Members of the band included Malcolm Black, Nick Sampson, Graham Cockroft, Brent Alexander, Annie Crummer, Kim Willoughby and the brass section of Otago University. The band's name is from a Roxy Music song "Spin Me Round" on their Manifesto, 1979: "A nether world dancing toy/I'm wired for sound..." .
In 1983, they played at Sweetwaters and in 1984 they supported Blam Blam Blam on tour. A double-sided LP of the concert at Mainstreet, Auckland was released.
Don McGlashan produced "The Real You"/"Standing In The Rain"/"New Zealand Love Song" which was released in November 1984.
In 1985 "For Today" reached No3 in the singles chart and the Netherworld Dancing Toys won five categories at the 1985 New Zealand Music Awards. Malcolm Black and Nick Sampson won the 1985 APRA Silver Scroll for "For Today".
In the early 2000's their song, For Today, entered the realm of pop culture by being used as an advertisement for New Zealand Post and at one stage for a driving safety campaign. For Today is on the soundtrack of Sione's Wedding (2006).
Malcolm Black was a music industry lawyer. In The Mechanics of Popular Music, A New Zealand Perspective he says of the band's demise, "We were university graduates who had a number of different options and wanted security and a regular pay packet...". Malcolm Black died in Auckland on 9 May 2019.
For Today
Netherworld Dancing Toys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I would feel like I do now
Well, I wouldn't have believed you
It's not just a question
Of my being alone
The truth is I like my own company best
If the truth is to be known
I didn't realise babe how much I cared
And everything else seems unimportant compared
For today
I remember your smile
For today
I remember your smile...
It's been a hot summer now
Things the way they should be
But there's a hole in my well being
So big you could drive a truck right through
I think you should know that you are the one
Who could probably fill it for good.
The song "For Today" by Netherworld Dancing Toys is a reflective piece on one's past, present, and future. The singer reflects on their past feelings towards being alone and how they preferred their own company to that of others. However, they come to realize that being alone is not as important as being with the person they care about. This realization is exemplified by the lyrics, "I didn't realize babe how much I cared, all I want to do is to be with you, and everything else seems unimportant compared." The singer is grateful for the connection they have with their loved one and reminisces on their bright memory by singing "For today, I remember your smile."
The song also touches upon feelings of emptiness and acknowledges the pain that comes with it. The line "there's a hole in my well-being so big you could drive a truck right through" subtly implies that the absence of the loved one has left a void in the singer's life. They acknowledge that their loved one is the only one who could fill that void, and they realize that their life would be incomplete without them.
Overall, "For Today" is a song about the importance of love and companionship, and the significance of cherishing the present moment with loved ones.
Line by Line Meaning
If you told me this time last year
If you would have told me this exact time of the year, last year
That I would feel like I do now
That the feeling I am having today would happen
Well, I wouldn't have believed you
I wouldn't have trusted you
It's not just a question
It's not simply about
Of my being alone
me feeling lonely
The truth is I like my own company best
to be honest, I like to spend time with myself more
If the truth is to be known
If the truth is to be told
I didn't realise babe how much I cared
I didn't know earlier, dear, how much I loved you
All I want to do is to be with you
Being with you is all I am looking for
And everything else seems unimportant compared
Everything else feels insignificant compared to that
For today
Just for today
I remember your smile
I recall your smile
For today
Just for today
I remember your smile
I recall your smile
It's been a hot summer now
The summer has been scorching
Things the way they should be
Everything is just as it ought to be
But there's a hole in my well-being
However, there's a void inside me
So big you could drive a truck right through
A void enormous enough to drive a truck through
I think you should know that you are the one
I believe you ought to know that you are the person
Who could probably fill it for good.
Who has the potential to make it disappear completely.
Contributed by Dylan D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ronkearse865
I remember being in Dunedin NZ, New Year's Eve 2016/17, being in the middle of a huge party at the Octagonal downtown, and the live band broke into this song, and the crowd roared and danced. Being from Canada, I had never heard this song before and immediately fell in love with it! I found the CD, bought it and whenever I play it, it takes me right back to New Zealand. I love you, NZ!
@vinniepapalii9050
Aroha nui (big love) my bro...
From aotearoa 🤙🤙🤙
@ronkearse865
@@vinniepapalii9050 Big love back!
@sicimark
yeah Dunedin love back at you
@ronkearse865
@@sicimark I can't wait to return to your beautiful land.
@sicimark
We can’t wait to have you back mate
@tinasnewzealand
This song has so much meaning to me....it was one of my younger sisters fav songs..she passed in 2016 of pancreatic cancer..our family is very small (most have passed) but our family always had music guitars playing...I made a spotify list of her fav songs and played the music for her
She passed not long after I sang this song to her
With our fam surrounding her as her soul passed onto the next realm
Everytime I sing it always end up with tears but happy she would have heard that on her journey
ANNIE CRUMMER...ALWAYS ONE OF THE GREATS
@kiwialaskan6978
I feel your pain. Please accept my condolences. I have lost most of my family and friends in various ways. Please accept my heart felt love and care. Kia kaha
@Irisplove
RIP Malcolm Black. Thank you for this beautiful song.
@markbaker1128
so sad