The band's music is a mixture of 1960s-style psychedelia and folk-rock with old-fashioned country and modern alternative rock influences. The Coral have released nine albums (The Coral, Magic and Medicine, Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker, The Invisible Invasion, Roots & Echoes, The Singles Collection/Magic & Mysteries, Butterfly House, The Curse of Love, and Distance Inbetween). Their self-titled debut album was nominated for the 2002 Mercury Music Prize and later voted the fourth best album of the year by NME Magazine. It was announced on 9 January 2008 that Bill Ryder-Jones would be leaving, but the band would continue as a 5-piece.
Bill McCai
The Coral Lyrics
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With local tales and children's songs
Sunday school was his shelter
With his friends Joe and Walter
Now those days seem far away
An empty swing where he once played
Now Bill's grown so fat and bald
He never thought that he'd grow old
And every day when he gets the train
Looks out the window and thinks in vain
If only I could be that boy again
His sales job gets him down
Same old faces same old sounds
Heart attacks, orthopedic backs
Documents in labeled racks
His wife can't stand the sight of him
With his routine glass of gin
She makes his lunch of processed ham
And waits in for the meter man
And every day when he gets the train
Looks out the window and thinks in vain
If only I could be that boy again
If only he could be that boy again
Another day another gin
His kids don't even notice him
Something different about his face
His happy smile seems out of place
His family gathered around for tea
Eyes fixed on their new telly
Newsflash came, then it saidâ?¦
Bill McCai was just found dead
No more windows, no more trains
Hung himself out in the rain
Now he'll never be that boy again
And we say by-bye Bill McCai
The Coral's song "Bill McCai" tells the sad story of a man who has lost touch with his past and the happiness he once knew. As a child, he had a loving family and friends who taught him right from wrong. Sunday school was his shelter where he felt safe and secure. But as he grew old, he lost these connections and his life became dull and monotonous. He is unable to find joy in his mundane sales job and his wife no longer loves him. He finds solace in drinking and his children no longer notice him. He longs to be that boy again, to relive the carefree days of his youth. But it's too late, and the news of his death ends the song on a somber note.
The lyrics are poignant and touch on the universal human experience of growing old and losing touch with what once made us happy. It's a reminder to cherish the present moment and not take our connections and happiness for granted.
Line by Line Meaning
His family taught him right from wrong
Bill McCai was brought up by his family with a strong emphasis on moral values
With local tales and children's songs
His family background was steeped in local traditions and culture, and he grew up listening to stories and songs that were popular among children
Sunday school was his shelter
Sunday school played a significant role in providing him with a safe and secure environment where he could learn about religion and spirituality
With his friends Joe and Walter
He had two close friends named Joe and Walter who were an important part of his childhood and with whom he spent a lot of time
Now those days seem far away
As he got older, Bill McCai began to feel nostalgic about his childhood and the memories of those days seemed distant and blurred
An empty swing where he once played
He remembers a time when he used to play on the swings in the park, but now the swings are empty and unused
Now Bill's grown so fat and bald
Bill McCai had gained a lot of weight and lost his hair as he got older
He never thought that he'd grow old
When he was younger, he never imagined that he would live to see himself grow old and lose his youthful vitality
And every day when he gets the train
Bill McCai has a daily routine of taking the train to work
Looks out the window and thinks in vain
Whenever he looks out of the train window, he daydreams and fantasizes about his childhood, but he knows that he can't go back in time
If only I could be that boy again
Bill McCai longs to go back to his childhood and relive those happy days
His sales job gets him down
Bill McCai is unhappy with his sales job, which is both boring and repetitive
Same old faces same old sounds
He is tired of seeing and hearing the same people and things every day
Heart attacks, orthopedic backs
The people around him are getting older and are experiencing health problems such as heart attacks and orthopedic issues
Documents in labeled racks
His job involves handling large amounts of paperwork which is stored in labeled racks
His wife can't stand the sight of him
His wife is disgusted with the way he looks and behaves
With his routine glass of gin
Bill McCai has a habit of drinking gin on a regular basis
She makes his lunch of processed ham
His wife prepares his lunch with processed ham, which is unhealthy and unappetizing
And waits in for the meter man
She stays at home to wait for the meter man who will check their energy consumption
Another day another gin
Bill McCai continues to drink gin every day, as he tries to cope with the drudgery of his life
His kids don't even notice him
His children are indifferent to his presence and don't give him the attention he craves
Something different about his face
Bill McCai's facial expression changes and becomes happier than usual
His happy smile seems out of place
His family is surprised to see him smiling, as it seems out of character for him
His family gathered around for tea
His family is having tea together and spending time with each other
Eyes fixed on their new telly
They are all watching their new television which they are excited about
Newsflash came, then it said...
Suddenly, the television broadcasted an urgent news item
Bill McCai was just found dead
The news announced that Bill McCai had died
No more windows, no more trains
Bill McCai's routine of taking the train to work and gazing out of the window has come to an end
Hung himself out in the rain
Bill McCai committed suicide by hanging himself in the rain
Now he'll never be that boy again
Bill McCai's death means that he can never go back to his childhood and relive those happy days
And we say by-bye Bill McCai
The song ends with a farewell to Bill McCai
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES SKELLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
sümeyye erdemir
Lyrics:
His family taught him right from wrong
With local tales and children's songs
Sunday school was his shelter
With his friends Joe and Walter
Now those days seem far away
An empty swing where he once played
Now Bill's grown so fat and bald
He never thought that he'd grow old
And every day when he gets the train
Looks out the window and thinks in vain
If only I could be that boy again
His sales job gets him down
Same old faces same old sounds
Heart attacks, orthopedic backs
Documents in labeled racks
His wife can't stand the sight of him
With his routine glass of gin
She makes his lunch of processed ham
And waits in for the meter man
And every day when he gets the train
Looks out the window and thinks in vain
If only I could be that boy again
If only he could be that boy again
Another day another gin
His kids don't even notice him
Something different about his face
His happy smile seems out of place
His family gathered around for tea
Eyes fixed on their new telly
Newsflash came, then it saidâ?¦
Bill McCai was just found dead
No more windows, no more trains
Hung himself out in the rain
Now he'll never be that boy again
And we say by-bye Bill McCai
:))
Василий Андреев
Почему же эта замечательная группа не так популярна? Что с этим миром?😢
John
They never sold there souls
sümeyye erdemir
Lyrics:
His family taught him right from wrong
With local tales and children's songs
Sunday school was his shelter
With his friends Joe and Walter
Now those days seem far away
An empty swing where he once played
Now Bill's grown so fat and bald
He never thought that he'd grow old
And every day when he gets the train
Looks out the window and thinks in vain
If only I could be that boy again
His sales job gets him down
Same old faces same old sounds
Heart attacks, orthopedic backs
Documents in labeled racks
His wife can't stand the sight of him
With his routine glass of gin
She makes his lunch of processed ham
And waits in for the meter man
And every day when he gets the train
Looks out the window and thinks in vain
If only I could be that boy again
If only he could be that boy again
Another day another gin
His kids don't even notice him
Something different about his face
His happy smile seems out of place
His family gathered around for tea
Eyes fixed on their new telly
Newsflash came, then it saidâ?¦
Bill McCai was just found dead
No more windows, no more trains
Hung himself out in the rain
Now he'll never be that boy again
And we say by-bye Bill McCai
:))
Claire
One of my favourite songs, one of my favourite videos! So much talent! Long live The Coral ❤
Colin Littlejohn
Love The Coral my favourite band in the world 🎉
Mark DeVito
Most underrated band of the past 20 years (Doves are up there too)
Kostas Mad1
Idlewild are far more underatted...
Bodie & Doyle The Professionals
Funny (to me at least) story about this song. I took the album to Africa and listened to it non stop for the 3 months I was there. When I got home I found out I had malaria and ended up delirious with a fever and I couldn't get this song out of my head. It rattled around my head for 2 weeks straight as the quinine killed the malaria and I couldn't listen to it for years. 10 years to be exact. This song made come out in cold sweats. On a lighter note, I can now listen to it quite happily with fond memories of canoeing down African rivers stoned on local grass (wasn't great so had to smoke shit loads) with this album floating over the water to tribes that hadn't seen white people before. Good first impression as they go.
Samboy666
Amazing story. I love youtube for this exsct reason.
Rock on man rock on
SHARK BITE
Bodie & Doyle The Professionals mad I was dealing keys of cocaine smoking 7 grams a day lost my dad lost the plot almost died then got arrested with 20 members of the gang all went to prison for a while, all while bingeing to this album, different life’s. Kinda wish I had your experience rather than mine, but without the malaria.