Fittingly enough, Borland's motivation to cut ties to the punk movement mirrored that of original Buzzcocks member Howard Devoto, who left his own band after Spiral Scratch. Like Devoto, who had gone on to pioneer yet another field called post-punk with Magazine, Borland looked around, saw all the bands who played straight-ahead chug-chug-chug rock & roll, and decided that the tired blueprint was in need of a little more depth and variation; atmospheres, tensions, and unfamiliar twists on the interplay between the instruments would be needed. Lyrics were another thing. Not content with simply railing against the government or grunting and yelping about trivial matters to merely keep a song moving, Borland became one of the few post-punk songwriters whose lyric sheets were truly worth ingesting and analyzing. Former Outsider Adrian Janes aided the cause, remaining involved with Borland in a behind-the-scenes manner, writing some of the band's lyrics with his former band mate.
The Sound made their first recordings in the living room of the Borland family home, with Adrian's supportive father Bob acting as recording engineer. As demonstrated on Propaganda, a posthumous release from 1999 that collects these sessions, the band was gradually -- not so drastically and suddenly -- leaving the Stooges/Velvets axis and applying touches that would be developed into something all their own. They received their first break of sorts from Stephen Budd, an early supporter since the Outsiders days, who had recorded and released some material by Bailey and Borland's electronically inclined side project, Second Layer. Budd's label, Tortch Records, made a small profit from a Second Layer release, so he opted to put it right back into the Sound's first release. Budd also became the band's manager, booking studio time for them with Nick Robbins in Elephant Studios and finding places for the band to gig.
The first release made a humble impression. Physical World was reviewed positively in the NME by Paul Morley, and DJ John Peel took minor interest, playing it a couple times during his influential BBC program. Though the Sound hadn't the will to pine for a major label deal, the WEA-affiliated Korova label (home of Echo & the Bunnymen) came knocking when they found out the band was going back into the studio to make a full album. Korova heard the rough mixes of the album and a deal was made. Regardless of the label's involvement, Jeopardy was recorded cheaply, and upon its release was reviewed extremely favourably by all the important outlets. Reviews in the NME, Sounds, and Melody Maker gave it five stars. Rightfully likened to the Bunnymen, the Teardrop Explodes, and Joy Division in those reviews, one only needs to hear the weakest song from the record to realize that the Sound -- from the very beginning -- belonged in that high class.
Bi Marshall left the band and was replaced by Max Mayers (aka Colvin Mayers) before the Sound went in to work with master producer Hugh Jones, who had previously worked with the Teardrops and the Bunnymen, for the follow-up. From the Lion's Mouth took full advantage of the band's atmospheric, mind-bending capabilities by coating their songs -- accessible and economical as ever -- with richly layered productions that didn't hide the rock-solid foundation the songs were built on. Another round of positive reviews and another round of general indifference from the public ensued, though a cult following was festering. Korova became a little anxious with the band and wanted some hits. Surely, the next one would break them.
It wouldn't happen. Working again with Nick Robbins, the band was pressured by the label to compromise and play the pop game. Not only that, but the band was shifted to WEA proper, a move that probably had more to do with taxes than music. The heat from the label and the climate it spawned resulted in All Fall Down, one of those historically troubled third albums (i.e., the one that super-diehard fans defend to their grave). The Sound responded to the situation with their least penetrable record by a couple brick walls. And WEA responded to the response with no promotion. Criticized for being too wilfully distant, for cannibalizing the back catalog, and for lacking immediacy (i.e., "tunes"), the record still has much to give the listener. Although it's not the band's best moment by a long shot, it's hardly something the band would feel ashamed of later on. To little surprise, the band wound up without a label and decided to reconsider their direction.
The period of dormancy involved a collective realization that the enthusiasm for making music and playing it, despite being a little drained from their experiences with WEA, had never really waned. Several major labels expressed interest in signing them, but in the end Statik won out; the band decided it would be better to go with the small independent. (Surprisingly enough, the band worked out a short-term deal with A&M to release material in the States, but it was pretty pointless.) Shock of Daylight, a six-song EP, was released in 1984. The time off served them well, resulting in some of the band's most fiery and uplifting material. This carried through to the following year's glassy/classy Heads and Hearts, the band's fourth studio album. Two dates at the Marquee during August were recorded for the double live album In the Hothouse, which was released in 1986.
For their final album, 1987's Thunder Up (released on Play It Again Sam in Belgium and Nettwerk in Canada), the band allowed the darkness from All Fall Down and the shivering, plaintive desolation of Shock of Daylight's "Winter" to creep back in. Few were still paying attention, but the Sound released a swan song that most of the members considered to be their finest work, with plenty of variety that hangs together. Nearly a decade of empty wallets and minor personality clashes had eroded the band's resilience, so the band decided to stop shortly after its release.
