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
In My Area
The Fall Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
People play games when they lose at life
There's no sport, lad, just acid tension stomach flared.
A madness in my area
I have seen the good and bad
I have seen declining tracks, [climbing tracks?]
I have seen the madness in my area
Honor served time till I'm asked about it
Can't remember who I sacked, just stupid faces looking bad
The madness in my area
I have seen the good and bad
I have seen declining tracks
I have seen the madness in my area
Former friends suck on the Fall
Genuine white crap, I recall.
Their future cries
Of broken pain are idiot victims'.
Just adds to the madness in my area
I have seen the good and bad
I have seen declining tracks
I have seen the madness in my area
You've got comics in full bloom
McCarthy reincarnates soon
See the bones on the two-way faces
The me generation
See the traces of
The madness in my area
I have seen the good and bad
I have seen the declining tracks
I have seen the madness in my area
I have seen the burrowmen
Frozen pain that is so bad
I have seen the madness in my area
Madness in my empire
In the writer
In the Berlin fighter
In the mirror
A doppelganger
The used satire
In the song "In My Area" by The Fall, the lyrics describe a neighborhood or area that has a sense of madness or chaos. The first verse references a dwarf playing pool to prove his height, which is a seemingly nonsensical action that could represent individuals trying to assert themselves or prove something in an unhealthy way. The following lines suggest that people often turn to games or other distractions when they feel they have lost at life. There is a sense of unease and tension described in the lyrics, with the use of phrases like "acid tension stomach flared" and "madness in my area."
The chorus emphasizes that the writer has seen both good and bad aspects of the area, but there is a sense that the bad is overshadowing the good. The line "Honor served time till I'm asked about it" could suggest that the writer has experienced some kind of trauma or negative event that they are still processing. The verse that follows includes a reference to forgetting who the writer has "sacked" (possibly fired from a job), which could represent a lack of control or direction in their life.
The song also makes references to other people in the area, including former friends who "suck on the Fall" (possibly a reference to the music industry). The chorus is repeated several times, with the addition of new lyrics each time, such as "McCarthy reincarnates soon" and "the me generation." These lines suggest a commentary on society and politics in the time the song was written. Overall, "In My Area" paints a picture of a place where there is chaos and unease, both within the writer and in their surroundings.
Line by Line Meaning
The dwarf plays pool to prove his height
Short people often try to prove to others that they are not inferior despite their lack of height.
People play games when they lose at life
Some people turn to mindless activities and games when they feel like they have lost control of their lives.
There's no sport, lad, just acid tension stomach flared.
The situation is not a game, it is tense and uncomfortable for those involved.
A madness in my area
There is a sense of madness or chaos present in the artist's surroundings.
I have seen the good and bad
The artist has witnessed both positive and negative things in their area.
I have seen declining tracks, [climbing tracks?]
The singer has witnessed a decrease in progress or improvement in their area.
Honor served time till I'm asked about it
The singer has done something honorable but only intends to talk about it when asked.
Years cross-checked, days become a take
The passage of time is being questioned and examined by the artist.
Can't remember who I sacked, just stupid faces looking bad
The artist has let go of some people but cannot remember who they were, only that they were not good for them.
Former friends suck on the Fall
People who were once friends with the artist are now suffering the consequences of their choices.
Genuine white crap, I recall.
The singer remembers something that was truly terrible or worthless.
Their future cries Of broken pain are idiot victims'.
The artist believes that those who have caused pain in the past will only continue to suffer and be victims of their own actions.
Just adds to the madness in my area
The negative actions of others only contribute to the chaos and disorder in the singer's surroundings.
You've got comics in full bloom
There are people who are acting in a ridiculous or comical way.
McCarthy reincarnates soon
The singer predicts that someone with the same level of intolerance and persecution as Joseph McCarthy will surface soon.
See the bones on the two-way faces
There are visible signs of decay or damage on people's faces.
The me generation See the traces of The madness in my area
The younger generation has characteristics that contribute to the chaos in the artist's surroundings.
I have seen the burrowmen Frozen pain that is so bad
The singer has seen people who are in such extreme pain that they are frozen in place.
Madness in my empire
There is a sense of madness or chaos in the singer's personal sphere of influence.
In the writer In the Berlin fighter In the mirror A doppelganger
The madness and chaos present in the artist's surroundings are also reflected in themselves and others around them.
The used satire
The artist has used satire to comment on the absurdity and chaos present in their surroundings.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: CRAIG ANTONY SCANLAN, MARC RILEY, MARK EDWARD SMITH, YVONNE PAWLETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Elwood Blues
This is the first Fall song I ever heard and immediately I knew that the Fall is going to be my new favourite band and it still is.
Michael Halbert
Huh. My first Fall album was The Infotainment Scan, and like you, it is still my all time favorite.
Christopher Thomas
When this song kicked in for me, I realized that The Fall were my favorite band, and they continued to be for many years. Perhaps they still are...
Alastair Duffy
Perhaps??
American Slander
This one never gets old.
Viktoria W Byczkiewicz
None of them get old!
Joe Diddly
First Fall single I ever bought. Still sounds glorious.
terrypussypower
"Dragnet" is an astounding record, one of my top three Fall albums.
နှင်းဆီ
@terrypussypower wow excellent picks! Those early 80s era Fall albums are incomparable to anything else. So, so good.
terrypussypower
@နှင်းဆီ Those would be “Slates” and “Hex Enduction Hour”…. how could it be otherwise!