Ambition was never the Pastels' strong suit, and luck was rarely on their side; as the group's members -- now including bassist Martin Hayward and drummer Bernice Simpson -- devoted their primary focus to their studies, new music appeared only sporadically and to little notice, on a seemingly random series of labels. After 1983's "I Wonder Why" was released on Rough Trade, they moved to Creation, where they hit their stride with the 1984 drone-pop gems "Something's Going On" and "A Million Tears." After one further single, 1985's "I'm Alright with You," the Pastels split with Creation, moving to the tiny Glass label. In 1986, their track "Breaking Lines" appeared on the influential C-86 collection assembled by the New Music Express, transforming the anorak movement into an overnight media sensation quickly accompanied by intense critical backlash.
Regardless of prevailing musical trends, however, the Pastels soldiered on: after recruiting one-time Shop Assistants keyboardist Aggi Wright, they recorded the 1986 single "Truck Train Tractor," followed by Crawl Babies and Comin' Through. Finally, in 1987 the group found time to assemble an LP, Up for a Bit with the Pastels, followed in 1988 by Suck on the Pastels, a collection of unreleased Creation-era material. In 1989, former Vaselines frontman Eugene Kelly and ex-Shop Assistant David Keegan joined the fold for Sittin' Pretty, the final LP to include Superstar, Hayward, and Simpson. The remaining duo of Pastel and Wright expanded to include Katrina Mitchell for the 1991 collaboration Jad Fair and the Pastels, followed by the 1994 EP Olympic World of Pastelism. Their third album, Mobile Safari, was released in 1995 by Domino in the U.K. (which began a long-running alliance) and Up Records in the U.S. It featured a lineup including longtime band associates Norman Blake and Gerald Love (both from Teenage Fanclub) and ex-Shop Assistant guitarist David Keegan, and a guest appearance from Luna's Dean Wareham.
Their next album, 1997's Illumination, was issued by the same configuration of record labels and featured a similar lineup, only with the addition of guitarist Jonathan Kilgour and guest shots from Belle & Sebastian's Isobel Campbell and pianist Bill Wells. A remix album, Illuminati, was released in 1998 and featured reworks of tracks by Kevin Shields, Stereolab, Cornelius, and other A-list indie rockers. This burst of recognition and activity was derailed when Wright decided to leave the band in 1998, throwing Mitchell and Pastel into a spin. Instead of jumping back into making music right away, the band went on hiatus while figuring things out. The duo next formed Geographic Records in 2000 as an offshoot of Domino, and began releasing records by friends (Future Pilot AKA, International Airport) and obscure acts (Nagisa Ni Te, Maher Shalal Hash Baz.) The band reappeared at last in 2003 with the mostly instrumental soundtrack for the film The Last Great Wilderness. The album was produced by the Sea and Cake's John McEntire and featured International Airport's Tom Crossley along with a vocal feature for Jarvis Cocker. A friendship with Japanese band Tenniscoats led to their next release, 2009's collaborative effort Two Sunsets. The core band was expanded to include Crossley and Mitchell's sister Alison, with Love still there, too. With the record label slowing its pace and releasing one album a year, the band turned toward recording an album of their own, and in 2013 their fifth record, Slow Summits, was released. McEntire was again in the producer's chair and guitarist John Hogarty had joined the ranks. Also on board as guests were To Rococo Rot's Stefan Schneider and Robert Lippok, as well as Norman Blake (again), and original bandmember Annabel Wright. (c)Jason Ankeny
2) An American 50s pop group formed by Dee Irwin while he was serving in the military. Consisted of DiFosco "Dee" T. Ervin Jr. himself, Richard Travis, Tony Thomas and Jimmy Willingham. They toured widely until splitting up in 1959.
Nothing To Be Done
The Pastels Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I shiver when you're near
Deliver me from everything that drives me, oh my dear
Accelerate your pain
White knuckles on the wheel again
Shut your mouth, let's move on out of here
Just try and keep it light
Don't talk that way, don't talk that way, don't talk that way
Hold it there a second
Let me dump this stupid pride
I'm ready for you sweet-heart
Now my mind is open wide
Shut up and make it count
Your concentration paramount
Remember what was meant to be this year
The past is a disaster
And the future's coming faster now
What do you say we go and get a beer?
Simply nothing to be done
Oh tell me i'm the only one
Simply nothing to be done
Tell me I'm the only one
When i was young
I used to sing
I didn't care for anything
When i was young i used to sing
I didn't care for anything
Simply nothing to be done
Tell me I'm the only one
The lyrics from The Pastels’ song Nothing To Be Done have a melancholic tone, capturing the feeling of a difficult situation with someone who is dear to you. The song talks about the feeling of being helpless and stuck in a particular moment and trying to move on from it. The first few lines of the song “Take my hand and take my heart. I shiver when you're near. Deliver me from everything that drives me, oh my dear,” expresses the feeling of being emotionally overwhelmed by someone you care about. The line “Deliver me from everything that drives me” possibly suggests the feeling of not being able to deal with life’s stressors and wanting this person to help you through it.