Borland continued in music throughout the next two decades, producing other acts and releasing another batch of under-appreciated records as a solo artist and as a member of a couple side projects (the Honolulu Mountain Daffodils, White Rose Transmission). Bailey, Dudley, and Mayers left music for the most part. Mayers passed away in the early '90s, a victim of AIDS. And on April 26, 1999, Borland took his own life. Thanks to the Renascent label's reissuing program in the late '90s and early 2000s, the Sound's discography has been restored and revitalized. "From the Lion's Mouth" is still regarded as a mark in new wave.
Winning
The Sound Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Make sure it's strong enough
When you reach the end of your tether
It's because it wasn't strong enough,
I was going to drown,
Then I started swimming
I was going down,
Then I started winning
When you're on the bottom
Crawl back to the top
Something pulls you up,
and a voice you can't stop,
I was going to drown,
Then I started swimming,
I was going down
Then I started winning
Winning - winning
The Sound's song "Winning" is an empowering song about overcoming challenges and persevering towards victory. The song begins by asking listeners to evaluate what gives them hope and to make sure it is strong enough to withstand difficult times. The lyrics suggest that when we reach the end of our rope, it's usually because the things that we rely on for strength and resilience have not been sufficient in keeping us afloat.
The songwriter then draws on a powerful metaphor of drowning to describe the feeling of being overwhelmed and defeated, but quickly turns it around to talk about swimming and winning instead. The lyrics suggest that even when we feel like we are about to go under, there is a way to keep going and to eventually come out on top. This uplifting message is reinforced by the repetition of the word 'winning' throughout the chorus, which serves as an affirmation that victory is possible.
In the second verse, the lyrics continue to emphasize the idea of overcoming obstacles and crawling back to the top after hitting rock bottom. The song suggests that something within us - perhaps a deep inner drive or voice - keeps us going even when we feel like giving up. The repeated refrain of swimming and winning conveys a sense of determination and resilience that can inspire listeners to keep pushing through tough times.
Overall, The Sound's "Winning" is a powerful song that encourages listeners to never give up hope, to keep swimming when they feel like they are drowning, and to believe in their ability to win.
Line by Line Meaning
What holds your hope together,
Questioning the foundation of someone's hope and belief system.
Make sure it's strong enough
Emphasizing the importance of a strong foundation for hope and beliefs.
When you reach the end of your tether
Referring to a breaking point in one's life.
It's because it wasn't strong enough,
Attributing the cause of someone's breaking point to their weak hope and beliefs.
I was going to drown,
Metaphor for feeling overwhelmed and likely to give up.
Then I started swimming
Metaphor for pushing through and fighting to survive.
I was going down,
Metaphor for feeling defeated and losing control.
Then I started winning
Metaphor for regaining control and achieving success.
When you're on the bottom
Metaphor for hitting rock bottom in life.
Crawl back to the top
Advising to start the process of recovery and success.
Something pulls you up,
Suggesting the presence of an external force that helps in recovery.
and a voice you can't stop,
Possibly referring to an inner voice that motivates and uplifts.
Winning - winning
Repeating the word winning to emphasize the sense of achieving success and overcoming obstacles.
Contributed by Christian R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@MovedToTearsGiselle
What holds your hope together,
Make sure it's strong enough
When you reach the end of your tether
It's because it wasn't strong enough,
I was going to drown,
Then I started swimming
I was going down,
Then I started winning
Winning - winning
When you're on the bottom
Crawl back to the top
Something pulls you up,
and a voice you can't stop,
I was going to drown,
Then I started swimming,
I was going down
Then I started winning
Winning - winning
@danielabassano9528
It's very beautiful that spite of his personal struggles Adrian was able to leave also one of the strongest motivational songs ever written.
@PhantomLAM
Generally the people suffering the most tend to be the ones to inspire and motivate the most, it's sad but true.
@literallynull
also The Chameleons - Don't Fall
@AlexanderRamsdell
@@PhantomLAM isn't it true ...
@pieterdevries6182
Adrian was a brave man. He was honest about his mental struggling. Unfortunately he did not win
@brucewillis542
It's way more stripped back than the Cure, but his vocals are amazing. It's the voice of a truly unique person, the song, irreplaceable, the lyrics truly profound and impeccably succinct. He had nothing to prove.
@stefanbruchi495
Ich liebe diesen Song, Andy Borland hat mit seiner Band ein Sound eingespielt der unwiederbringlich ist!Genau an dem Tag wo ich 57 werde , hat er sich vor 25 Jahren in Wimbledon das Leben genommen ! Ruhe in Frieden lieber Andy🥀
@bblue5227
21 years ago we lost Adrian Borland, such precious soul. May he rest in peace. I keep coming back to his songs and discovering their beauty over and over again.
@MD-ru5vs
you are absolutely right. It is a pity that they became never famous and not more people discovered this beauty, as you say.
I have no record player anymore but I keep this album forever, just as a memory of this incredible good band.
@thesound-chameleonman3580
they are becoming more famous NOW.. slow burner starting to flicker..
C.