At first, they enjoyed some success on the dance charts on their original Y Records label, releasing material such as 1983's 'Care', but the guys left for the big time on Arista Records for 1984's 'Jam Science'. Finding little success there, they switched to Island Records for the next year's breakout, 'Oil & Gold'. This album signaled a shift for the band, with Carl Marsh leaving the group and rockers Martyn Barker and Lu Edmonds joining what was now Andrews' vehicle. Indeed, Allen left the band after the followup, 'Big Night Music', came about, and Shriekback remained a collaborative around Andrews.
Dave Allen would go on to play in King Swamp, The Elastic Purejoy, and most recently in the reformed Gang of Four. Carl Marsh went on to serve in the band Happyhead. Both Allen and Marsh did return to the studio to contribute to the recording of Shriekback's 2003 release, titled 'Having a Moment'. Shriekback's material has essentially been an outlet for Andrews' personal work for many years now, also including collaborations with alternative music artists such as Wendy & Sarah Partridge (formerly of Electric Guitars) and Finn Andrews (Barry's son who is also of The Veils).
The band's best-known song is "Nemesis", which has received wide airplay on the indie/college circuit. The new wave song was notable among the rock tracks of its day for its use of unusual imagery and lyrics, including the use of the word "parthenogenesis" in the chorus. Shriekback is also known for having their dark, dramatic songs used in the Hannibal Lecter film 'Manhunter', their work being influenced by previous horror soundtrack music.
Psycho Drift
Shriekback Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or can dream around
Flesh and bone and concrete talk
Never make a sound
Very little sense involved
Very few straight lines
Never any questions asked
Psycho drift
Psycho drift
Through the parks and alleyways
Hopelessly amazed
Builder's yards and lavender
Watch the mind at play
Underneath the railway arch
Night and day are one
Found a new world in between
The shadow and the sun
Psycho drift
Psycho drift
[Chorus]
The hook, the horn, the robin and the worm
The wine, the cheese, the bottle and the barricade
The bride, the groom, the coffin and the nail
The dog, the drain, the paper and the cellophane
The iron, the moon, the railway and the door
The shit, the shop, the roses and the underpass
The coin, the cloth, the carpet and the drum
The rain, the dog, the bonfire and the photograph
Like the swallows in the winter
Like the swarming of the bees
Some blind and sure desire is motivating me
Call it poetry in motion
Call it energy at play
Call it spirit into matter
Makes no difference what they say
Psycho drift [Repeat: x4]
[Chorus: x2]
In "Psycho Drift," Shriekback sings about the experience of navigating through the world in a state of detachment and surrealism. The singer describes feeling disconnected from their body and surroundings, only able to exist in a dreamlike state. They remark that very little makes sense and few things follow straight lines, indicating a sense of confusion and disorientation. However, they also reveal that they have a "map inside," perhaps suggesting an internal sense of direction or purpose.
The song's chorus, "Psycho Drift," emphasizes this sense of drifting and being carried along by some unknown force. Shriekback uses a series of surreal and disconnected images to describe the singer's experiences, from the mundane landscape of parks and builder's yards to more bizarre images like the "iron, the moon, the railway and the door." The tone is one of bemused detachment, as the singer observes their surroundings with a sense of detachment and resignation.
Line by Line Meaning
I can only move like this
I am limited in my actions and can only move in a certain way
Or can dream around
Alternatively, I can imagine other possibilities and ideas
Flesh and bone and concrete talk
The physical world interacts with us and constantly speaks to us
Never make a sound
However, it does not literally make a noise
Very little sense involved
There is not much logical structure to the world around us
Very few straight lines
Nothing is simple or straightforward
Never any questions asked
People blindly follow without questioning authority or their surroundings
Got a map inside
I have a certain understanding of the world and how it operates
Psycho drift
I am in a psychological state of floating and drifting
Through the parks and alleyways
Navigating through different environments
Hopelessly amazed
Feeling awe and wonder, but also lost and confused
Builder's yards and lavender
Contrasting images of construction and beauty
Watch the mind at play
Observing and exploring one's own thoughts and creativity
Underneath the railway arch
Finding oneself in an unexpected and offbeat location
Night and day are one
Losing sense of time and feeling disoriented
Found a new world in between
Discovering a unique perspective or way of being
The shadow and the sun
Two opposing forces coming together in harmony
The hook, the horn, the robin and the worm
An assortment of seemingly random and unrelated objects and creatures
The wine, the cheese, the bottle and the barricade
More examples of juxtaposing images
The bride, the groom, the coffin and the nail
Alluding to death and the cycle of life
The dog, the drain, the paper and the cellophane
More seemingly disparate items, creating a surrealist effect
The iron, the moon, the railway and the door
Further examples of mixing unlikely objects and concepts
The shit, the shop, the roses and the underpass
Creating a sense of chaos and confusion
The coin, the cloth, the carpet and the drum
Another set of unrelated but evocative images
The rain, the dog, the bonfire and the photograph
Final set of seemingly random and arbitrary things
Like the swallows in the winter
Comparing oneself to birds who are out of their element
Like the swarming of the bees
Comparing oneself to a natural phenomenon
Some blind and sure desire is motivating me
Feeling driven by a subconscious force
Call it poetry in motion
Describing this feeling as a kind of artistic expression
Call it energy at play
Or a natural force at work
Call it spirit into matter
Or a merging of the physical and metaphysical
Makes no difference what they say
Others' opinions or perspectives are irrelevant to this feeling
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BARRY WILLIAM ANDREWS, DAVE ALLEN, MARTYN BARKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind