Pram are a band formed in Birmingham, England in 1990.

The band orig… Read Full Bio ↴Pram are a band formed in Birmingham, England in 1990.

The band originally consisted of vocalist Rosie Cuckston, guitarist Matt Eaton, Sam Owen on bass, and drummer Andy Weir. Their first album "Gash" was self-released and sold by mail order and at gigs. The band attracted the attention of Too Pure Records (already home to Stereolab, Mouse on Mars and PJ Harvey), and between 1993 and 1995 the label released several increasingly sophisticated albums and EPs. Early recordings were a krautrock-influenced blend of rhythmic guitar, keyboards and percussion, with Cuckston's eerie vocals and lyrics dealing with depression, loneliness and the dark side of childhood. A trumpeter (credited only as "the Verdigris Horn") played on several tracks, including the quarter-hour In Dreams You Too Can Fly, on debut album "The Stars Are So Big...". Second album "Helium" (1994) featured increasing use of the sampler, and later recordings show a marked interest in "exotica". In 1995 Pram left Too Pure, and released a cassette compilation of early demos and live recordings, "Perambulations" - some of these recordings were added to the CD reissue of "Gash". Singles and EPs were recorded for a variety of labels (including Stereolab's Duophonic Records), before the band found a new home at Domino Records. The first album for Domino, "North Pole Radio Station", was originally recorded for Wurlitzer Jukebox Records, but the label shut down before it could be released. 1999's "Keep in a Dry Place and Away From Children" was the soundtrack to an animated film, and also featured a remix by Mouse on Mars – while never strictly an electronica group, Pram have been remixed by several artists ("Somniloquy" features remixes by fellow Brummie experimentalists Plone and Tele:funken amongst others), and remixed LFO and the Aphex Twin for the Warp Records 10th anniversary compilation. Following the 2008 EP "Prisoner of the Seven Pines", the band took a lengthy hiatus, with Cuckston abandoning music for academia.

In subsequent years, band members worked on other projects, both separately and together. After live performances together (without Cuckston) in 2017, the band released Across the Meridian in 2018 on Domino, featuring Owen (now on vocals as well as bass) and Eaton, plus Max Simpson on keyboards and Harry Dawes on brass.

Little Angel
Pram Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Where are you going?
Come back here I'm helpless without you
I wave my tiny limbs in useless gestures
I need you I am dependent
And when you leave me terror darkens
My mind like crows wings
I can't even form words to tell you
How I need you and how I resent

It that I need you so

I run towards light
Maybe the glow of people
Something warm and enticing
My heaven is other people

Sometimes I would like it if
Everyone did the same thing
I could get a grasp gain control over events
I would bite you but
What would hurt you once would hurt my twice
I have a dark force in my head
Could be used to smooth things over
But wood is full of splinters

And people are nevr doing quite what
You want them to

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Pram’s song, “Little Angel,” convey a sense of dependency and desperation that reflects the experience of a helpless child. The first stanza presents the child’s fear of being left alone, and how this fear leads to a sense of terror that darkens their mind. The use of the metaphor of crow wings suggests that this fear is pervasive and overwhelming. The child expresses their need for someone to return to them and the inability to function without them. The line, “I can’t even form words to tell you how I need you,” poignantly highlights the child’s powerlessness in expressing their desires.

In the second stanza, the child expresses a desire for social interaction, perhaps as a way to alleviate their fear and isolation. However, the child’s dependence on others is also a source of resentment, as they are unable to control events around them. The phrase “My heaven is other people,” suggests that the child looks for solace in the company of others. However, they also express a desire for conformity, wishing that everyone would do the same thing, so they could gain control over events. The final few lines suggest a hint of aggression towards those who do not act in accordance with the child’s wishes. But, the child recognizes that people cannot always be controlled or changed, admitting that “wood is full of splinters/And people are never doing quite what/You want them to.”

Overall, the song seems to convey a message of vulnerability and the need for human connection in the face of overwhelming fear. It’s a heartbreaking account of the world seen through a child’s lens.

Line by Line Meaning

Where are you going?
The singer is asking someone where they are going.

Come back here I'm helpless without you
The singer is pleading with someone to return because they feel powerless when that person is not with them.

I wave my tiny limbs in useless gestures
The singer is using physical gestures to communicate, even though they know it won't be effective.

I need you I am dependent
The artist recognizes their dependence on someone else and needs them to function properly.

And when you leave me terror darkens My mind like crows wings
When the person leaves, the artist becomes afraid and their thoughts become chaotic like a flock of crows.

I can't even form words to tell you How I need you and how I resent It that I need you so
The singer struggles to express their feelings of dependency and resentment towards the person they need but cannot articulate their thoughts.

I run towards light Maybe the glow of people Something warm and enticing My heaven is other people
The singer seeks comfort and refuge in the presence of others, as they find solace in the warmth and light of human interaction.

Sometimes I would like it if Everyone did the same thing I could get a grasp gain control over events
The artist wishes that everyone acted in ways that were predictable and controllable so that they could have a greater sense of stability and power over their life.

I would bite you but What would hurt you once would hurt my twice
Even though the artist may want to hurt someone out of anger or frustration, they know that the consequences of their actions will ultimately cause them more pain and suffering.

I have a dark force in my head Could be used to smooth things over But wood is full of splinters
The artist has a manipulative side that they could use to resolve conflicts, but using that side of themselves could have negative and painful consequences.

And people are never doing quite what You want them to
The singer acknowledges that people cannot be controlled and will act in ways that are outside of their control.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DAREN GARRETT, JONTHAN OWEN, MATTHEW EATON, MAX SIMPSON, ROSIE CUCKSTON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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