Named after the 1960 short story "The Day The Icicle Works Closed" by science fiction author Frederik Pohl, The Icicle Works joined Liverpool's early 1980s 'neo-psychedelia' wave, which also propelled Echo & the Bunnymen and The Teardrop Explodes to stardom.
The band was founded in Liverpool by 18-year-old singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist and frontman Ian McNabb. In 1980, McNabb joined up with drummer Chris Sharrock (who had been playing with McNabb on and off since he was nine) and bassist Chris Layhe (who had been recruited though a classified ad), and they began playing as The Icicle Works. By the end of 1981, the trio had recorded a six-song independently released cassette, and in 1982 they released the independent single "Nirvana". The following year, The Icicle Works were signed to the Beggars Banquet label, who issued the single Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream) on their subsidiary label Situation Two.
Later that year, The Icicle Works' would release their biggest UK hit, 1983's Love Is a Wonderful Colour. Their debut eponymous album (1984) would follow shortly thereafter, reaching number 24 on the UK charts, and also hitting the U.S. top 40. Also appearing on the U.S. top 40 singles charts at around the same time (and hitting the Canadian top twenty) was Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly), a retitled and very slightly remixed version of The Icicle Works' Situation Two release of 1983.
However, commercial success for The Icicle Works after this point was minimal. Their second album, The Small Price of a Bicycle (1985) spun off no hit singles, and wasn't even released outside the UK. Later albums If You Want to Defeat Your Enemy Sing His Song (1987), and Blind (1988) were both issued in the UK and North America, and even spun off minor hits. Nevertheless, no post-1984 Icicle Works single would chart higher than 52 in the UK, and after "Whisper To A Scream", the band never again made the US Hot 100.
Some have attributed this unfortunate commercial decline to The Icicle Works' change in sound over the years, from an initial 'new wave' feel to a more straight-ahead rock sound inspired by Neil Young, The Doors, and the Ramones, amongst others. But whatever the cause, despite critical acclaim the band was unable to consistently record hit singles. As well, by the late 1980s, tensions within the group were increasing allegedly due to McNabb's controlling ways. By 1988, in addition to writing virtually all of The Icicle Works' material, as well as singing and playing guitar, McNabb was also producing the group's records.
Accordingly, shortly after Blind was issued, drummer Chris Sharrock departed to The La's. Sharrock would later be a member of The Lightning Seeds and World Party, and would also drum for Robbie Williams, Del Amitri and Eurythmics. Around this same time, Layhe also departed, and Beggars Banquet dropped the group from their roster.
Undaunted, McNabb soldiered on under The Icicle Works banner for a while. Zak Starkey, son of Ringo Starr, briefly occupied the drumstool, while various keyboardists, bassists, and guitarists passed through before the band released Permanent Damage (1990), recorded for Epic/Sony. By that time, the band's lineup was McNabb, bassist Roy Corkill, former 10cc and Jethro Tull drummer Paul Burgess, keyboardist Dave Baldwin, and backing vocalist Mark Revell.
This 'second-generation' version of The Icicle Works quietly broke up after Permanent Damage failed to chart, and Epic dropped the band. Ian McNabb's solo career officially began in 1991 with the release of the single Great Dreams of Heaven; for further details on McNabb's solo career, please see the entry for Ian McNabb.
In 1992, a compilation called The Best of The Icicle Works was released, containing the best of their work from the Beggars Banquet years. Two years later, a live recording of a 1987 concert was issued.
On December 31, 2005, after having been a solo act for 15 years, McNabb announced he was reviving "The Icicle Works" name in 2006 for a series of concerts and an album. However, this version of the band would contain no original members other than McNabb.
