… Read Full Bio ↴New Musik were a London based Synthpop group active from 1979 to 1982.
The lead singer and frontman was songwriter/producer Tony Mansfield, who was also a former member of the Nick Straker Band. New Musik first appeared on the BBC TV pop programme, Top Of The Pops in October 1979 with their debut hit single "Straight Lines" which received airplay on BBC Radio 1 from special guesting DJ Frank Zappa.
Their debut album "From A To B" (1980) reached the Top 40 in the UK Albums Chart and contained four UK chart hit singles; "Straight Lines", "Living By Numbers", "This World Of Water" and "Sanctuary". New Musik also topped the French singles chart with "On Islands" from this album.
Touring the UK in 1980, New Musik performed at both the Oxford and Cambridge Balls (with Elvis Costello) and at the Rotterdam New Pop festival in the Netherlands, and did a second UK tour in 1981.
Their second album, Anywhere (1981) reached #68 in the chart, but despite gaining international acclaim, neither of its singles "Luxury" or "While You Wait" charted in the UK.
In 1981 a compilation album, Sanctuary, was released in the U.S., consisting of four tracks from From A To B and eight from Anywhere. Previous to this release, there had also been a four song 10" vinyl Straight Lines released by CBS Records in the U.S. as part of their short-lived Epic "Nu-Disk" series, which had also included The Clash's Black Market Clash.
After the demise of GTO Records, New Musik released their third and final album, Warp (1982) which was more experimental. Oddly, it featured a synth version of The Beatles "All You Need Is Love", alongside an identically titled track of their own. Tracks such as "Hunting", "A Train On Twisted Tracks" and "Kingdoms For Horses" showed much promise, but without promotion and with limited record company support, the group disbanded shortly after.
Known for their originality and innovative approach to recording, New Musik specialised in catchy synth-pop with clever, often thought-provoking lyrical content. Tracks such as "Dead Fish (Don't Swim Home)" and "The Planet Doesn't Mind" highlighted environmental issues, still a minority interest in the early 1980s.
Several artists have covered tracks by New Musik, including Camouflage who did a version of "On Islands" in 1989.
Mansfield went on to achieve considerable success in the field of production for the likes of After The Fire, A-Ha, Aztec Camera, The B-52s, The Damned, Captain Sensible, Naked Eyes, Mari Wilson, Jean Paul Gaultier, Miguel Bose and Ana Torroja, some of his most successful projects.
From A To B and Anywhere were released on CD in 1994, and again in 2001, remastered and with bonus tracks. Warp was also released (with bonus tracks) on CD for the first time in 2001, in Japan. This remains its only CD release.
A Train on Twisted Tracks
New Musik Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All the things that we couldn't see
And we couldn't be
The people we all wanted to be
We go following on
Until we come to a stand
At the stations we made
At the stations we made
Afraid, delayed
Like a train on twisted tracks
Fate never lies
It's everywhere in plain black and white
And we have to admit
We never know if wrong isn't right
But we go following on
Until we come to a stand
At the stations we made
At the stations we made
Like a train on twisted tracks
Afraid, delayed
Like a train on twisted tracks
The lyrics of New Musik's "A Train on Twisted Tracks" speak of the human experience of feeling lost and uncertain in life. The first verse speaks to the fact that we all have limitations in our perceptions and in our ability to become who we want to be. The line "we go following on until we come to a stand" suggests that we continue blindly onward until we reach a moment of stillness, perhaps suggesting a pause for reflection. The repeated line "at the stations we made" serves as a metaphor for the choices we make in life that lead us to where we are.
The chorus reasserts the metaphor of the train, suggesting that our lives are like a train journey on twisted tracks - we are at once afraid and delayed, unsure of the twists and turns in the future. The line "fate never lies" speaks to the idea that destiny is predetermined, but the following line acknowledges the uncertainty and unpredictability of fate.
Overall, the song is a reflection on the complexities of life and the human experience. It acknowledges that there are limits to our perception and that we are often unsure of our path, but encourages the listener to "follow on" nonetheless.
Line by Line Meaning
They couldn't see
The people around us were ignorant of the things we couldn't see
All the things that we couldn't see
There were things that we, too, were unable to perceive or understand
And we couldn't be
As a result, we couldn't become the people we wanted to be
The people we all wanted to be
We had dreams and aspirations about who we wanted to become but were incapable of achieving them
We go following on
Despite these obstacles, we continued on our journey
Until we come to a stand
However, we eventually reached a point where we were forced to stop and confront our situation
At the stations we made
We found ourselves at self-created stopping points, like stations on a train journey
At the stations we made
These stops were all of our own making
Like a train on twisted tracks
Our lives resembled a train going off its intended course
Afraid, delayed
We were apprehensive and unsure of our next steps due to our circumstances and experiences
Like a train on twisted tracks
Our paths were unstable and uncertain, like those of a wayward train
Fate never lies
Our preordained destinies cannot be altered
It's everywhere in plain black and white
Our fates are an inescapable reality, visible for all to see
And we have to admit
We must acknowledge that our lives are subject to forces beyond our control
We never know if wrong isn't right
Sometimes, even our misguided decisions may lead us to some positive outcomes
But we go following on
Regardless of the success or failure of our previous choices, we persevere
Until we come to a stand
Until we reach another point of decision-making or change
At the stations we made
At one of the self-imposed stopping points in our lives
At the stations we made
One of the points that we, ourselves, chose to halt and reflect upon our lives
Like a train on twisted tracks
Our journey remains challenging and erratic
Afraid, delayed
We still carry a sense of uncertainty and hesitancy to move forward
Like a train on twisted tracks
Our struggles continue, reminiscent of the unpredictable and topsy-turvy journey of a train on misaligned tracks.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind