Purveyors of music that meanders from sea soaked waltz to Italian tarantella, from Brassy funeral march-esque lament to weep along Klezmar knees up, from chain gang holler to rag time finger snap. Skipping through the dark side of anything that makes you want to dance, steeped in melodrama and usually with not a small amount of tongue in cheek.
The Eskies have brought this unique brand of folk noir/gypsy jazz/sea shanty and swaggering stage spectacle to ballrooms and booze houses far and wide, sullying soirees and lowering inhibitions of get togethers and social occasions wherever they have ventured.
Fever
The Eskies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Almost without a sound,
Pressed my nose against your window like some hungry hound,
Through the glass I saw you shudder,
In my breath I watched you shake,
Saw you break, Saw you,
I can see you anytime I want to,
Fever, (fever), fever in my brain,
Nothing ever comes of this (Not one thing),
How can I be done with this, How can I be done with this,
Fever, (fever), fever in my brain,
Don't take my mind away.
There were smoke rings on the ceiling,
There were scorch marks on the walls,
Ghostly voices of the crackling flames that crept these halls,
Oh you thought that you could shake me,
You thought that you could run,
Now you're done, Now you're done,
I can see you anytime I want to,
I can see you anytime I please
Fever, (fever), fever in my brain,
Nothing ever comes of this (Not one thing),
How can I be done with this, How can I be done with this,
Fever, (fever), fever in my brain,
Don't take my mind away.
Oh I just love to watch you beg,
And I love to see you pray,
Love every single sleepless night and lonely day,
Take pleasure from the hard times,
The rotten, sick and bad,
That you've had, that you've had.
The Eskies's song "Fever" is a hauntingly dark and twisted tale of obsession and desire. The opening lines describe the singer's stealthy ascent up some unseen staircase, where he watches his intended target from the outside. The images are unnervingly voyeuristic: the singer presses his nose to the glass of a window "like some hungry hound," and watches his target shudder and shake as he breathes on the glass.
As the song continues, it becomes clearer that the singer is consumed with an intense, feverish desire for the object of his attention. He claims that he can "see [her] anytime [he] wants to" and that he has "fever in [his] brain." There's a sense of madness and desperation in his words, as if he's teetering on the edge of something dangerous and uncontrollable. Despite this, he repeatedly asserts that he doesn't want his "mind [to be] taken away" - a clear indication that he's aware of the dangers of his obsession.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I made it up the stairway,
I successfully climbed up the staircase with no noise.
Almost without a sound,
I was almost completely silent.
Pressed my nose against your window like some hungry hound,
I pushed my nose against your window like a desperate animal seeking food.
Through the glass I saw you shudder,
I could see that you were visibly scared when you noticed me watching you.
In my breath I watched you shake,
I saw you trembling in fear as my breath fogged up the window pane.
Saw you break, Saw you,
I witnessed your complete emotional collapse.
I can see you anytime I want to,
I have complete control over when I choose to watch you.
I can see you anytime I please
I can watch you whenever I want, without any restrictions.
Fever, (fever), fever in my brain,
I am consumed by an intense obsession, driving me mad.
Nothing ever comes of this (Not one thing),
Despite my constant monitoring, I have never been able to act on my obsession.
How can I be done with this, How can I be done with this,
I am struggling to shake off this unhealthy fixation.
Fever, (fever), fever in my brain,
My obsession continues to consume me completely.
Don't take my mind away.
I am pleading for my sanity, hoping to avoid being completely consumed by my obsession.
There were smoke rings on the ceiling,
The remnants of my previous attempts to enter your space still linger.
There were scorch marks on the walls,
The walls still bear the scars of my repeated intrusions.
Ghostly voices of the crackling flames that crept these halls,
I can still hear the echoes of the fire that once raged through the space where I am now watching you.
Oh you thought that you could shake me,
You believed you could rid yourself of me, but you were wrong.
You thought that you could run,
You believed that escaping my grasp was possible, but it isn't.
Now you're done, Now you're done,
You have failed to elude me.
Oh I just love to watch you beg,
I derive pleasure from seeing you plead for mercy.
And I love to see you pray,
I find enjoyment in witnessing your desperate pleas for help from a higher power.
Love every single sleepless night and lonely day,
The pain I am causing you brings me satisfaction.
Take pleasure from the hard times,
Watching you struggle is a source of joy for me.
The rotten, sick and bad,
I am reveling in your misery and suffering, even if it is self-imposed.
That you've had, that you've had.
The harm I am inflicting on you is something you have already experienced and will continue to experience.
Contributed by Hunter D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ken Kinsella
Excellent, heard you on Dublin City FM and was blown away!
Mark Fox
Fucking brilliant! Can't wait for the album!
Michael Slater
I'm always amazed that the people that organize the Ramsbottom Music Festival find groups I've never heard before that just blow me away. The people of Ramsbottom love music, they'll love you. Thanks for coming.
david johnson
yeah well said michael, they are good live very good
Neraddycham
ahora ya tengo nueva cancion favorita
Oisin O'Neill
Excellent stuff
Ash101 Munnelly
so proud you guys give me life
InvisibleMissle
Found this randomly on Apple Music, very happy I did and shared w/ some friends
A wiggins
Brilliant!
david johnson
went to see them at ramsbottom cricket club, must say very good live, and they were on with the stranglers, the eskies r good live