As the song continues, the lyrics shift towards a conversation between two people, and one of them is trying to motivate the other not to give up. The line “Accelerate your pain, white knuckles on the wheel again” is an imagery of someone being fixated on something through the pain and navigating it even though it is difficult. The song’s chorus “Simply nothing to be done. Oh tell me I'm the only one” seems to suggest that despite the feeling of being stuck, the song’s protagonist still desires this person, and their relationship is highlighted in times of strife.
The line, “When I was young, I used to sing; I didn't care for anything” could indicate the reminiscing about the past when things were less complicated, and life was less restrictive. The idea of being carefree was probably something the singer desires at this present moment, where they are trying to navigate a challenging moment in their life.
Line by Line Meaning
Take my hand and take my heart
I want you close to me and my heart is open to you
I shiver when you're near
You have an effect on me that I can't control
Deliver me from everything that drives me, oh my dear
You have the power to help me escape from the things that bother me
Accelerate your pain
Push yourself to the limit, even if it hurts
White knuckles on the wheel again
Holding on tight, feeling anxious
Shut your mouth, let's move on out of here
Stop talking and let's leave this place
Just try and keep it light
Don't take things too seriously, keep it fun
Or someone may get hurt tonight
Be careful not to cause harm to yourself or others
Don't talk that way, don't talk that way, don't talk that way
Stop saying things that are negative or harmful
Hold it there a second
Wait a moment
Let me dump this stupid pride
I need to let go of my ego
I'm ready for you sweet-heart
I'm prepared to be with you
Now my mind is open wide
I'm ready to think clearly and openly
Shut up and make it count
Focus and make this moment matter
Your concentration paramount
Your focus is critical to this situation
Remember what was meant to be this year
Recall what we hoped to achieve this year
The past is a disaster
We can't change what has already happened and it was difficult
And the future's coming faster now
Time is moving quickly and we need to keep up
What do you say we go and get a beer?
Let's take a break and enjoy a casual moment together
Simply nothing to be done
There's nothing we can do to change the situation
Oh tell me I'm the only one
Assure me that I'm special to you
When I was young, I used to sing
In the past, I found joy in simple things like singing
I didn't care for anything
I was carefree and didn't worry about much
Tell me I'm the only one
Reassure me that I'm the person you care about the most
Simply nothing to be done
There are no actions we can take to change this situation
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANNABEL KAREN WRIGHT, BERNICE SIMPSON, BRIAN LAMONT TAYLOR, MARTIN HAYWARD, STEPHEN MCROBBIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cloudscollide8934
Take my hand and take my heart
I shiver when you're near
Deliver me from everything that drives me, oh my dear
Accelerate your pain
White knuckles on the wheel again
Shut your mouth, let's move on out of here
Just try and keep it light
Or someone may get hurt tonight
Don't talk that way, don't talk that way, don't talk that way
Hold it there a second
Let me dump this stupid pride
I'm ready for you sweet-heart
Now my mind is open wide
Shut up and make it count
Your concentration paramount
Remember what was meant to be this year
The past is a disaster
And the future's coming faster now
What do you say we go and get a beer?
Simply nothing to be done
Oh, tell me I'm the only one
Simply nothing to be done
Tell me I'm the only one
When I was young
I used to sing
I didn't care for anything
When I was young I used to sing
I didn't care for anything
Simply nothing to be done
Tell me I'm the only one
oh for all the fucked up children of this world
@jameskerfoot8325
It was The Pastels!!! The Pastels!!
Finally, I've found it!! After all these years, the background music to the scene in the movie The Acid House where hapless Boab Coyle's gorgeous girlfriend, played by Jenny McCrindle, hops out of bed and gets dressed without showering. This song has loitered in my head for more than 20 years and I'm elated to have finally put a name to it.
I am shocked, though, to discover that Jenny McCrindle, who played her, died of symptoms resulting from mutliple sclerosis in 2014, and that her acting career was abruptly curtailed just a couple of years after this scene was shot by that diagnosis. I extend my most sincere sympathies to her family.
@seaquilt2057
the most roller coaster comment in the history of YouTube
@ChrisBrown-999
I saw them play at the Hacienda in Manchester, 3rd on a bill of four bands when the headline was the Jesus and Mary Chain. They were fabulous but I didn't know what they were called. Took me 20 years to find out. Then, just like you - It was the Pastells!!! The Pastells!! Finally saw them play again in 2017.
@grahambuckerfield4640
Same here, just watched it on All4, first time since not long after it came out, in anticipation of this scene I had the subtitles on, they flagged the song title/artist.
@chipcobb6015
I'm the same mate, had this song wobbling about in my head since watching the film decades ago and have only now found it!
@AmandaLaggan
This sounds like a little flower sprouting from a crack in the pavement. :)
@BrandonBuckingham
this song makes me miss my brother kyle
@kelechi_77
WOAH! BRANDON I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE A PASTELS FAN! I really respect your content and RIP to your brother Kyle, I really sympathize with you as I lost one of my friends to suicide last year :(
@CaribooMalt
RIP Kyle
@jackbarham3499
love you Brandon!