From the start, they have incorporated a diverse range of influences from British folk music to German Thrash Metal which has fed their constantly evolving sound. They are widely considered the inventors of Folk Metal.
The lineup remained stable for the recording of 2000's Folkémon, but founding member Walkyier left the band in 2001, citing various reasons, such as financial difficulties or the bands unwillingness to tour in South America owing to security concerns as the final straw, though other band members have commented that his somewhat pessimist personality was one of the major contributing factors to the groups lineup instability. Walkyier went on to form The Clan Destined. For many fans, Walkyiers lyrics and delivery style were one of the bands central attractions, and there were fears that his departure spelled the end of the band. After replacing drummer Jay Graham (who left shortly after Walkyier) and moving Kevin Ridley onto vocals, the group sprang into action to remedy these fears with 2002's No Daylights...Nor Heel Taps which featured studio recordings of "Irish Pub versions" of Skyclad classics by the new line-up, proceeded by a single, 2001's "Swords of a Thousand Men". The single's title track, a cover tune (originally recorded by Tenpole Tudor), also appeared on Folkémon as a bonus track, although in a different version. The single featured two recordings of the track, one of them with Ridley on vocals and one with Ridley sharing the microphone with Ten Pole Tudor's vocalist Edward Tudor-Pole. The single/album release was accompanied by the 'The Same...But Different' tour, the largest Skyclad had undertaken for many years. Also in 2001 the band released Another Fine Mess, which featured live recordings from 1995 and the contents of the Outrageous Fourtunes EP.
2004's A Semblance of Normality marks the bands first new material from the post-Walkyier era (there had been some unpleasantness between Walkyier and the other band members over copyrights and royalties for his lyrics, as well as the release of tracks featuring him), keeps very much in the vein of previous releases, with Ridley's lyrics making an obvious effort to follow similar themes and styles to Walkyiers whilst retaining an individual identity. The album has probably been the most widely received of their releases, probably due to better distribution and word-of-mouth advertising, and has received much critical acclaim, especially in the English-speaking world, where, ironically (given the use of inventive wordplay in their titles and lyrics, much of it aimed at native English speakers), the band is almost unknown. However, in South America and mainland Europe they have been extremely popular for many years, especially in Germany and Greece.
Skyclad's current release is an EP, Jig-a-Jig, self-released by the Band. A new album was recorded in summer 2008, it is to be released in late 2008 or 2009.
Four songs from the band's latest releases are available for both streaming and download at the Skyclad page at MySpace.
Fainting By Numbers
Skyclad Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dual faceted these people that I talk to when I must.
In triplicate my body hangs left drying in the sun,
Four horses at the starting gate their riders waiting on my gun.
Misused just like the pentagram distrusted as the Pentagon,
Six sided is this box I've made you'll dance on it when I am gone.
Seven times I've wondered whether Heaven's truly waiting there,
The bulb's blown in the neon nine that once shone from my cloud,
Down the street at Number Ten they're talking long and loud.
Life's a game of two halves I'm not on the team of winners,
Each time I set the table seems that Judas comes to dinner.
Thirteen black cats cross my path ignoring all the others,
There is no bride waiting for me I'm not one of seven brothers.
Fate serves an ace (fifteen-love) I'm set to take a bruising,
'Cause at sixteen I graduated from the school of losing.
[Chorus]
Count me out,
Why don't you count me out?
Said you can count me out,
Go find another easy number.
First catch me in your internet unload me down your modem,
Then brand me with a barcode, 'cause the fax of life you know them.
Count me out!
Oh what fun at twenty one you stole the key to my front door,
You don't need me you won't feed me (I'm not even sixty-four).
Fifty two how it suits you to fool me with your magic tricks,
What's this birthmark on my head? - Bet it's the number six, six, six.
[Chorus]
The song "Fainting By Numbers" by Skyclad is rich in symbolism and allusions that point to a sense of confusion and discomfort with the modern world. The first verse introduces the idea of trust and disloyalty through the number one, but also sets up a sense of duality with the number two. The next line introduces the idea of multiplicity with the number three, suggesting that the singer is struggling to stay upright amid numerous influences trying to pull them in different directions. The reference to the starting gate and gun in line four indicates a sense of danger and the need to be constantly vigilant.
