Tim Smith grew up in Devon where he developed an interest in poetry and, later - influenced by the records of Bowie and Roxy Music - songwriting. At art college, he met girlfriend and fellow Iggy and the Stooges devotee Gaye Black and in 1976 the couple moved to London after reading about the Sex Pistols in the music press with the aim of starting their own punk band.
Upon arrival, they changed their names to TV Smith and Gaye Advert respectively, recruited guitarist Howard Pickup (born Boak) and drummer Laurie Driver (born Muscat) and formed The Adverts.
The band debuted at Andy Czezowski's Roxy in Covent Garden in early 1977 before signing to Stiff Records and releasing their debut single "One Chord Wonders", one of the era's signature anthems and a response to ongoing criticism of the band's musical inexperience and alleged ineptitude. The single received positive reviews and became an underground punk hit (partly due to the now-iconic portrait of Gaye Advert that adorned its sleeve).
The band found brief chart success in late 1977/early 1978 with subsequent singles "Gary Gilmore's Eyes" and "No Time To Be 21" which were followed by the release of their debut LP "Crossing the Red Sea with the Adverts". The album performed disappointingly despite positive reviews but is now considered by many to be one of the best releases of the New Wave.
The band's follow-up LP Cast of Thousands was produced by Mike Oldfield alumni Tom Newman and appeared to owe as much to Smith's progressive rock influences as it did to punk. As a result the record was universally derided by a bewildered and reactionary punk press and the band folded shortly after its release.
Gaye still lives with TV in West London but retired from music after The Adverts folded.
Smith continued to forge his own musical path, however, going on to form post-punk pop-rock outfit TV Smith's Explorers in the early 80s and raucous political rockers TV Smith's Cheap later the same decade. Both bands sadly released only one album each.
Following Cheap's collapse in the eraly 90s, Smith embarked on a solo career which continues to this day. His eclectic recorded output as a solo artist is probably most simply described as a mixture of semi-acoustic socio-political protest music and fiery punk rock. As a live perfomer, Smith tours mostly as a lone troubadour, playing energetic acoustic live sets to a devoted cult following across Europe, America and - most recently - Australia (including revamped versions of Adverts' songs). However, he also perfoms the occasional electric gig with collaborators such as Amen and The Midnight Creeps (both US), Die Toten Hosen and Garden Gang (both Germany), Punk Lurex (Finland), The Valentines (Italy), and Los Quattro/The Bored Teenagers (Spain).
In 2007, Smith and The Bored Teenagers performed the Adverts' debut album in its entirety to a packed 100 Club in a thrilling show to commemorate the 30th anniversary of that band's first gigs. His most recent album is entitled In The Arms Of My Enemy (2008).
For a full discography and reviews please see TV Smith's allmusic.com entry at:
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=TV|SMITH&sql=11:kpftxqtgldae~T0
See also: http://www.tvsmith.com
See also: http://www.myspace.com/tvsmith
What If
TV Smith Lyrics
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Role models for a restless world and the fuel to fill your dreams
Where will you go, when you take your first step on your own?
Where will you walk? What if they led the way and no-one followed?
They lead you out onto the catwalk like a dog upon a leash,
They fix your feet upon the party line but there are places it won't reach
[Chorus]
What if you woke up one morning and weren't under the influence?
What if you won back your independence?
Some routes will take you down the backroads some will take you down the main strip,
Or you could head off through the undergrowth where the civilized image slips.
[Chorus]
TV Smith's song "What If" is an insightful critique of the conformity and cult mentality that is pervasive in society. The lyrics are directed toward young people who are bombarded with role models, expectations, and patterns of behavior that are not necessarily their own. The first verse suggests that the bandwagon of society is already rolling before we even reach our teenage years. We are fed images of success and happiness that we are supposed to aspire to, but the reality is that these are just projected fantasies that do not necessarily reflect our true selves.
The second verse poses a series of questions to the listener. Where will you go when you take your first step on your own? What if no one follows the path you choose? The idea here is that true freedom lies in the ability to forge your own path, despite what others might think or say. The third verse goes even further, arguing that the facade of the civilized image is fragile and that true freedom can only be found by breaking free from the constraints of society.
The chorus is the heart of the song. It asks the listener to imagine a world where they are not under the influence of societal pressures and expectations. What if they could win back their independence and live life on their own terms? The song's message is a call for the listener to reject conformity and embrace their individuality.
Line by Line Meaning
The bandwagon starts rolling before you even reach your teens,
The world already has ideals and desires that could influence you or shape your future, even before you fully understand them.
Role models for a restless world and the fuel to fill your dreams
People who live their ideal lives influence or inspire us to follow, providing motivation in pursuing our dreams.
Where will you go, when you take your first step on your own?
As we grow older, we must start to make decisions for ourselves, and it becomes important to map out our journey and take a step.
Where will you walk? What if they led the way and no-one followed?
There is the possibility of following a path that only leads to a dead-end; we must recognize this as we contemplate our own journey.
They lead you out onto the catwalk like a dog upon a leash,
In a world where trends dictate many behaviours, it can feel like we are being strung along, rather than leading ourselves.
They fix your feet upon the party line but there are places it won't reach
There are some places, like our innermost thoughts, our values, or integrity, which we must define for ourselves and cannot let the world dictate or impact us.
What if you woke up one morning and weren't under the influence?
What if we ceased to be controlled by the world, its standards, or its metrics for success? What if we took control of our own lives and lived intentionally?
What if you won back your independence?
Rediscovering the ability to lead one's life on one's own terms, free of external influence.
Some routes will take you down the backroads some will take you down the main strip,
There are many paths we can walk through that could shape our future or influence our adventure, some most taken while others stray, leading to contrasting destinations.
Or you could head off through the undergrowth where the civilized image slips.
Sometimes, living life outside the mainstream, away from socially acceptable norms, could be the best way to live life on one's terms, even though it may seem challenging.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ADONIS SHROSPHIRE, DEWAIN WHITMORE, JI EUM SEO, MASON HARVEY JAY, PARTICK SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind