A debut self-financed single, Red Planet, was released in 1979, and this led to a contract with Polydor Records. Their debut Polydor single, Independence Day, arrived in 1980 and, though it didn't chart, its sparse, urgent tone helped it become a minor classic. This was closely followed by a debut album, Waiting For A Miracle, which received good reviews but didn't sell well. Nonetheless, the label kept faith with the band, and in 1981 they delivered a fierce, uncompromising sophomore LP, Sleep No More. This second album is widely regarded as a masterpiece that had a major influence on bands such as U2 (who toured with the band) and latterly Editors and Interpol. The album was reissued on CD twice, in 1995 by RPM Records and in 2006 by Renaiscent, with different track listings (see below). Sleep No More produced no singles, but it had the highest UK chart ranking for any Comsat album, peaking at #51. A third album, Fiction, followed in 1982, and this featured a more commercial sound, but it only clipped the UK top 100. It would become the band's final Polydor LP.
Nonetheless, the band signed a contract with Jive, which had released pop hits by Tight Fit and A Flock Of Seagulls. Jive promised to promote the band more actively than Polydor, but they required the band to tone down their trademark sound, and use synthesisers and electronic drums prominently in the mix. Their first Jive single, Will You Stay Tonight, was a lively, commercial affair, and achieved significant radio airplay. Yet it couldn't make the Top 40, and their first Jive album, a polished affair entitled Land, sold no better than the Polydor albums. Almost as an act of desperation, a re-recorded version of Independence Day was released as a single in 1984, but again the band's luck was out. They remained on Jive for one more album, 1985's 7 Day Weekend, but relationships between band and label were faltering, and they left the label soon afterwards.
Then a strange twist occurred - the band learned they had a surprise celebrity fan in smooth AOR singer Robert Palmer. Furthermore, Palmer used his influence at his label Island Records, to get them a deal for a new album. And so, their sixth album, Chasing Shadows, appeared on Island in 1987, though it was neither a critical or commercial success. Meanwhile, the band's streak of bad luck was continuing - they ended up being sued by an American company who manufactured satellites. By coincidence, they had marketed a model called the Comsat Angel, and owned a copyright on the name. As a result, the band had to rename themselves The CS Angels for the US market.
As it happened, they decided to change their name anyway to Dream Command, after Kevin Bacon left. This three-piece line-up released one album, Fire On The Moon, in 1990, to little acclaim. Yet Bacon returned in 1992, and the band reverted to their original name. Signing independent deals, the rejuvenated band released two bracing albums, My Mind's Eye (1992) and The Glamour (1995) (both made with Terry Todd on bass and Simon Anderson on guitars) before finally splitting up.
Ironically, two of the band members have had more tangible success since the band broke up for good. Steve Fellows managed blues-rock group Gomez, and his stewardship helped them win a Mercury Music Prize for their debut album. Meanwhile, Kevin Bacon is now one-half of production duo Bacon & Quarmby, whose credits include Ian Brown and Finlay Quaye. Bacon & Quarmby also have a lucrative sideline in producing music for television commercials.
Carried Away
The Comsat Angels Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And it's hard to sleep
Then I start to dream
Of a place, very far from here
Where there's more to life
Than trying to make ends meet
And like a ship out on the ocean
Sometimes I just wish we could be carried away
Now, as the day winds down
This old wicked town Starts to lose its grip
Somehow, all the pretty lights
Make it look, tonight,
Much better than it is
And like a ship out on the ocean
Sometimes I just wish we could be carried away
And like a ship out on the ocean
Like the waves over the sea
Like the heat when the door is wide open
Sometimes I just wish we could be carried away
Carried away
The Comsat Angels' "Carried Away" is a song that paints a picture of a longing for escape from the daily grind of life in a big city. The verses are characterized by a sense of disillusionment and exhaustion with the busy urban world, accompanied by an insomniac's restlessness. The singer describes a vivid dream of a place far away, where people aren't consumed by the rat race of trying to make ends meet. The chorus brings the imagery of sailing on the high seas into play, expressing the desire to be carried away from reality, as if on a ship's voyage to a new life. The metaphorical use of a sea voyage could be interpreted as the ultimate escape for someone feeling trapped in the urban jungle. The song infuses a sense of hopelessness with a glimmer of hope, reflecting the feeling that escape might be possible, even if it can only be achieved in a dream.
