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

Service
The Fall Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Why do you have a cloud in your eye?
Walked downstairs
Got my hat and my corny brown leather jacket
Streets were grey and clean for a change
Must have been the rain
Thought transference
And this man in digs with me would spit out
two or three teeth a night on the floor

Winter is here, unlike yourself
Cold, pulled my shirt up
Service

Kicked the leaves
Learning about time,
Time of the vulperines
Time of the wolverines
They sit rotting, the leaves
Kick the brown branches, it is here
I came home and found I could say the word "entrepreneur"
and my problem began service

(Every man wants to be what he is not.)
At my feet, one who laughs at anything.
And at my head, one that laughs at nothing
And I'm just in-between
This day's portion service
(You would not like it if you knew it)

(Why you have tears in your eyes from infotainment?)
Winter is here
I've got a witch on my left shoulder
My future's here
Now I will kick the broken branches
They're this day's portion of this day's portion

Didn't want to wake up and learn,
I've learnt the word 'entrepreneur"
Wandered around, found out,
Didn't want to say the word, roll it around in your mouth

Every man jack wants to be what he is not.
Service.

Little boys are taking over
They mumble through the grass
There are not fit to be in the company of vulperines and wolverines
Too many heads knocking about.
Service.
This day's portion, this day's portion.

Why do you have a cloud in your eye from infotainment?

Overall Meaning

The Fall's song "Service" appears to be a reflection on the mundanity of life and the desire for something more. The opening line of "Why do you have a cloud in your eye?" suggests a lack of clarity or purpose, which is perhaps connected to the repetition of the word "service" throughout the song. The singer seems to be going through the motions of life, walking the streets, kicking leaves, and getting his daily dose of infotainment, but there is a disconnect between his actions and his inner desires. The theme of time and mortality is also present, with references to the vulperines and wolverines whose time has come and gone, and the man in digs who is losing his teeth night after night.

The line "I came home and found I could say the word 'entrepreneur'" is particularly interesting, as it suggests a moment of clarity or self-realization that quickly turns into a problem. Perhaps the singer has finally found a word or concept that he can latch onto, but it ultimately falls short of fulfilling his desires. The repetition of "service" could be interpreted as a call for something more meaningful or fulfilling, something that transcends the monotony of everyday life.

Overall, "Service" is a complex and multi-layered song that invites interpretation and reflection. It speaks to the human desire for purpose and fulfillment, and the difficulties we face in finding those things in a world that often seems indifferent to our needs.

Line by Line Meaning

Why do you have a cloud in your eye?
Why are you feeling sad or upset?

Walked downstairs
I went down a flight of stairs

Got my hat and my corny brown leather jacket
I put on my ugly, old-fashioned leather jacket and hat

Streets were grey and clean for a change
The roads looked different today, cleaner and less colorful

Must have been the rain
Perhaps the rain made the streets look cleaner and greyer

Thought transference
Telepathy or the communication of thoughts without physical contact

And this man in digs with me would spit out two or three teeth a night on the floor
The person living with me spits out teeth while sleeping

Winter is here, unlike yourself
It is cold outside, contrasting to how you are feeling

Cold, pulled my shirt up
It was really chilly and I had to pull my shirt up to stay warm

Service
This is how things are and how they will always be

Kicked the leaves
I kicked the fallen leaves on the ground

Learning about time, Time of the vulperines, Time of the wolverines
I was thinking about the passage of time and the seasons, specifically the time of foxes and the time of wolves

They sit rotting, the leaves
The leaves on the ground are decaying or decomposing

Kick the brown branches, it is here
I kicked the dead branches and realized that winter is here

I came home and found I could say the word 'entrepreneur' and my problem began service
When I said the word 'entrepreneur,' my problems started again

At my feet, one who laughs at anything. And at my head, one that laughs at nothing And I'm just in-between This day's portion service
There are people near me who either laugh too much or not at all while I am stuck in the middle; this is just how things are

(You would not like it if you knew it)
It's not something I can explain easily, and you wouldn't like it if you knew anyway

Winter is here I've got a witch on my left shoulder My future's here Now I will kick the broken branches They're this day's portion of this day's portion
Winter has arrived and it feels like there is something evil or ominous around me, but I have accepted this as part of my life and reality

Didn't want to wake up and learn, I've learnt the word 'entrepreneur' Wandered around, found out, Didn't want to say the word, roll it around in your mouth
I didn't want to wake up and face reality, but now that I understand the word 'entrepreneur,' I feel like I have a better grasp on things and have explored my options

Every man jack wants to be what he is not. Service.
Everyone wants to be something they're not but this is just how things are and how they will always be

Little boys are taking over They mumble through the grass There are not fit to be in the company of vulperines and wolverines Too many heads knocking about. Service.
Children are growing up and taking over, but they are not experienced or skilled enough to belong with the wolves and foxes; there are too many people around but this is just how things are

Why do you have a cloud in your eye from infotainment?
Why are you feeling sad or upset from watching too much entertainment or news?

Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JAMES BROAD, RICHARD KANE, RICHARD SAYCE, PAUL SMITH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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