Famously described by John Peel as being "always different, always the same… Read Full Bio ↴Famously described by John Peel as being "always different, always the same", The Fall were formed in Manchester, England in 1976 during the Punk era although their style quickly evolved into something more idiosyncratic.

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

Return
The Fall Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

God bless the cold winds and its refreshing consequence, uh-huh,
Oh please return.

Hellas did tremble
Hellas did go away
Finding it difficult
To stand in its fury
Over the ironing board

But still this golden curl
Vented its Hellas fury

Return, baby baby baby come back to me.
Come back to me, return.

I was told to go easy and this one did
But still this golden creature raised its fury
Head sparkles

Return
Baby baby baby come back to me
Return

Is that a hair extension?
It's soaked in hair lotion
How can you smell your own head?
Return

Baby baby baby come back to me
I'll change the latch on the door
I'll get locks all over

I ran on up ahead
Sparkle and pander her

Overall Meaning

"The Fall's" song, "Return," features complex and cryptic lyrics that require close attention to understand. The song begins with a praise of the cold winds and their refreshing effect on people, and then the singer begs for someone to return to them. The following lines reference "Hellas," which is the ancient Greek name for Greece. The singer describes how difficult it is to stand in the fury of the country and how a golden curl, a metaphor for something beautiful, vented its "Hellas fury." There is uncertainty in the singer's voice as they try to understand the situation.

The chorus repeats the plea for someone to return, and in the next verse, the singer notices a hair extension soaked in hair lotion. They question how someone can smell their own head, creating an ambiguous feeling of irony. The last lines talk about changing the latch on the door and getting locks, which suggests that the singer fears someone has left them.

The song seems to address a broken relationship, but the exact circumstances are up for interpretation. Some believe the song refers to Mark E Smith's (the lead singer) tumultuous relationship with his wife. Others suggest that "Hellas" could represent a fallen country or civilization, adding a political aspect to the lyrics.

Line by Line Meaning

God bless the cold winds and its refreshing consequence, uh-huh,
Giving thanks for the invigorating effect of the cold winds.

Oh please return.
Asking for someone to come back.

Hellas did tremble
A mythical reference to the country of Greece shaking.

Hellas did go away
The country of Greece disappeared or retreated.

Finding it difficult
Struggling to withstand the force.

To stand in its fury
To remain standing in the midst of a strong force.

Over the ironing board
Referencing mundane household chores.

But still this golden curl
Despite the mundane task, a beautiful curl is noticed.

Vented its Hellas fury
The beautiful curl expressed its anger or passion.

I was told to go easy and this one did
Being advised to take it easy in a certain situation.

But still this golden creature raised its fury
Despite taking it easy, a beautiful creature expressed strong emotions.