,
Like Ash Wednesday.
Here come the sirens, hear them roar.
Here come the sirens, hear them roar.
Here come the sirens, hear them roar,
Once more.
And when it's hot I like the fast songs,
When I'm tired and I can't sleep,
Play them slow, way down.
Here come the sirens, hear them roar.
Here come the sirens, hear them roar.
Here come the sirens, hear them roar,
Once more.
Here come the sirens, hear them roar.
Here come the sirens, hear them roar.
Here come the sirens, hear them roar,
Once more.
The lyrics to "Sirens" by My Friend The Chocolate Cake describe the discomfort and restlessness that can come with hot summer nights. The singer reflects on how the heat seems never-ending, with hot winds blowing at the same time every year. The discomfort drives the singer and others to stay out half the night, trying to avoid the discomfort of sleeping indoors. The mention of the "north wind" suggests that the song takes place in the southern hemisphere, where winds blowing from the south can bring cooler air.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Here come the sirens, hear them roar" several times, suggesting that the singer is hearing emergency vehicles (such as police cars, fire trucks, or ambulances) driving through the streets. The quick, urgent sounds of the sirens add to the feeling of restlessness and discomfort that the singer is experiencing. The second verse continues to paint a picture of discomfort, with the singer waking up to the sounds of trucks outside their door and feeling like the sky is "deadly" and hard to breathe under.
The final verse suggests that music can provide some relief from the discomfort of the hot summer nights. The singer says that they prefer fast songs when it's hot, but slow songs when they're tired and unable to sleep. Overall, the lyrics to "Sirens" capture the experience of being uncomfortable and restless during hot summer nights, and how the urgent sounds of emergency vehicles can add to that feeling.
Line by Line Meaning
It seems like this summer it's never ending,
The summer feels like it's dragging on and on without end.
Can you hear the hot wind blow,
The hot wind is blowing loudly and is noticeable to those listening.
It comes at the same time,
The hot wind comes at a predictable, cyclical time every year.
Every year.
The hot wind is an annual occurrence.
And we stay out half the night to hide,
We stay out late at night to avoid sleeping in our homes.
From sleeping in our homes,
Sleeping in our homes is uncomfortable due to the heat and noise.
Its the north wind.
The hot wind is coming from the north direction.
Here come the sirens, hear them roar.
The sound of sirens can be heard approaching loudly.
Once more.
This is not the first time the sirens have been heard; this is a recurring event.
I lay back in the room with dark red curtains,
The artist is resting in a room with dark red curtains.
Wake up to the trucks outside my door,
The singer wakes up to the sound of trucks outside their door.
Short of sleep.
The artist did not get enough sleep and is still tired.
And the sky tonight it's a deadly one,
The sky at night looks dangerous and ominous.
It hardly lets us breath,
The atmospheric conditions make it difficult to breathe normally.
Like Ash Wednesday.
The sky's appearance is similar to the day after Ash Wednesday in the Christian liturgical calendar.
And when it's hot I like the fast songs,
The artist enjoys listening to fast-paced songs during hot weather.
When I'm tired and I can't sleep,
When the artist is tired and cannot sleep, they prefer slower songs.
Play them slow, way down.
The singer wants slow, calming music to help them sleep.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DAVID ROSS BRIDIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind