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Rainbow (1992) failed to follow the success of the Butterfly album: its lush, pristine production rendered hopelessly out of date by the emergence of the rave-influenced Madchester scene and the US grunge invasion.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."
Safe
The House of Love Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and I play money
when nothing really matters
I shout at the men
Who fight for their lives
And you know why
Chorus:
It's safe in a little world
It's safe when you have agirl
It's safe in a little town
Where money grows in your little white hands
And I'll breath passions from any blue house
I love to love you so dry
Just to challenge your life, challenge your life
For Christ's sake it's something you like
Chorus:
So pray, pray to a Lord
And hope, hope for more
The number have swelled in the years
It;s big and it's mighty, the husbands are drunkards
The size just gets bigger through fear
It's safe
The House of Love's song "Safe" is a beautiful composition with thought-provoking lyrics that explore safety in one's life. The opening lines of the song create a sense of safety and comfort in returning home after a night out, and then the lyrics take an interesting turn talking about playing money even when nothing really matters. The singer of the song shouts at men who fight for their lives, and the following lines suggest financial stability, safety, and the importance of having a partner.
The chorus of the song talks about living in a small and safe world where money grows in your hands, and all is well when you have a girl. The lyrics show how it's easy to live in a small town and to be content with the little things in life. The song talks about how one can breathe passion from any blue house and how the act of challenging one's life is important.
The verse following this once again mentions praying to the Lord and hoping for more in life. It reflects on the fact that the number of people living in fear has increased over the years, and the husbands are drunkards. Despite these issues, the size of the town just keeps getting bigger, and this, in itself, makes people feel safe. The song is a commentary on the idea of safety and how it comes in various forms, including financial stability, a comfortable home, a partner, and even living in a small town.
Line by Line Meaning
I come home when I go out
I wander around aimlessly, but eventually end up back at home.
and I play money
I use money as a means of play, not really valuing it for what it is.
when nothing really matters
I don't take things too seriously, and don't let trivial things get to me.
I shout at the men
I get angry and vocal when I see men fighting for their lives.
Who fight for their lives
These men are fighting to survive, and I am frustrated I can't do more to help them.
And you know why
My frustration is based on a belief that this fight shouldn't even be happening, for reasons known to us both.
Chorus: It's just so safe
The state of being safe is emphasized in the chorus.
It's safe in a little world
Being in a small, confined world where one knows what to expect and is sheltered from outside danger is safe.
It's safe when you have agirl
Being in a heterosexual relationship provides a sense of security and safety.
It's safe in a little town
Small towns have a sense of community and insularity that provides safety and security.
Where money grows in your little white hands
Money is easily accessible in this safe environment, and it almost seems to appear on its own.
And I'll breath passions from any blue house
I am open to having passionate experiences with anyone, regardless of their background.
I love to love you so dry
I like to show affection without getting too emotionally invested, as to avoid any risk of getting hurt.
Just to challenge your life, challenge your life
I like to push people out of their comfort zones and challenge them, in order for them to grow and become better versions of themselves.
For Christ's sake it's something you like
I know you enjoy being challenged and pushed out of your comfort zone, which is why I do it.
Chorus: So pray, pray to a Lord
The chorus takes on a somewhat sarcastic tone, as if saying that the only way to be truly safe is to pray to a higher power.
And hope, hope for more
In addition to praying, hoping for better things is also suggested as a way to feel safe.
The number have swelled in the years
It seems like over time, more and more people have come to believe that being safe is the most important thing.
It;s big and it's mighty, the husbands are drunkards
This safe environment that people have created has become oppressive and basically turned the husbands into alcoholics.
The size just gets bigger through fear
It seems like the more people try to be safe, the more fearful and paranoid they become, leading to an even bigger emphasis on safety.
It's safe
The song ends on a final note that safety is the most important thing.
Contributed by Miles V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Emma McA
Have listened to this track for over 30 years and have never tired of it. A timeless classic ❤
johnDD
👍👍👍
Timeless indeed 👏👏👏
BEN DANIELS MUSIC NOW
I had the ep with this on. This was the first bside I think and the other bside was great too - the two bsides on this ep are my favourite songs by the band, as soft as fire was the other one also amazing song , they have such a unique sound
BEN DANIELS MUSIC NOW
This is my favourite of theirs, such an romantic beautiful song x
Γιώργος Δημητριάδης
Amazing song!!!!
Faizal Popat
Great band
Paul McInally
The SUBLIME House of Love
Emiliano Ortega-Guerrero
the soundtrack our lives... rock n roll yeah
Emiliano Ortega-Guerrero
Emiliano Ortega-Guerrero AWESOME
Emiliano Ortega-Guerrero
guy chadwick