The initial line-up for the debut album, entitled The Lilac Time, released in November 1987 was the two Duffys and keyboardist Michael Weston. Subsequent line-ups have revolved around the two brothers and included drummer Michael Giri, bassist Micky Harris, multi-instrumentalist Caroline Radcliffe, pianist Cara Tivey. Nick Duffy briefly left in 1990 and was replaced by guitarist Sagat Guirey. Later members post '91 split include backing vocalist & keyboardist Claire Worrall and pedal steel guitarist Melvin Duffy (no relation!).
The band's activity is intertwined with Stephen's solo career, waxing and waning as his time and attention permit. The longest gap between Lilac Time records was 8 years - 1991's Astronauts to 1999's Looking for a Day in the Night.
Now, Stephen Duffy is perhaps best known as the co-songwriter and producer for Robbie Williams, and after many years of obscurity, a series of reissues now means that the entire Lilac Time back catalogue is available to buy in the UK for the first time ever. His three later solo albums (1993's Music in Colors, 1995's Duffy & 1998's I Love My Friends) have also been reissued with extra tracks.
From 2003 to 2009 the band released records as Stephen Duffy & The Lilac Time and has stabilised with the permanent line-up of Stephen Duffy, Nick Duffy and Claire Worrall (who married Stephen Duffy in 2008). Michael Giri, Micky Harris and Melvin Duffy supplement the line-up on rare occasions they play live.
April 2015 sees the return of The Lilac Time name in the form of a new album, entitled No Sad Songs.
She Still Loves You
The Lilac Time Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A candle burns
She's thinking for herself
Will I ever learn?
She is almost blue, she still loves you
But knows when things are through
Before the story wanes
He knew the lines by heart
But did he know what he was saying?
Now she's almost blue, she still loves you
But knows when things are through
She remakes and relives
And acts out the sequel
She's living in close up
But not with real people
She's lonely and crazy
In need of attention
She needs more than friendship
To ease the tension
She's almost blue, she still loves you
But knows when things are through
Touch down
The flight of fancy had to end
And time would find another friend
Who wouldn't have to ask why
He made you want to die
The Lilac Time's song, She Still Loves You, tells the story of a girl who is alone and struggling to come to terms with a failed relationship. She is lighting a candle as she is lost in thought pondering if she will ever learn to not make the same mistakes again. The singer of the song is holding onto something she can no longer have. She is aware that her ex-lover is no longer interested in her, but she still has residual feelings towards him. She knows that he is not good for her, but she cannot help how she feels. These residual feelings are causing her pain, and she knows that she needs to let go, but she is unsure of how to do so. She is living in the past and cannot seem to accept reality.
The chorus "She's almost blue, she still loves you, but knows when things are through" emphasizes the fact that she understands that the relationship is over, but she still loves him. She is also aware that she needs to move on and come to terms with the reality that the relationship is over.
The last verse portrays the girl as living in a fantasy world. She is recreating memories and situations where she and her ex-lover were together. However, it is sad to see that she is not living in reality, and she needs more than just friendship to overcome depression and emotional turmoil. The final line, "Who wouldn't have to ask why he made you want to die," expresses the emotional impact the relationship left on her.
Line by Line Meaning
The girl sits all alone
The girl is sitting alone, without someone to comfort her
A candle burns
A candle is lit, suggesting that it is dark or that she is reminiscing
She's thinking for herself
She is taking time to think about her feelings
Will I ever learn?
She is unsure if she will ever overcome her pain
She is almost blue, she still loves you
She is sad and heartbroken because she still loves him
But knows when things are through
She recognizes and accepts that the relationship is over
She pauses all those scenes
She remembers and relives the moments they had together
Before the story wanes
Before the feelings fade away
He knew the lines by heart
He was familiar with the relationship and probably took it for granted
But did he know what he was saying?
He may not have realized how much he was hurting her
She remakes and relives
She replays the memories in her mind
And acts out the sequel
She imagines what could have been
She's living in close up
She's focusing on the details and not the bigger picture
But not with real people
She's unable to find someone new who can replace him
She's lonely and crazy
She's feeling isolated and upset
In need of attention
She longs for someone to care about her
She needs more than friendship
She wants a romantic relationship and not just a platonic one
To ease the tension
To alleviate the stress and pain she is feeling
Touch down
A metaphorical expression of hitting rock-bottom
The flight of fancy had to end
Their romantic relationship ended
And time would find another friend
Time will eventually help her heal
Who wouldn't have to ask why
She will eventually find someone who understands her without her having to explain herself
He made you want to die
He caused her emotional pain that was hard for her to bear
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: STEPHEN DUFFY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind