The Furs initially used Martin Hannett as a producer, but their initial self-titled album from 1980 was eventually produced by Steve Lillywhite. The LP quickly established the band on radio and was a top 20 hit in the UK. The album also found success in Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Australia. The US version of the album was re-sequenced, but failed to have as strong a commercial impact.
The Furs found success in the U.S. market with the 1981 release, titled 'Talk Talk Talk', which made its impact on the US album charts and received critical acclaim worldwide. In the UK, the album was a solid hit which spun off two charting singles, "Dumb Waiters" and the original version of "Pretty in Pink". The latter song served as inspiration for the 1986 John Hughes film of the same name, and was re-recorded for the platinum-selling soundtrack.
In 1982, the band was reduced to a four-piece with the departures of Morris and Kilburn. (Ex-Birthday Party drummer Phill Calvert would briefly join the group around this time.) The band's remaining members moved permanently to New York, where they recorded the album Forever Now with producer Todd Rundgren. This album contained "Love My Way", a breakthrough Top 40 hit in both the US and the UK. Ely left the band after this release, though he would return for the 1988 single "All That Money Wants" and the 1989 album Book of Days.
The Furs' 1984 release Mirror Moves was produced by Keith Forsey, and featured the songs "The Ghost in You" and "Heaven". Both charted in the UK, and "Heaven" became the band's highest charting UK hit at the time -- but inexplicably, "Heaven" was never released as a single in America. Instead, Columbia Records opted for "Here Come Cowboys", despite both international success and heavy MTV airplay on "Heaven." "Here Come Cowboys" failed to chart, but "The Ghost In You" was a hit on the US pop charts. The band had become popular in Canada as well, CFNY, Toronto's new wave radio station, listed Mirror Moves as the #1 LP of 1984.
By this time, the band had become somewhat of a staple on US college and modern rock radio stations. As well, they were building mainstream success, fairly consistently placing singles in the pop charts on both sides of the Atlantic, though they would "have more impact on future musicians than they ever did in the marketplace." In 1986, the band re-recorded a version of "Pretty in Pink", which was their biggest hit to that time in the US, and their biggest-ever UK hit.
Richard Butler later claimed that the success of "Pretty in Pink" caused the band to be pressured into entering the studio to record a follow-up release before they were ready. The result was Midnight to Midnight, an album which Butler characterized as "hollow, vapid and weak". A more overtly commercial effort than the Furs had ever recorded before, the album also featured the single "Heartbreak Beat", which was their highest charting top 40 US hit.
However, the Furs were dissatisfied with their new commercial direction, and subsequently returned to a rawer sound with "All That Money Wants", a 1988 track especially recorded for a 'best-of' collection. 1989's Book of Days saw a return to the old-school style and the temporary return of Vince Ely. 1991's World Outside was similarly more of a "back to basics" approach.
From 1988 on The Furs' chart success continued with three #1 hits on the US Modern Rock chart between 1988 and 1991.
The band splintered in 1991, with the Butler brothers going on to found Love Spit Love. After spending most of the decade apart, Butler, Butler and Ashton re-formed The Psychedelic Furs in 2000, and released a live album Beautiful Chaos: Greatest Hits Live, which also featured a new studio recording, "Alive (For Once In My Lifetime)." A DVD version of the performance included live versions of "Alive" and three other previously unreleased songs: "Anodyne (Better Days)," "Cigarette" and "Wrong Train."
Since then the Furs continue to tour the world along with former Love Spit Love drummer Frank Ferrer, ex-Information Society and World Party keyboardist Amanda Kramer and saxophonist Mars Williams who returned to the band after a stint in the late 1980s.
Showing the band's significant influence as a part of the new wave and post-punk movements, their songs have been covered by numerous other artists. Examples include Annie Lennox, Buffalo Tom, Icehouse, Powderfinger, Regenerator, and Robyn Hitchcock.
Easy Street
The Psychedelic Furs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The police don't come
Here on easy street
All the boys in their blue suits
Are lying in the heat
You got no reaction
Coming down my hall
You had no attraction
All the dogs are out today
Running in the sun
Back in the litter
The morning never comes
You got no reaction
Knocking on my door
You had no attraction
For anyone at all
The day goes at the factory
I should be happy look at me
It's definitely no easy street
You got no reaction
Coming through my door
You had no attraction
For anyone at all
I can see you in the plastic town
That an actor sees
I can see you stuck inside of this cage with me
You'll cry like a baby
You cry like a bird
You cry like a lady
You cry like a girl
On easy street
You'll cry like a baby
You cry like a bird
You cry like a lady
You cry like a girl
On easy street
The lyrics of "Easy Street" by The Psychedelic Furs seem to be about a city that is incredibly easy to live in. The opening line "9-9-9, the police don't come" implies that the city is relatively safe and that the police are not needed to keep order. However, this safety also seems to come at a cost, as all of the boys in their blue suits are lying in the heat, inactive and lethargic. The singer observes that the person they are speaking to has no real reaction or attraction to anyone, suggesting a kind of societal malaise.
As the song progresses, the sense of unease builds. The dogs are running around in the sun, but it never really feels like morning. The singer seems to be trying to engage the person they are speaking to, but they get no reaction or attraction. The day goes by at the factory, but despite the supposed ease of living in this place, happiness remains elusive.