Evangeline
The Icicle Works Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was looking for a friend
My headlights lit her body
By some pine trees on a bend
I slowed down right beside her
I turned the music down
She looked around and climbed inside
She didn't make a sound
[Chorus]
Evangeline
Evangeline
Evangeline
Well soon we started talkin'
I asked her for her name
She said it's not important
But I'll tell you anyway
My mother loved the bayou
My daddy worked the land
The named me after what they loved
So the world would understand
[Chorus]
We stopped just passed the crossroads
She thanked me once again
I didn't want to leave her
But I drove on just the same
I thought about her story
Words whispered from her mouth
Her beauty and her innocents
Where credit to her sound
[Chorus]
I could not believe
She was gone when I returned
The forest evening chorus
was the only sound I heard
Now if you ever see her
Be sure to say hello
Her level thumb
My stop you
If you're westbound and alone
[Chorus]
The Icicle Works's song Evangeline is a haunting yet uplifting tale of a chance encounter between the singer and a mysterious woman named Evangeline. The song begins with the singer driving alone at night, looking for a friend when he happens upon Evangeline standing by some pine trees on a bend. He slows down, turns the music down, and Evangeline climbs inside, without making a sound. The two begin talking, and the singer learns that Evangeline is named after what her parents loved - her mother loved the bayou, and her father worked the land.
As the song progresses, the singer reflects on Evangeline's beauty and innocence and can't believe that she's gone when he returns. The forest and evening chorus are the only sounds he hears, and he urges anyone who sees her to say hello, as her level thumb may stop them if they're traveling alone. The song seems to hint at the ephemeral nature of life and the loveliness of chance encounters.
Interestingly, the name "Evangeline" means "bearer of good news," which adds another layer of meaning to the song. Additionally, Icicle Works frontman Ian McNabb has said that the song was inspired by Cajun culture and literature. The lyrics reference the bayou, which is a swampy area in southern Louisiana, and the Cajun French word "lagniappe," which means something given as a bonus.
Line by Line Meaning
It was sometime after midnight
Late at night, when most people were fast asleep
I was looking for a friend
I was seeking companionship or someone to talk to
My headlights lit her body
The car lights shone on her figure
By some pine trees on a bend
She was standing next to some pine trees on a curved road
I slowed down right beside her
I reduced the speed of the car until it stopped next to her
I turned the music down
I reduced the volume of the car stereo
She looked around and climbed inside
She made sure no one was watching and then got into the car
She didn't make a sound
She didn't speak at all
Evangeline
Evangeline
Evangeline
Repetition of the woman's name, which is the title of the song
Well soon we started talkin'
We began to have a conversation shortly after she got in the car
I asked her for her name
I inquired about her name
She said it's not important
She dismissed the significance of her name
But I'll tell you anyway
But she decided to reveal it anyway
My mother loved the bayou
Her mother had an attachment to the bayou
My daddy worked the land
Her father was a farmer
The named me after what they loved
They gave her a name associated with what they cherished
So the world would understand
So that people could comprehend her roots and identity
We stopped just passed the crossroads
We stopped a little further from the junction
She thanked me once again
She expressed her gratitude again
I didn't want to leave her
I wanted to stay with her
But I drove on just the same
Despite my reluctance, I continued driving
I thought about her story
I reflected on the story she had shared
Words whispered from her mouth
The things she said in a soft voice
Her beauty and her innocents
Her attractiveness and purity of character
Where credit to her sound
Contributed to her charm or allure
I could not believe
I was unable to accept
She was gone when I returned
She was no longer there when I went back
The forest evening chorus
The natural sounds of the forest at night
was the only sound I heard
The only thing I could hear was the forest sounds
Now if you ever see her
If you encounter her
Be sure to say hello
Make sure to greet her
Her level thumb
Her thumb raised high up
My stop you
Might make you stop your car
If you're westbound and alone
If you are traveling westward without any companions
Evangeline
Evangeline
Evangeline
Reiteration of the woman's name, which is the song's title
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: IAN MCNABB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
yorkshire pudding
Love this song, great vocals. Brings back good memories of Liverpool in the 80's
Don Stevens
Must check out this band more thoroughly, very cool track :-)
Bill Wellington
Just thinking about the same thing...
Spooky!!
David Mildenhall
Check out Ian McNabbs solo career as well..
Trance Parent
Man that opening strum of the guitar still makes the hair on my neck stand up
AlyTennyson
My fave guitar opener is Understanding Jane !!
Martin Kyle
Great singing from Ian.
blackmore4
Really really special voice.
Joanne Dwyer
2019 and still love this. Timeless, pure and his voice is still sexy. Also I had a massive crush on him once 😂😂😂😂
KEEP CALM and PLAY SOCCER IN YOUR PAJAMAS
Let's try to keep this professional please.