Lightning Seeds are an alternative/pop band, largely the brainchild of writ… Read Full Bio ↴Lightning Seeds are an alternative/pop band, largely the brainchild of writer, singer and guitarist Ian Broudie (born 4th August 1958 in Liverpool, England). The band currently consists of Ian Broudie (vocals, guitar), Riley Broudie (guitar), Martyn Campbell (bass), Angie Pollock (keyboard) and Jack Prince (drums). Co-founder Simon Rogers, although no longer a member of the band, still works with them during album recordings. They are best known for three songs: 1989's "Pure", 1992's "The Life of Riley" and 1996's "Three Lions"

Broudie and Rogers formed the act as the "perfect pop project", and Lightning Seeds broke through in 1989 with the psychedelic synth pop hit, "Pure", which made the UK Top 20 and was a minor hit on US pop radio and a major success on US alternative radio. In the 1990s Lightning Seeds became one of the most popular and enterprising of the era. The 1995 album Jollification was a critical masterpiece, spawning several successful singles. In 1996, Lightning Seeds provided the music and production for the official England anthem for the Euro '96 football tournament. The lyrics were written and sung by comedians Frank Skinner and David Baddiel, and the song, "Three Lions", went straight into the charts at number one.

Since the release of 1999's Tilt the act has taken a back seat as Broudie concentrated on producing the works of others. However, in 2006, Broudie reformed the band with a selection of new members, releasing a Very Best Of album, and performing a number of tour dates. In 2009, the band released Four Winds, their first album in 10 years.

Tables Have Turned
The Lightning Seeds Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Look how the tables have turned
As she walks out in the rain
Time it was not her concern
She’ll never feel this old again

Out of lies wicked lies
Stole a piece of my heart
City lights shines bright

Another piece of my heart
Look how the tables have turned
She stoked the fire but she got burned
No one cares ‘cause the tables have turned

Nights spent with princes and kings
But the beauty queen she plays
Now sits alone in the wings
Dreaming through her prescription daze

Fickle style
An actress smile
Stole the key to my heart
Curtains close
So the story goes
Another piece of my heart
Look how the tables have turned
She stoked the fire but she got burned
No one cares that the tables have turned

Look how the tables have turned

She stoked the fire but she got burned
No one cares ‘cause the tables have turned

Overall Meaning

The Lightning Seeds's song "Tables Have Turned" tells the story of a woman who used to be the center of attention, spending her nights with princes and kings, but as time passes, she has been left out in the cold rain. The singer (presumably a male) reflects on the fact that the woman's beauty and youth once commanded attention effortlessly, but that time has caught up to her. The Tables Have Turned refers to the reversal of roles in the relationship, the woman used to be in control, with the man giving her all of his attention, but now the man is in control, with the woman seeking his attention.

The singer accuses the woman of stealing a piece of his heart and being wicked, which implies that the relationship may not have ended well. The woman's fickle nature is explored in the lyrics, with her moving on from one man to another, never sticking with one for long. Her actions eventually caught up with her, and she stoked the fire but got burned, meaning that her careless actions resulted in her downfall. However, while the man takes pleasure in her downfall, the lyrics suggest that no one cares that the tables have turned, indicating that the woman was never truly loved or appreciated for who she was.

Line by Line Meaning

Look how the tables have turned
The situation has completely changed from what it used to be

As she walks out in the rain
She is leaving and it is raining to show sadness or tears

Time it was not her concern
She didn't worry about time before, but now it is important due to the changes

She’ll never feel this old again
She feels old and regretful about what happened, but it won't happen again to her

Out of lies wicked lies
She used bad lies as a way to deceive and hurt the other person

Stole a piece of my heart
She took something important and valuable from the other person

City lights shines bright
The environment and her lifestyle was exciting and full of energy

Another piece of my heart
She took more than one thing from the other person, causing more damage

She stoked the fire but she got burned
She caused harm to the other person but now she is experiencing negative consequences

No one cares ‘cause the tables have turned
The other person doesn't care about her current situation because they now have the advantage

Nights spent with princes and kings
She had many experiences with important and wealthy people

But the beauty queen she plays
She puts on an act to portray herself as a beautiful and desirable person

Now sits alone in the wings
She is now alone and out of the spotlight

Dreaming through her prescription daze
She is daydreaming or not fully present due to being under the influence of drugs/medication

Fickle style
Her behavior and choices are constantly changing and unpredictable

An actress smile
She is able to fake a smile and appear happy despite what is really going on

Stole the key to my heart
She took something important and valuable from the other person, specifically something related to love or emotional connection

Curtains close
The show or act is over, implying that something has come to an end

So the story goes
This is how the story unfolded

Contributed by Bentley Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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