Smokie is an English pop rock band from Bradford who found success in Europ… Read Full Bio ↴Smokie is an English pop rock band from Bradford who found success in Europe and the U.S. in the 70s. They formed in 1966 in Yorkshire, England and did some early records under the name "Smokey". The band broke into the mainstream after teaming up with songwriters Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn, artists known for also working with Pat Benatar and Sweet among others. Smokie is perhaps best known for "Living Next Door to Alice", one of their top hits that was a U.K. top 5 single.

While touring in Ireland, the discovered the audience would cheer back "Who the Fuck is Alice?". As it turns out , this was a ritual at a Café in Nijmegen (the Netherlands) called "Gompie". The group decided to "cover" this version with comedian Roy Chubby Brown having the honor of yelling "Alice, Who the Fuck is Alice?" during the chorus. Thus, Smokie holds the record as the first group to have a top ten song with the word "fuck" in it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smokie_(band)

When My Back Was Against The Wall
Smokie Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When my back was against the wall, she called me names
When I was feeling small, she called me names
Molly said she had to go, it don't seem right
Just when I was feeling low, we had to fight
Don't you know, don't you know
Don't you know, don't you now
Gladly I would give a piece of mind to live without her
Gladly I would give a piece of mind to live without her

when my sky was turning grey, she'd bring me down
Couldn't face another day, she'd bring me down
Well many times she said she'd go, but she would stay
I didn't really thnk that she would go away
Don't you know, don't you know...

When my confidence was low, she'd turn away
Didn't know which way to go, she'd turn away

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to the song "When My Back Was Against The Wall" by Smokie seem to be about a dysfunctional relationship that is causing emotional pain and turmoil for the singer. The first two lines of the song show that the person singing has been called names by their partner, who seems to be emotionally abusive. Molly is introduced as the partner who is leaving, but the singer feels like it is not the right thing to do. Despite this, they end up fighting, which shows that the relationship is not healthy.

The chorus has the singer saying that they would gladly give up a piece of their mind to live without this abusive partner. The next verse talks about how the partner brings the singer down and makes them feel worse when they are already feeling low. The partner threatens to leave many times, but ends up staying, even though the singer doesn't believe they will actually leave. The final verse shows that the partner turns away when the singer needs support and guidance, leaving the singer feeling lost and unsure of which direction to go in.

Overall, the song seems to be about a relationship that is causing emotional pain and turmoil, but the singer is having trouble letting go of their partner even though they know they should. The partner is emotionally abusive and contributes to the singer's low self-esteem and lack of confidence.

Line by Line Meaning

When my back was against the wall, she called me names
During my difficult times, she insulted me

When I was feeling small, she called me names
Whenever I felt insignificant, she belittled me

Molly said she had to go, it don't seem right
Molly announced that she had to leave, but it didn't feel genuine

Just when I was feeling low, we had to fight
At my lowest point, we got into an argument

Don't you know, don't you know
Repeatedly urging to understand the situation

Gladly I would give a piece of mind to live without her
I'm willing to let go of my anger and bitterness towards her for a peaceful life

when my sky was turning grey, she'd bring me down
In difficult situations, she made things worse for me

Couldn't face another day, she'd bring me down
I couldn't bare another day, but she made it unbearable

Well many times she said she'd go, but she would stay
She made empty promises of leaving, but always stayed

I didn't really thnk that she would go away
Despite her past promises, I never thought she'd actually leave

Don't you know, don't you know...
Repeatedly urging to understand the situation