Bickers left in 1989 and was replaced by Simon Walker, who in turn was replaced by Simon Mawby in 1992. Andrea Heukamp left the band in 1988, returning briefly in 1991.
From the same genus as Echo and the Bunnymen, My Bloody Valentine and Jesus and Mary Chain, The House of Love arrived on the scene in the late 1980s with a psychedelic, textural rock sound. Songwriter Guy Chadwick provided personal, romantic musings over lush layers of 80s studio bliss, enhanced by Terry Bickers' guitar-playing.
The band formed in Camberwell, London, England in 1986, and released a series of singles, leading to their debut untitled album on Creation Records in 1988. They then signed to Fontana in a whirl of publicity and money. Things went off the rails at first as their next two singles flopped and work on their new album progressed slowly. Tensions grew between Chadwick and Bickers, exacerbated by drug use, leading to Bickers's departure in 1989. But the resulting album (again officially untitled but usually referred to as the 'Butterfly' album after its cover design) went top 10; and a remake of their early single Shine On caught the retro guitar-pop fashion in the wake of the Stone Roses and was a moderate hit. Later in 1991 a compilation of B-sides and outtakes was released, usually referred to as A Spy In The House Of Love as a paperback of the Anaïs Nin novel of the same title appears in the cover photo.
The following album Babe Rainbow (1992) failed to follow the success of the Butterfly album: its lush, pristine production rendered hopelessly out of date by the emergence of the rave-influenced Madchester scene and the US grunge invasion. Their final album, Audience With the Mind (1993) barely charted and the group disbanded.
Considering the previous animosity between Guy Chadwick and Terry Bickers, there was some surprise when in 2005 the two reformed The House of Love. Pete Evans returned on drums and Matt Jury handled bass duties. They went on to tour the U.K. and Ireland and release an album Days Run Away to some praise.
In March 2008 House Of Love played in Lima, Peru, for their first South American performance ever. Almost the entire concert is to be seen on YouTube. The gig featured two new songs bringing hope to fans that the band is still working on new material. In September 2008 Guy played solo at the South Pop festival in Isla Cristina, Spain.
After another long hiatus, Guy Chadwick reformed the group with an all-new lineup, and in 2022 released the album "A State of Grace."
Blind
The House of Love Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm not an eagle
I'm not saint
To burn away
Oh God I'm blind
Honest and eager
I'm am the car
I'm not a sea
I'm not a forest
I'm not a drug
Eating away
You'll never see me
Walking in a nightmare
I'm not the son
You send away
I'm just blind
God I'm blind
I've got a future
I've got a child
A mouth to feed
I'm not alone
I'm not in torment
I'm am the stone
In your hand
I'm not a fire
I'm not a journey
I'm not a King
To cut you away
I'm not the food
To throw on a fire
I'm not the son
You sent away
I'm just blind
I'm just blind
The House of Love's song "Blind" starts with the singer confessing to God that he is blind. He then clarifies that he is not an eagle or a saint who can burn away his blindness. Despite his blindness, he is honest and eager to face his future, which includes caring for his child. He describes himself as a car on the road, not a sea, forest or a drug that slowly erodes. He asserts that he is not someone who walks in a nightmare, nor was he the son that was sent away. He is just blind.
The lyrics paint a picture of a person who is living with blindness but does not feel tormented or alone. He might be struggling with the reality of his situation, but he is also willing to face the future with hope and a sense of responsibility. He knows he is not capable of accomplishing great feats like an eagle or a saint, but he is content with being a simple stone in someone's hand. The song is a reminder that even though blindness might obscure someone's vision, it does not define their worth or their future.
Line by Line Meaning
God I'm blind
I'm lost and unable to see where life is taking me
I'm not an eagle
I don't have the keen sight and sharp focus of a bird of prey
I'm not saint
I'm not a holy person with divine insight
To burn away
To purify myself of earthly desires and weakness
Honest and eager
I'm sincere and enthusiastic about life, despite my blindness
I'm am the car
I'm the driver of my own life, navigating the road ahead
I'm not a sea
I'm not vast, all-encompassing or uncontrollable
I'm not a forest
I'm not deep, dark, or mysterious
I'm not a drug
I'm not an escape or addiction
Eating away
Slowly destroying my mind and body with mental anguish and stress
You'll never see me
You won't catch me appearing in your nightmares or causing you trouble
Walking in a nightmare
Living with constant fear and anxiety, but still pushing on through life
I'm not the son
I'm not your offspring or family member
You send away
You won't banish me from your life or disown me
I'm just blind
I'm at a disadvantage in life, but that doesn't stop me from living
I've got a future
I have hope and dreams for what's to come
I've got a child
I have a responsibility to care for another life and help them grow
A mouth to feed
A dependent who relies on me for sustenance and care
I'm not alone
I have people in my life who love and support me
I'm not in torment
I'm not suffering in agony or pain
I'm am the stone
I'm solid and unyielding, able to withstand life's challenges
In your hand
You have power over me and can affect my life
I'm not a fire
I'm not passionate or intense
I'm not a journey
I'm not an adventure or exploration
I'm not a King
I'm not a ruler or leader
To cut you away
To separate myself from those who would harm me or hinder my growth
I'm not the food
I'm not something to be consumed or discarded
To throw on a fire
To destroy or burn away, to be forgotten or erased
You sent away
You won't exile me or abandon me
I'm just blind
I'm just a person with a handicap, but I can still live a full and meaningful life
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GUY CHADWICK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Daniel Saxer
on You Don't Understand
Lyrics correction: (according to my ears;-)
Drown (not down) the soul and through the ages
How money's cooked, inside us all