The final lines of the song take a darker turn. The singer can see the other person "stuck inside of this cage with me," implying a sense of imprisonment or entrapment. The repeated lines about crying like a baby, bird, lady, or girl suggest a kind of powerlessness or vulnerability. Overall, "Easy Street" seems to paint a picture of a city that is easy on the surface, but ultimately unfulfilling and even dangerous.
Line by Line Meaning
9-9-9
The emergency services are not available in this area.
The police don't come
The police do not respond to emergencies in this neighborhood.
Here on easy street
Despite being on a street called 'easy street,' life is not easy in this area.
All the boys in their blue suits
Police officers are not working in this area.
Are lying in the heat
Police officers are not available and may be taking a break in hotter weather.
You got no reaction
There is no response from someone who enters the singer's home uninvited.
Coming down my hall
Someone is approaching the singer's home from inside the building.
You had no attraction
The stranger who enters the artist's home is not physically attractive to the artist.
For anyone at all
The artist believes that the stranger in their home is not attractive to anyone.
All the dogs are out today
The animals are roaming freely outside.
Running in the sun
The animals are active and happy in warm weather conditions.
Back in the litter
The day has ended, and the animals have returned to their homes or their owners.
The morning never comes
The singer is stuck in a depressing situation that seems to never end.
Knocking on my door
Someone is seeking entry into the singer's home.
The day goes at the factory
The singer has a repetitive and dull job at a factory.
I should be happy look at me
Despite having a steady job, the artist is not happy.
It's definitely no easy street
The street may be called 'easy,' but life is still challenging in this area.
Coming through my door
Someone is entering the singer's home without a proper invitation.
You had no attraction
The stranger who enters the singer's home is not physically attractive to the singer.
For anyone at all
The artist believes that the stranger in their home is not attractive to anyone.
I can see you in the plastic town
The artist imagines the stranger as a part of a superficial and unfulfilling society.
That an actor sees
The artist's perception of the stranger and society is similar to that of an actor in a play or movie.
I can see you stuck inside of this cage with me
Both the singer and the stranger are trapped in a bleak and hopeless existence.
You'll cry like a baby
The stranger is vulnerable and may cry out of despair.
You cry like a bird
The stranger may cry loudly and repetitively like a bird's chirping.
You cry like a lady
The stranger's crying is comparable to that of a lady or woman, which may be a sign of vulnerability.
You cry like a girl
The stranger's crying is comparable to that of a young girl, which may be a sign of weakness and vulnerability.
On easy street
Despite living on easy street, the artist's life is anything but easy, and the stranger's vulnerability only adds to their hardship.
You'll cry like a baby
The stranger is vulnerable and may cry out of despair.
You cry like a bird
The stranger may cry loudly and repetitively like a bird's chirping.
You cry like a lady
The stranger's crying is comparable to that of a lady or woman, which may be a sign of vulnerability.
You cry like a girl
The stranger's crying is comparable to that of a young girl, which may be a sign of weakness and vulnerability.
On easy street
Despite living on easy street, the artist's life is anything but easy, and the stranger's vulnerability only adds to their hardship.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@chr9706
I wonder if the lyrics were inspired by the unsolved Easey Street murders. The album was recorded in 1982 while the murders took place in 1977, in Victoria, Australia. I'm not sure whether or not the murders received international attention at the time, but they were described as "Victoria’s most brutal crime".
"The police don't come":
The victims were not discovered for 3 days after the murders.
"All the dogs are out today":
The victims' dog escaped onto the street.
"You'll cry like a baby ...
On Easy Street":
One of the victims had a baby who was spared by the killer and heard crying by the neighbours after the murders, eventually causing them to search the house.
"You got no reaction
Coming down my hall"
According to an article about the murders, "There were smears along the hallway as if she’d made a lunge for it with bloodied hands. As she’d desperately tried to escape, she was knifed in the back and legs over and over."
(Sources: Wikipedia, That's Life! Australia)
@sex6cult9revolution
9-9-9
The police don't come
Here on easy street
All the boys in their blue suits
Are lying in the heat
You got no reaction
Coming down my hall
You had no attraction
For anyone at all
All the dogs are out today
Running in the sun
Back in the litter
The morning never comes
You got no reaction
Knocking on my door
You had no attraction
For anyone at all
The day goes at the factory
I should be happy look at me
It's definitely no easy street
You got no reaction
Coming through my door
You had no attraction
For anyone at all
I can see you in the plastic town
That an actor sees
I can see you stuck inside of this cage with me
You'll cry like a baby
You cry like a bird
You cry like a lady
You cry like a girl
On easy street
You'll cry like a baby
You cry like a bird
You cry like a lady
You cry like a girl
On easy street
@giordanomarotto1488
Great Underrated Band, fantastic sound and lyrics. Cobain, Vedder and many Seattle Singer's has listened the P. F. ❤
@taliertagreen7264
This is one of the best songs I have ever heard in my life! It makes the mind soar in the noosphere, no less. Very atmospheric
@GhostofSirJoh
1982...there we were
@BrutusMcCrunch
Great solo at end by Ashton
@derekmacfarlane4927
Just love the guitar work on this still after all these years. Especially the fade out at the end 😎
@mustlovepretzels
At 1:47, awesome sax solo. Happy Birthday today(June 5) to Richard Butler. Cheers!
@davidellis5141
Incredible track ! It fades out to soon 😥 !
@Operation_Ajax
This track and album is rock solid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@tinfoilhatter
i heard they got that 'heavy' sound, from the producer makin' them wear 12-pound weights on their wrists and ankles, -
sounds like it work'd, mate~
@psylurian
Their masterpiece.