From Southampton, England, his early music with his band Colony Earth covered a wide range of styles. More recently, Thorne has found himself between the rock and prog-rock genres, with most of his music touching on the more personal issues of everyday life. His album Emotional Creatures Part One included many well-know musicians, including Arnie Cottrell, Tony Levin, and Geoff Downes. Emotional Creatures Part Two followed the same pattern, including musicians such as Dave Meros, John Mitchell, Gavin Harrison, Pete Trewavas, and Nick d'Virgilio (who performed on both albums). Nevertheless, on both albums Thorne provided the majority of the performances; as well as writing and arranging all the songs, he played guitar, keyboards, bass, and percussion, as well as singing and providing various effects.
Crossfire
Steve Thorne Lyrics
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But he's caught in the crossfire,
And he keeps wakin' up,
But it's not to the sound of birds
The tyranny, the violent streets,
Deprived of all that we're blessed with,
And we can't get enough, no
So we could build a playground,
For the sinners to play as saints,
You'd be so proud of what we've made
I hope you got some beds around,
'Cause you're the only refuge now,
For every mother, every child, every brother,
That's caught in the crossfire
I'd trade my luck to know,
Why he's caught in the crossfire,
And I'm here wakin' up
To the sun and the sound of birds
Society's anxiety,
Deprives of all that we're blessed with,
We just can't get enough, no!
Heaven if you sent us down,
So we could build a playground,
For the sinners to play as saints,
You'd be so proud of what we've made
I hope you got some beds around,
'Cause you're the only refuge now,
For every mother, every child, every brother,
Who's caught in the crossfire!
Can I trust what I'm given?
When faith still needs a gun,
Whose ammunition justifies the wrong?
And I can't see from the backseat,
So I'm asking from above,
Can I trust what I'm given, even when it cuts?
So Heaven if you sent us down,
So we could build a playground,
For the sinners to play as saints,
You'd be so proud of what we made
I hope you got some beds around,
'Cause you're the only refuge now,
For every mother, every child, every brother
Who's caught in the crossfire,
Who's caught in the crossfire,
Who's caught in the crossfire,
Who's caught on the cross
The lyrics of Steve Thorne's "Crossfire" offer a commentary on the state of society, with particular emphasis on the themes of violence and exploitation. The opening lines, "He'd trade his guns for love / But he's caught in the crossfire," highlight the senseless and futile nature of the violence that plagues our world. The singer wonders why such violence continues to exist, saying, "I'd trade my luck to know / Why he's caught in the crossfire." The juxtaposition of the singer waking up to the sound of birds with the violence and tyranny that exist outside serves to underscore the dichotomy between the beauty and peace that we desire and the harsh realities of the world we inhabit.
The chorus, "Heaven if you sent us down, / So we could build a playground, / For the sinners to play as saints, / You'd be so proud of what we've made," suggests that society has drifted away from the ideals that we were once given, and that we are instead engaged in a never-ending cycle of violence and sin. The singer turns to a higher power for guidance, asking, "Can I trust what I'm given, even when it cuts?" before returning to the chorus, which highlights the need for refuge and protection in a world that seems to be spiraling out of control.
Overall, "Crossfire" is a powerful statement on the state of society and the need for unity, compassion, and understanding in order to bring about positive change.
Line by Line Meaning
He'd trade his guns for love
He wishes he could give up his weapons for love and peace.
But he's caught in the crossfire,
However, he is stuck in the middle of a dangerous conflict between opposing forces.
And he keeps wakin' up,
Despite the violence and chaos, he continues to wake up each day.
But it's not to the sound of birds
His surroundings are so tumultuous that he doesn't wake up to the pleasant sound of birds.
The tyranny, the violent streets,
The oppressive government and the rampant violence in the streets make life difficult and dangerous for everyone.
Deprived of all that we're blessed with,
Despite being blessed with many things in life, they are deprived of those blessings by the chaos they live in.
And we can't get enough, no
Despite being deprived, they still strive for more and want to live a better life.
Heaven if you sent us down,
The artist is addressing heaven, wishing for intervention from a higher power.
So we could build a playground,
The artist envisions a place for everyone to play and find peace.
For the sinners to play as saints,
The artist believes that even the most flawed individuals deserve a chance at redemption and happiness.
You'd be so proud of what we've made
Addressing heaven once again, the singer believes their creation would make God proud.
I hope you got some beds around,
The artist asks if heaven has room for those who need refuge from the violence and chaos on earth.
'Cause you're the only refuge now,
The singer believes that heaven is the only place to find true safety and peace.
For every mother, every child, every brother,
The singer believes that everyone, regardless of gender or age, deserves to live free from the dangers of the crossfire.
That's caught in the crossfire
The singer is referring to those who are trapped and endangered by the conflict.
I'd trade my luck to know,
The artist wishes they could give up their good fortune to understand the reasons behind the crossfire.
Why he's caught in the crossfire,
The artist wants to understand why certain individuals are trapped in the middle of the dangerous conflict.
And I'm here wakin' up
Despite not understanding the situation, the singer continues to survive and wake up each day.
To the sun and the sound of birds
The singer is fortunate enough to wake up to the pleasant sounds of nature, in contrast to those in the crossfire.
Society's anxiety,
The ongoing anxiety and fear in society make life difficult and dangerous for everyone.
Deprives of all that we're blessed with,
Again, despite being blessed with many things in life, people are still deprived due to the anxiety and fear in society.
We just can't get enough, no!
People continue to strive for more, despite the difficult circumstances they find themselves in.
Can I trust what I'm given?
The singer questions whether they can trust the circumstances they find themselves in and the things they've been given.
When faith still needs a gun,
The artist questions the need for violence in the name of faith and religion.
Whose ammunition justifies the wrong?
The singer highlights the idea that sometimes violence is used to justify immoral or unethical actions.
And I can't see from the backseat,
The singer feels like they are unable to make a difference and help those in the crossfire.
So I'm asking from above,
Once again, the singer appeals to a higher power for help.
Can I trust what I'm given, even when it cuts?
The artist is questioning whether they can trust the difficult circumstances they are given, or if they should continue to hope and work for a better outcome.
Who's caught on the cross
The artist is calling attention to those individuals who are unfairly caught in the middle of dangerous situations.
Contributed by Tyler T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.