The original group consisted of Stefan Cush (Vocals, Guitar), Paul Simmonds (Guitar, Bouzouki, Mandolin, Keyboards), Phil "Swill" Odgers (Vocals, Guitar, Tin Whistle, Melodica), Jon Odgers (Drums, Percussion) and Shanne Bradley (Bass, Flute).
Their first single, "The Green Fields of France", was released in 1984. Written by Eric Bogle (of 'The Band Played Waltzing Matilda' fame), the song's protagonist imagined having a conversation with one of the fallen soldiers of World War I whilst sitting by his graveside. The song received considerable airplay on the John Peel show on BBC Radio 1 and finished at No.3 in Peel's Festive 50 for that year.
The following year came TMTCH's debut album, 'The Night of a Thousand Candles' and its accompanying single "Ironmasters" - this time a self-penned number by main songwriter Simmonds, linking the Industrial Revolution to the present-day treatment of the working class. The original final line of the song - "and oh, that iron bastard, she still gets her way" (a reference to the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher) had to be removed for the single version to ensure radio airplay.
In 1985 the band signed for MCA records and released "How Green Is The Valley". The record included "Ghosts Of Cable Street" a political number concerning The Battle of Cable Street in 1936 and "Shirt Of Blue" which regarded the miners' strike of 1984-5 . At the end of promotion for the album Shanne Bradley was replaced on bass by Ricky McGuire (ex UK Subs ).
In 1987 the band switched to Magnet Records and the new record released was, what may fans consider their best "Waiting For Bonaparte". Once again the strongest songs were stories of historical origin. "The Colours" told of an English mutineer sailor during the Napoleonic War and "The Crest" a stretcher bearer during World War II. Sadly whilst "The Colours" was at no.61 in the British top 75 it was blacklisted by Radio 1 due to the line "You've Come Here To Watch Me Hang", which echoed the events happening in South African townships at the time.
In 1988 the band were on the move again and signed for new label Silvertone (who later put out The Stone Roses debut release). Highlights of "Silvertown" included "Rain, Steam and Speed", "A Place In The Sun" and "A Map Of Morocco". They followed this up in 1990 with "The Domino Club" , which had a more conventional rock sound dispensing with much of the folk element in their sound.
Surprisingly the band split in 1991 after releasing a live set "Alive, Alive-0". Paul Simmonds and "Swill" Odgers then formed Liberty Cage who released an album "Sleep Of The Just" in 1994 and an EP "I'll Keep It With Mine" in 1995.
To the delight of their fans the band reformed (minus drummer Jon Odgers who had become Therapy? drum technician). Their new cd was "Never Born To Follow", released on the Demon label in 1996. The following year the band released the mini-album "Six Pack". Two "Best Of" collections followed "Majestic Grill" and "The Mud, The Blood And The Beer" both 1998.
The band again withdrew into semi retirement during which Odgers and Simmonds again relased new material together, "Baby Fishlips" in 1999 and "Folk At The Fortress" in 2002.
The band released a brand new cd in 2003 "The Cherry Red Jukebox", which most fans agreed was a real return to form. In 2005 the band released a DVD to celebrate 21 years together "21 Years Of Love And Hate". This was later released as a live double CD "Smugglers and Bounty Hunters". The band continue to play occasional live concerts. Their next planned release is an acoustic folk orientated cd, including reworking of several popular old songs from their back catalogue.
During breaks from the band "Swill" Odgers has released two Cd's with his band "The Swaggerband" which includes Ricky McGuire and Jon Odgers plus lyrical contribution from Paul Simmonds. They are "The Day After" in 2004 and "Elvis Lives Here" on Irregular Records in 2006.
Official Website http://www.tmtch.net/
The Bells
The Men They Couldn't Hang Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A sound that had a tale to tell
A tale that told of the time to come
Time and the ringing bell
As I grew strong they built the land
Built with the labour of brain and hands
The brain to plan, the hand to take
One winters morning I was wed
Became a man in a hotel bed
The bells were ringing as we left the church
Ringing in my head
So ring out the bells
So ring out the bells
The years went past, a boy was born
Champagne bubbled and suits were worn
The older I get, the deeper in debt
Dusk gets nearer than dawn
So ring out the bells
So ring out the bells
What you've never had you'll never miss
But what you've always had's like a deadly kiss
I had a wish, I had a time
Between the chimes of the bells
So ring out the bells
So ring out the bells
The Men They Couldn’t Hang’s song “The Bells” is about the journey of life, from birth to death, and how the sound of a ringing bell ties everything together. The opening lines, “I was born to the sound of a ringing bell / A sound that had a tale to tell / A tale that told of the time to come / Time and the ringing bell,” suggest that the ringing bell is a metaphor for the passage of time and the tale it tells is the story of life. As the singer grows up, he sees the world being built around him, “Built with the labour of brain and hands / The brain to plan, the hand to take / The crystal from the sand.” This suggests that the bell not only represents the passage of time but also the growth and progress of society.
The song then shifts to the singer’s wedding day, “One winters morning I was wed / Became a man in a hotel bed / The bells were ringing as we left the church / Ringing in my head.” The wedding bells symbolize his transition into adulthood and the start of a new chapter in his life. As time goes on, the singer becomes more aware of the fragility and fleetingness of life, “The years went past, a boy was born / Champagne bubbled and suits were worn / The older I get, the deeper in debt / Dusk gets nearer than dawn.” The bells continue to ring, reminding him of the passage of time and the inevitability of death.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born to the sound of a ringing bell
I was born into this world with the sound of a bell ringing in my ears
A sound that had a tale to tell
The sound of the bell had a story to share
A tale that told of the time to come
The story the bell told was about the future
Time and the ringing bell
Time and the sound of the bell were intertwined
As I grew strong they built the land
As I got older, the world around me developed and expanded
Built with the labour of brain and hands
This expansion was made possible through the hard work and creativity of people
The brain to plan, the hand to take
It took a combination of intelligence and action to achieve this growth
The crystal from the sand
The growth was like turning sand (something ordinary) into crystal (something valuable)
One winters morning I was wed
On a winter day, I got married
Became a man in a hotel bed
This momentous occasion happened in a hotel room
The bells were ringing as we left the church
The sound of bells accompanied us as we left the church
Ringing in my head
The sound of the bells stayed with me even after we left the church
So ring out the bells
Let the bells ring out loudly
The years went past, a boy was born
Time passed, and we had a son
Champagne bubbled and suits were worn
We celebrated with champagne and dressed up in formal attire
The older I get, the deeper in debt
As I grow older, my financial obligations increase
Dusk gets nearer than dawn
I'm closer to the end of my life than the beginning
What you've never had you'll never miss
You can't miss something you've never experienced
But what you've always had's like a deadly kiss
However, something you've always had can have a grip on you like a dangerous lover
I had a wish, I had a time
I had a desire and a particular moment in mind
Between the chimes of the bells
This desire was connected to the sound of the bells
So ring out the bells
Let the bells ring out loudly
So ring out the bells
Let the bells ring out loudly
Contributed by Kaylee G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Paul Smeenis
on Ironmasters
Dunno what track 6 is but it sure isn't Ironmasters