The one permanent fixture amidst the Fall's ever-changing line-up was Mark E. Smith (1957 – 2018). Smith's lyrics are free, unboxed and unpredictable, touching on an extremely wide range of subjects and places, and caring little for being tied down to easily digestible messages.
Smith's singing could put off some people, but others find it a uniquely expressive instrument. Smith was not a conventionally great vocalist, but his keen sense of rhythm, his energy and personality more than made up for this.
The Fall's music changed depending on the line-up at a given time. Always experimental, Mark E. Smith claimed to invent several musical genres, including house music; "we were doing that years ago" and even the internet. "He told me I didn't understand, that we were from the bleak industrial wastes of North England, or something, and that we didn't understand the Internet. I told him Fall fans invented the Internet. They were on there in 1982." One thing that is for sure is that The Fall (and their fans) always pushed the boundaries, and were never afraid to experiment.
The Fall were a favorite group of DJ John Peel, recording 24 sessions for his BBC1 radio program over the years.
The Fall's back catalogue consists of 29 studio albums, and is very fragmented with a seemingly endless number of compilations and semi-official live albums.
In 2006, British music-critic Dave Simpson published an entertaining account of a journalist's attempt to track down all 43 former members of The Fall in the Guardian. Many previous members have been fired, often with little or no notice. Simpson's ongoing effort was subsequently described at greater length in his book "The Fallen" (2008). His effort to track down the final unaccounted stragglers of at least 50 previous members of The Fall - including drummer Karl Burns - continues in his blog. Having decried Simpson's book as a "hatchet job" in the pages of Pseud. Mag., a Fall fan-mag, Mark E. Smith countered in short order with his autobiography "Renegade: The Lives and Tales of Mark E. Smith" (Viking, 2008/Penguin 2009).
Mark E. Smith died on 24 January 2018, aged 60.
Key Albums include:
# Live At the Witch Trials (debut)
# Dragnet
# Totale's Turns (It's Now Or Nevr)
# Grotesque (after the Gramme)
# Perverted By Language
# Hex Enduction Hour
# This Nation's Saving Grace
# Middle Class Revolt
# Bend Sinister
# Extricate
# The Infotainment Scan
# Country on the Click aka The Real New Fall LP
# Fall Heads Roll
# Reformation Post TLC (new)
Compilations/Singles/B-Sides:
# 50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong: 39 Golden Greats
# The Complete Peel Sessions 1978-2004
# Totally Wired: The Rough Trade Anthology (disc 1) and Totally Wired: The Rough Trade Anthology (disc 2)
# 458489 A-Sides
# 458489 B-Sides
Frightened
The Fall Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And in a dark room you'd see more than you think
I'm out of my place, got to get back
I sweated a lot, you could feel the violence
I've got shears pointed straight at my chest
And time moves slow when you count it
I'm better than them, and I think I'm the best
'Cause I'm in a trance
Oh, and I sweat
I don't want to dance
I want to go home
I couldn't live in those people places
Oh, they might get to know my actions
I'd run away from toilets and feces
I'd run away to a non-date on the street
'Cause I'm in a trance
Oh, and I sweat
I don't want to dance
I want to go home
I feel trapped by mutual affection
And I don't know how to use freedom
I spend hours looking sideways
To the time when I was sixteen
'Cause I'm in a trance
Oh, and I sweat
I don't wanna dance
I wanna go home
I'm frightened
Amphetamine frightened
I go to the top of the street
I go to the bottom of the street
I look to the sky, my lips are dry
I'm frightened, frightened, frightened
The song Frightened, by The Fall, was released in 1979 on their album Live at the Witch Trials, and it is a prime example of the band's post-punk, experimental sound. The lyrics tell the story of someone who is constantly being pursued and tracked, which has caused them to feel trapped and frightened. The first stanza describes the feeling of being chased, with the line "someone's always on my tracks." The next line "and in a dark room, you'd see more than you think" hints at the idea that the singer is involved in something illicit or dangerous. The third line "I'm out of my place, got to get back" suggests that the singer is uncomfortable in their current situation and wants to return to a familiar place or state of mind. The fourth line "I sweated a lot, you could feel the violence" suggests a sense of fear and anxiety that is palpable.
The second stanza adds to the sense of unease, with the line "I've got shears pointed straight at my chest," which suggests the possibility of danger or harm. The line "and time moves slow when you count it" suggests that the singer is in a state of heightened alertness, where every moment feels like an eternity. The next two lines "I'm better than them, and I think I'm the best, but I appear at midnight when the films close" suggests that the singer has a strong sense of self-importance despite their fear and vulnerability.
The chorus features the repeated lines "Cause I'm in a trance, oh, and I sweat, I don't wanna dance, I wanna go home." The trance state suggests a loss of control or agency, and the desire to go home suggests a longing for safety and familiarity. The third stanza introduces themes of regret and nostalgia, with the line "I spend hours looking sideways to the time when I was sixteen." The final stanza ends on a note of desperation and fear, with the repeated line "I'm frightened, frightened, frightened."
Line by Line Meaning
Someone's always on my tracks
I feel like I'm constantly being followed or watched.
And in a dark room you'd see more than you think
I have secrets that I don't want anyone to discover.
I'm out of my place, got to get back
I feel like I don't belong in my current situation and need to find my way back to where I feel comfortable.
I sweated a lot, you could feel the violence
I got really worked up and angry about something, and it was visible to others.
I've got shears pointed straight at my chest
I feel like I'm in danger and that someone or something is threatening me.
And time moves slow when you count it
I feel like time is dragging on and it's taking forever for things to change or improve.
I'm better than them, and I think I'm the best
I have a strong sense of ego and believe that I'm superior to others.
But I'll appear at midnight when the films close
I feel most comfortable when I can hide and be alone, and that usually happens when everything else is closed or when it's dark outside.
'Cause I'm in a trance
I feel like I'm in a daze or under the influence of something.
Oh, and I sweat
My anxiety or fear is causing me to perspire or feel hot.
I don't want to dance
I don't want to be part of the crowd or participate in social activities.
I want to go home
I want to be in my own space where I feel safe and comfortable.
I couldn't live in those people places
I don't think I could handle living among certain types of people because they would judge me or discover my secrets.
Oh, they might get to know my actions
I'm afraid of being exposed or having my past actions uncovered.
I'd run away from toilets and feces
I'm disgusted by certain things and feel the need to distance myself from them.
I'd run away to a non-date on the street
I feel most comfortable when I'm not on an official date or in a romantic situation, but rather just hanging out casually with someone.
I feel trapped by mutual affection
I feel like someone is relying on me for emotional support or companionship, but I don't necessarily feel the same way about them.
And I don't know how to use freedom
I feel like I have the opportunity to do whatever I want, but I don't know what that is or how to take advantage of it.
I spend hours looking sideways
I'm constantly worried about being judged or scrutinized by others.
To the time when I was sixteen
I'm nostalgic or longing for a time when I was younger and felt more carefree or innocent.
I'm frightened
I'm very scared or anxious about something.
Amphetamine frightened
My fear is intense and might be related to my use or withdrawal from drugs like amphetamines.
I go to the top of the street
I go to the most visible or prominent place in a given area.
I go to the bottom of the street
I go to the least crowded or least significant place in a given area.
I look to the sky, my lips are dry
I'm feeling thirsty or dehydrated and I'm looking upward for inspiration or guidance.
I'm frightened, frightened, frightened
My fear is so intense that I need to repeat the word to emphasize it.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Tony Friel, Mark Edward Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
13mrpink
Someone's always on my tracks
In a dark room you see more than you think
I'm out of my place, got to get back
I sweated a lot, you could feel the violence
I've got shears pointed straight at my chest
And time moves slow when you count it
I'm better than them, and I think I'm the best
But I'll appear at midnight when the films close
'Cause I'm in a trance
And I sweat
I don't want to dance
I want to go home
I couldn't live in those peephole places
They might get to know my actions
I'd run away from toilets and feces
I'd run away to a non-date on the street
Cause I'm in a trance
And I sweat
I don't want to dance
I want to go home
I feel trapped by mutual affection
And I don't know how to use freedom
I spend hours looking sideways
To the time when I was sixteen
Cause I'm in a trance
I'm frightened
Amphetamine frightened
I go to the top of the street
I go to the bottom of the street
I look to the sky, my lips are dry
d.w. noise #zer0fix
Cds to get ☆☆☆
live at the witch trials
HexEnduction hour
Dragnet
Wonderful/Frightening
Nation Saving Grace
Grotesque
Perverted
Slates/America therein
☆ 39 golden Hits - cd
[They have way too many albums]
Steve Churchouse
"I feel trapped by mutual affection, and I dont know how to use freedom".
What a sublime lyric.
J SUTCLIFFE
The Fall - Frightened 0800am 21.12.21 dunno about that... all these middle class efforts demanding that they be the arbiters of the fall and it's quote suspect content unquote... "i wanna go home" sums it all up for me - past and present...
hellbilly billy
I've spent hours looking sideways!
Hilary johnson
One of the best Fall songs of all time,in my opinion.Quality lyrics.
Keith Savage
I was 15 when this came out and I felt it had been written for me. I knew nothing about speed, which Smith says it's about, but all about paranoia and feeling like an outsider. The recognition was stunning. The bit of arrogance that came with it- "I'm better than them and I think I'm the best"- helped energise and empower me through those times. The Fall been the band for me ever since then. Still inspiring. Untouchable.
Josh Beeson Music
scally wag exactly how i feel mate amen!
68majortom
Yep me too lads.
Has either of You read Steve Hanleys Book “the Big midweek, life inside The Fall?” Bloody magic read✌️
Rachel Bonnett-Dell
I'm 15 and I feel the same way!
Jef Rey
I was born in 64' as well finished HS in 81
InfotainmentScan
Same with me except I was 17 and was, in fact, at the beginning of a decades-long love/hate affair with speed.