In the end, "Carried Away" is a powerful song that speaks to the human desire to escape from the troubles of daily life. It encapsulates a sense of burnout and disillusionment that many people can relate to, while the chorus urges the listener to maintain a sense of hope and possibility. Overall, the song is a testament to the enduring power of music as a cathartic and transformative force in people's lives.
Line by Line Meaning
When all the lights are out
During the night, when darkness has taken over, and there is no more light.
And it's hard to sleep
It has become difficult for me to slumber and rest.
Then I start to dream
My mind wanders off into deep thoughts, and I begin to imagine things.
Of a place, very far from here
A distant location from where I am, where things are much better.
Where there's more to life
A world that has more meaning and purpose than the reality I am currently facing.
Than trying to make ends meet
A place where people do not struggle to make a living and are not burdened with financial stress.
And like a ship out on the ocean
Similar to a boat sailing the sea, drifting with the winds and tides.
Sometimes I just wish we could be carried away
At times, I desire nothing more than to be transported to this alluring and fanciful world, away from the hardships of reality.
Now, as the day winds down
As the hours of daylight come to a close, as the sun sets on the horizon.
This old wicked town starts to lose its grip
The city I find myself in, with all its corruption and misery, begins to let go and fade away.
Somehow, all the pretty lights
In some way, the flashing lights in the city give the illusion that everything is more beautiful than it really is.
Make it look, tonight, much better than it is
The presence of these lights deceives the viewer into thinking that the town they are looking at is far more extraordinary and amazing than it truly is.
Like the waves over the sea
Just as the waves move continuously over the vast ocean, fluctuating with the winds and the tides.
Like the heat when the door is wide open
The feeling of warmth that lazily fills up a room when one leaves the entrance ajar on a hot summer day.
Sometimes I just wish we could be carried away
During these moments of blissful daydreaming, I find myself merely wanting to leave for this faraway place and abandon everything else.
Carried away
Transported to this all-consuming world where everything will be much better and much more peaceful.
Contributed by Adam N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
brad42948
If my memory serves right, the album wasn't met with much critical acclaim or sales success; it was the most inaccessible of their albums to date, and yet contains a few of their finest tracks. That's often the way when bands change labels/producers, I guess. Personally, I love this album.
mark lawton
It got a so-so reception, as I recall, but I think they’d already alienated a lot of their early following, and it also didn’t seem to fit in any camp - it wasn’t pop, indie, U2-flag-waving anthem-rock or straight-ahead rock, so Island Records probably didn’t know how to market them. Their time with Jive records seems to have really screwed them up, but this was a surprisingly quick and creatively successful reaction to “Land” and “7 Day Weekend”. I think it probably sounds good now because it doesn’t fit in any of those boxes.
steve graham
I love it .... sad but beautiful ....sometimes we too could all do with being carried away .....great group and a FINE song!!
Ashley Evans
This band should've been huge
Mark Green
genius band,they're songs just get better with age.
blixa243
Love this track. Good album too. Apparently Stephen Fellows didn't like this album at all. Gives you an idea of their self criticism.
David Ellis
The Island LP Produced by Robert Palmer. Great song from good album.
ELXOSE80
Thanks for sharing this outstanding song. *10*/Fav
Tony Bates
Shame they didn't make it as big as their contemporaries the Bunnymen - excellent bands both.
mark lawton
This has an unusual time signature that I can’t get a handle on - the second backbeat in the bar seems to be coming in half a beat early, adding to its very pleasing strangeness. Are there any musicians reading who can tell me what’s happening?