The band originally consisted of Bobby Wratten (vocals, guitar) and Michael Hiscock (bass), but for most of their lifespan also included Harvey Williams (guitar), Annemari Davis (keyboards), and Mark Dobson (drums). The band split up in 1991 after an unctuous tour to promote the For Keeps album, during which lead singer/guitarist Bobby Wratten announced he was leaving. He then, along with Davis and Dobson, formed Northern Picture Library. In 1995, Wratten founded Trembling Blue Stars.
Their first EP, Emma's House was released in late 1988, but it was with their 2nd single Sensitive that they first received significant critical attention with a subsequent placing in John Peel's 1989 Festive 50.
Over a three year career the band were often dogged with the reputation of having a post C86 indie pop or generic Sarah Records sound despite producing tracks with numerous styles and influences. Early singles and even their sleeves harked back to early Factory Records bands such as New Order and The Wake, with many tracks often featuring sequencers and samples. Many of the group's recordings, notably Triangle and their epic seven-minute swan song, Missing the Moon, displayed a strong influence from the popular dance music of the time. Most of the group's records were produced by Ian Catt, who later went on to perfect the pop dance sound of Missing The Moon with Saint Etienne and many other British bands of the early to mid 1990s.
A double-album compilation of the long-deleted Field Mice releases, Where'd You Learn To Kiss That Way?, was released in 1998 on the Shinkansen label and sold more copies than any Field Mice record ever sold at the time. Their entire back catalogue was reissued on CD for the first time by LTM Records in 2005.
And Before the First Kiss
The Field Mice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Didn't think you'd want to be alone
You were low.
We were so far from home.
D'you wanna talk?
Do you want to.
D'you wanna talk?
After tears and before the first kiss
I sat looking into your eyes.
After tears,
And before the kiss,
All there'll be is this
This is all there'll be
All there'll be is this
This is all there'll be
I'm going to have to put up with it,
Settle for what is a lot less than perfect
Stay with
Someone
I do
Not love,
Whom I cannot leave--
That I cannot do.
I am unable to.
I am unable to.
We arrived as friends and became
"More than" in less than two days
We arrived
As friends and became.
Twice in a row,
Whilst flying home.
We listened to
"From Silver Lake"
On arriving back home it was
Back home it was rainy and dark.
On arriving
Back home it was.
The small hours saw
Us agree to stop.
The small hours saw
Us agree to stop.
I'm going to have to put up with it,
Settle for what is a lot less than perfect,
Stay with
Someone
I do
Not love,
Whom I cannot leave--
That I cannot do.
I am unable to.
I am unable to.
"And Before the First Kiss" by The Field Mice is a song about a relationship that is not quite working out. The first stanza sets the tone for the rest of the song, with the singer acknowledging that they and their partner are feeling low, and far from home. There is an underlying sense of unease here, as the singer seems to be aware of something that their partner is not. The repeated refrain of "do you want to talk?" further emphasizes the lack of communication between the two.
The second verse is a poignant moment in the song, with the singer looking into their partner's eyes "after tears and before the first kiss." This is a moment of vulnerability as well as intimacy, and the singer seems to be unsure of how to proceed. They realize that there is not much more to this relationship than what they see before them, and all that remains is this moment of being together.
The final verse speaks to the overall theme of the song, which is the idea of settling for less than what one wants or needs in a relationship. The singer acknowledges that they are going to have to stay with someone they do not love because they cannot leave. There is a sense of resignation here, but also an acknowledgment that perhaps this is simply the way things are meant to be.
Line by Line Meaning
You were low, we were so far from home
You were feeling down, and we were in an unfamiliar place far from our usual surroundings.
Didn't think you'd want to be alone
I didn't think you would want to be by yourself.
D'you wanna talk?
Do you want to have a conversation?
After tears and before the first kiss
After we had cried and before we shared our first kiss.
I sat looking into your eyes.
I sat gazing into your eyes.
All there'll be is this
All we will have is this moment between us.
I'm going to have to put up with it,
I will have to tolerate it,
Settle for what is a lot less than perfect
Settle for something that is far from ideal.
Stay with
Someone
I do
Not love,
Whom I cannot leave--
Stay committed to someone whom I do not feel passionate love towards and am unable to leave.
We arrived
As friends and became.
Twice in a row,
Whilst flying home.
We listened to
"From Silver Lake"
We started our trip as friends, but things changed during our flight home while listening to "From Silver Lake" two times in a row.
Back home it was rainy and dark.
When we got home, the weather was dreary.
The small hours saw
Us agree to stop.
Late at night, we both decided to call things off.
I am unable to.
I am not able to do it.
Contributed by Nathan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.