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Rainbow (1992) failed to follow the success of the Butterfly album: its lush, pristine production rendered hopelessly out of date by the emergence of the rave-influenced Madchester scene and the US grunge invasion.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."
Cruel
The House of Love Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Close to the drains and the sewers in flow
Hold back from anger and freeze all your soul.
Dive through the circle, describe what you hold
Cruel
Drink and dissolve through the lines in your hands.
Write out of romance (the sugar in sand)
Walked from the gaze of a dog of a day
Cruel
I find when things are mine
Like cold chains and baby whines
Well, Henry says, yeah, Henry says
"It's Sue and I"
Crawl, and watch your knes!
Slide low, through any sleeze
And money says, yeah, money says
"You've got to do it slow"
Cruel
My theme is; loose the plot
Fuck around and drink a lot
And Henry says, yeah Henry says
"Do it wrong"
But I don't think this way
And I would never say
I've done the best I could
Cruel
The House of Love's song "Cruel" is a haunting and enigmatic composition that demands close listening to decipher its meaning. The lyrics seem to speak to a sense of being trapped or controlled by something, possibly a romantic relationship or addiction, as evidenced by lines like "Untie my hands, you're the best that I've had" and "Drink and dissolve through the lines in your hands." The imagery of drains and sewers may reflect a feeling of being trapped or stuck in a situation that is difficult to escape from.
The song also speaks to a sense of frustration and anger, with lines such as "Hold back from anger and freeze all your soul" and "Walked from the gaze of a dog of a day." The repeated use of the word "cruel" suggests that there is some kind of mistreatment or abuse taking place, although it is not entirely clear what form that might take.
Line by Line Meaning
Untie my hands, you're the best that I've had.
Free me from the constraints that hold me, you are the most satisfying partner I have ever had.
Close to the drains and the sewers in flow
Near the unsavory fringes of society, amidst the garbage and filth.
Hold back from anger and freeze all your soul.
Suppress your feelings of rage and numb yourself to emotion.
Dive through the circle, describe what you hold
Enter the unknown, explore what you possess.
Cruel
Life can be harsh and unforgiving.
Drink and dissolve through the lines in your hands.
Consume your destiny as written in your palms.
Write out of romance (the sugar in sand)
Create stories of love that are fleeting and as impossible to hold onto as grains of sand.
I failed when I tried to defend in my way.
My attempts at protecting myself were unsuccessful.
Walked from the gaze of a dog of a day
Escaped the scrutiny of those who are vicious and unforgiving.
I find when things are mine, Like cold chains and baby whines
I derive pleasure from possessing things, even if they are unpleasant.
Well, Henry says, yeah, Henry says, "It's Sue and I"
Someone named Henry claims he is romantically involved with Sue.
Crawl, and watch your knes!
Move slowly and carefully, protecting your knees from harm.
Slide low, through any sleeze
Maneuver through the morally dubious aspects of life.
And money says, yeah, money says, "You've got to do it slow"
The pursuit of wealth requires patience and tact.
My theme is; loose the plot
My central idea is to abandon structure and purpose.
Fuck around and drink a lot
Mess around and consume a lot of alcohol.
And Henry says, yeah Henry says, "Do it wrong"
Henry advises to intentionally make mistakes.
But I don't think this way
I do not share Henry's philosophy.
And I would never say, I've done the best I could
I am not satisfied with my efforts and would never declare that I have done my best.
Cruel
The harshness of life is an unavoidable reality.
Contributed by John J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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