The lyrics continue to reference various numbers in a way that suggests they are not just arbitrary symbols, but carry some deeper significance. The allusion to the pentagram and the Pentagon in line five suggests a conflict between esoteric and military power. The box referred to in line six may represent a prison, or a metaphorical space in which the singer feels trapped. The number nine marks a point of loss or failure, as indicated by the blown neon bulb. The number ten, meanwhile, suggests social chatter and superficiality.
The chorus repeats the phrase "count me out" in a way that could be interpreted as a refusal to participate in the game of life, or a rejection of the superficial values and symbols that surround us. The repetition of the line "Oh what fun" in the third verse suggests a tone of bitter irony, as the singer reflects on their own susceptibility to manipulation and deception. The birthmark mentioned in the final line could be a mark of the beast, or a symbol of paradox and ambiguity.
Line by Line Meaning
Number one the only number I can really trust,
I only trust myself, everyone else has two faces.
Dual faceted these people that I talk to when I must.
People I interact with present two sides, and I have to deal with both of them.
In triplicate my body hangs left drying in the sun,
My dead body hangs in the sun, replicated three times for effect.
Four horses at the starting gate their riders waiting on my gun.
Four horses and their riders are waiting for me to give the signal to start a race or fight.
Misused just like the pentagram distrusted as the Pentagon,
Symbols like the pentagram are misunderstood and have been wrongly associated with mistrusted institutions like the Pentagon.
Six sided is this box I've made you'll dance on it when I am gone.
I have built a coffin with six sides, and people will dance on it when I am dead.
Seven times I've wondered whether Heaven's truly waiting there,
I have questioned if there really is a heaven seven times.
I smoke another eight ball to convince myself I couldn't care.
I smoke drugs to numb myself and convince myself that I don't care about life.
The bulb's blown in the neon nine that once shone from my cloud,
The neon light that shone from my cloud (mind) is now dim and not as bright as it used to be.
Down the street at Number Ten they're talking long and loud.
People at Number Ten (government) are having a heated discussion down the street.
Life's a game of two halves I'm not on the team of winners,
Life is like a game with two halves, and I am not on the winning team.
Each time I set the table seems that Judas comes to dinner.
Whenever I try to have a good time, someone who is untrustworthy (like Judas) ruins it.
Thirteen black cats cross my path ignoring all the others,
Thirteen black cats cross my path and don't pay attention to any other people or animals around.
There is no bride waiting for me I'm not one of seven brothers.
I have no spouse waiting for me, and I am not one of seven brothers.
Fate serves an ace (fifteen-love) I'm set to take a bruising,
Fate is being cruel to me, and I am going to take a beating (like in tennis, where 'fifteen-love' means one player is winning).
'Cause at sixteen I graduated from the school of losing.
I have always been a loser, and this started when I was sixteen.
Count me out,
Don't count on me to participate or be involved.
Why don't you count me out?
You shouldn't count on me or include me in your plans.
Said you can count me out,
I am telling you that I'm not going to be involved.
Go find another easy number.
Go find someone else who is easier to work with.
First catch me in your internet unload me down your modem,
Catch me online and download me through your modem.
Then brand me with a barcode, 'cause the fax of life you know them.
Then label me with a barcode, because in life everything is reduced to a commercial transaction.
Oh what fun at twenty one you stole the key to my front door,
When I was 21, you took advantage of me or betrayed me.
You don't need me you won't feed me (I'm not even sixty-four).
You don't care about me or want to take care of me (like feeding me), even though I'm not yet old.
Fifty two how it suits you to fool me with your magic tricks,
You enjoy tricking or deceiving me, especially since you're older and wiser than me (52).
What's this birthmark on my head? - Bet it's the number six, six, six.
I am wondering what a mark on my head means, and jokingly suggesting that it is the 'devil's mark' often associated with the number 666.
Count me out!
I don't want to be involved, don't count on me.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GEORGE BIDDLE, MARTIN WALKYIER, STEPHEN RAMSEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind