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.
The Laundry
The Lilac Time Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Past yesterdays most wanted cars
Piled high in the daylight
Chicken skins in the dustbins
Fur coats in the wardrobe
Spare bed in the good night
Fly
Nobody grows old
We just crease and fold
Like the laundry
Nobody will die
We're hung out to dry
Like the laundry
Walk with me in the moonlight
Hear the freight trains roll
From another life
Remember your bedroom ceiling
Remember those old patterned curtains
When you were sleeping
Don't worry who will see
Cry
Nobody grows old
We just crease and fold
Like the laundry
Nobody will die
We're hung out to dry
Like the laundry
Nobody grows old
We just crease and fold
Like the laundry
Nobody will die
We're hung out to dry
Like the laundry
The Lilac Time's song "The Laundry" presents a poetic and nostalgic reflection on the passage of time and the transience of human experience through the metaphor of laundry. The opening lines invite the listener to join a walk through a scrapyard, where the relics of past lives and memories are piled high in the daylight. The chicken skins in the dustbins and fur coats in the wardrobes evoke the mundane and the luxurious, the discarded and the preserved. The spare bed in the good night might suggest a hopeful, yet uncertain future, or a place of rest and reflection. The refrain "nobody grows old, we just crease and fold, like the laundry" highlights the idea that aging is a natural process of wearing and weathering, and that people and their memories are ultimately temporary and vulnerable, like the delicate fabrics hanging out to dry.
The second verse takes the listener into the moonlit night, to hear the roll of freight trains from another life. The reference to the bedroom ceiling and the old patterned curtains add a sense of intimacy and familiarity to the song, as if the singer is calling out to a loved one to remember their shared experiences. The lines "don't worry who will see, cry" suggest that the emotions and the memories are private, personal, and valid, regardless of how they may be perceived by others. The repetition and the soft melody of the refrain reinforce the idea that humans share a common fate of being hung out to dry, suspended between life and death.
Overall, "The Laundry" is a poignant and reflective song that uses lyrical storytelling and metaphor to evoke a sense of shared vulnerability and transience among people. The imagery and the symbolism of laundry, scrapyard, and moonlight create a dreamy and introspective atmosphere that invites the listener to pause and contemplate the passing of time and the meaning of memory.
Line by Line Meaning
Walk with me through the scrapyard
Join me on a journey through a desolate place full of abandoned cars.
Past yesterdays most wanted cars
Move past relics of a time when these cars were in high demand.
Piled high in the daylight
Stacked up and visible in the light of day.
Chicken skins in the dustbins
Discarded animal scraps laying in the trash bins.
Fur coats in the wardrobe
Valuable clothing stored away in the closet.
Spare bed in the good night
An available place to rest well at night.
Don't bother with the bills
Don't stress over financial obligations.
Fly
Take off like a bird and don't look back.
Nobody grows old
A poetic phrase indicating that life changes occur over time.
We just crease and fold
Like laundry, our lives may change through routine care and handling.
Like the laundry
An extended metaphor for the patterns and treatment of life.
Nobody will die
This verse suggests immortality; however, meant as the memory of people living on.
We're hung out to dry
Indicates our lifelong exposure to difficult circumstances and challenges.
Walk with me in the moonlight
Share an intimate moment under the soft light of the moon.
Hear the freight trains roll
Notice the train tracks close by, and hear the noise of the once-present cargo trains.
From another life
A reference to the past life and memories this area might hold.
Remember your bedroom ceiling
Think back to your own personal space and the things that made you feel safe and comfortable.
Remember those old patterned curtains
Recall specific details and memories associated with the scenery in your happy place.
When you were sleeping
The peaceful state we are in, in which we are not worrying.
Don't worry who will see
Don't be concerned about what others will think of you.
Cry
Be vulnerable and allow yourself to express emotions.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: STEPHEN DUFFY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind