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.
Sway
Shriekback Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sit in the chair with the lights on
The tide of the talk and the evening
Tickles the ear like a cat's tongue
See in from the outside the window
Frames them in yellow and they go
In and out of a grey zone
They lean on the law and it bites back
No sway
This way
No sway
This way
Plessey business is no messy business
Just takes 'em over and sub-divides
Clean as a q-tip as quiet as nylon
One more hand then you got eyes on
Sway
Their way
Hold sway
This way
Boldly embracing the TV
Talking a mile to the minute
Charge 'em with trading the car keys
Just watch 'em try and deny it
We're at the centre of all this
Enjoying the sight and the salt taste
Pulling the party to pieces
Culling the last of the species
Sway this way and it makes sense
Not super-analytical and hyper-tense
You never get to celebrate undergoing therapy
Try and make the chemistry somethin' that it ain't
Go sway
This way
Sway
This way
Sway
This way
Sway
This Way
(repeats)
The lyrics of Shriekback's song "Sway" encapsulate a sense of surrealism and fragmented reality. The first verse speaks of a person who is under the influence of "Sodium pentathol," a powerful drug used in interrogation techniques, and is sitting in a chair with the lights on. The tide of talk around them creates a peculiar atmosphere that "tickles the ear like a cat's tongue." They observe people outside the window, who are framed in yellow, moving in and out of a "grey zone." These people lean on the law, but their actions "bite back." The refrain "No sway, this way" implies a sense of detachment from what is happening or a refusal to be influenced or swayed in any particular direction.
The second verse mentions the business dealings of Plessey, which are "clean as a q-tip" and "quiet as nylon." The scene shifts, and the lyrics talk about embracing TV culture and talking rapidly. Someone is accused of trading keys, and there is a sense of enjoyment in "pulling the party to pieces" and "culling the last of the species." However, changing or trying to improve the chemistry of the situation doesn't seem to work, and the song ends with repeated calls of "Sway this way" before moving on to "Sway this Way."
Line by Line Meaning
Sodium pentathol talking
The conversation is happening under the influence of sodium pentathol, revealing honest viewpoints
Sit in the chair with the lights on
The individual is sitting in a chair with bright lights on, and there is clear visibility on the subject matter
The tide of the talk and the evening Tickles the ear like a cat's tongue
The discussion is carried out comfortably, soothing to the ear like a cat's tongue
See in from the outside the window, Frames them in yellow and they go, In and out of a grey zone
Watching in from the outside like a yellow frame, it appears that they move in and out of the grey area which governs them
They lean on the law and it bites back
They rely on the law, but eventually it comes back and affects them adversely
No sway, This way, No sway, This way
The singer wants the subject to be precise and definite
Plessey business is no messy business, Just takes 'em over and sub-divides, Clean as a q-tip as quiet as nylon
Plessey has a very organized way of doing business, without any complexities
One more hand then you got eyes on
Extra hands will give you an advantage in monitoring the situation
Sway, Their way, Hold sway, This way
If you sway, do it in a path that is already defined, otherwise they will hold sway on their defined path.
Boldly embracing the TV, Talking a mile to the minute, Charge 'em with trading the car keys, Just watch 'em try and deny it
People boldly accept the TV and talk at a brisk pace. Accusing them of exchanging car keys will leave them cornered and they'll have nothing to say
We're at the center of all this, Enjoying the sight and the salt taste, Pulling the party to pieces, Culling the last of the species
They are in charge of everything and are enjoying taking things apart one by one, reducing everything to nothingness
Sway this way and it makes sense, Not super-analytical and hyper-tense, You never get to celebrate undergoing therapy, Try and make the chemistry somethin' that it ain't
The best approach would be to sway in a non-complicated and relaxed way to understand things; don't overanalyze or complicate with therapy, just accept the current chemistry
Go sway, This way, Sway, This way
Reiterating that the subject should follow a defined path
Sway, This way, Sway, This Way
Further reiterating the importance of following a defined path
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DARYL HALL, JOHN OATES, SARA ALLEN, DWIGHT ANTHONY TURNER, JAE WRIGHT, CARLOS CRAFT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anne Jan
My favourite song from them. It has a fantastic "swagger" to it.
Maurizio Presutti
Bought this tape (Care) in the early Eighties and never stopped playing it in the course of the years. Cool stuff <3
Chishiya
Pure class.
Cj Chappelli
Awesome, but you missed 6 songs! All the Greek Boys, Here Comes My Hand Clap, Brink of Collapse, Lines From the library, Hapax legumena, In Amongst. Sorry, dude!
Jules Brown Off The Cuff Reviews
Well good.
HamptonInjuryLawyer