Their level of commercial success was almost unprecedented by an indie act when their first album 'Reading Writing and Arithmetic' (Rough Trade, 1989) debuted in the British charts at number 4, (even cracking the US Top 40) with little publicity and almost a year after the legendary single and John Peel fave 'Can't Be Sure' peaked at number 45. This now seminal album also featured the single "Here's Where The Story Ends" (more recently covered by 'Tin Tin Out') and other classic indie pop tunes 'Skin & Bones', 'Hideous Towns' and 'I Kicked A Boy'.
A US tour and a (soon to become infamous) "break" preceded follow-up album 'Blind' (1992) for which sky-high critical expectations couldn't be met, though single 'Goodbye' fared well reaching number 27.
It was a long wait before third and most recent album 'Static and Silence' (Parlophone, 1997) was released, followed by a 3-date UK, and 14-date U.S tour. Single "Summertime" (their most successful hit to date on the UK charts) was taken from this album, and garnered airplay in most parts of the world, although the follow-up "Cry" didn't fare quite as well. Gavurin formed a friendship with the comedian David Baddiel when growing up in North London, which would lead to the Sundays providing the song "Another Flavour" (sans vocals) from Static and Silence as the theme tune to the Newman and Baddiel in Pieces TV series.
No new material has been released by The Sundays since Static and Silence (and its attendant singles) in 1997. Harriet Wheeler and David Gavurin have settled down and are raising a family. Patrick Hannan has become a session drummer and occasional record producer. Bassist Paul Brindley, like Harriet and David, is no longer a part of the music industry.
In April 2014, Adam Pitluk, the editor of American Airlines' magazine American Way, tracked down and conducted an interview with Wheeler and Gavurin in which he put forward the idea of a reunion. The response to this was as follows - "First let’s see if the music we’re currently writing ever sees the light of day, and then we can get on to the enjoyable globe-trotting-meets-concert-planning stage."
There is also a Japanese independent rock/punk band named SUNDAYS. They started out in September 2007 and released their first mini-album on a major label in January 2013.
Homeward
The Sundays Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now what'll I do? living alone
You've stolen my heart and it hurts me to remember
Now where'll I go to? living alone
And a butterfly in the wind is drifting like I do
It's dumb - I know what I want to say
But I can't even take one breath
As night falls I hear voices on the radio
(Ooh) I'll follow their dreams
And wake up alone
And a butterfly in the wind is drifting like I do
It's dumb - I know what I want to say
But I can't even take one breath
So now still burning silently away
A storm without the thunder
The lyrics to The Sundays' song Homeward are about heartbreak and the struggle of moving on after someone has stolen your heart. The singer is in pain as they remember the person who has left them, and they don't know what to do now that they are alone. The imagery of a butterfly in the wind is used to describe the feeling of drifting aimlessly, unable to take control of one's emotions. The singer is so overcome with emotion that they can't even articulate what they want to say, and they feel like they are silently burning away.
The chorus of the song emphasizes this feeling of being lost and alone. The repetition of the line "living alone" and "wake up alone" emphasizes the singer's isolation and loneliness. The voices on the radio represent a connection to the outside world, but ultimately the singer is still alone with their thoughts and feelings.
Overall, Homeward is a poignant song about heartbreak and the struggle to move forward when someone has taken your heart.
Line by Line Meaning
You've stolen my heart and I want you to remember
I had feelings for you and I want you to acknowledge that
Now what'll I do? living alone
Now that you're gone, I don't know how to live a solitary life
You've stolen my heart and it hurts me to remember
You've broken my heart and it pains me to reminisce about us
Now where'll I go to? living alone
I'm lost without you; I don't know how to live alone
And a butterfly in the wind is drifting like I do
The butterfly's aimless motion is reflective of my own wandering thoughts
It's dumb - I know what I want to say
It's frustrating that I can't articulate my thoughts
But I can't even take one breath
My heartache is so overwhelming that I can barely breathe
As night falls I hear voices on the radio
I listen to the radio to distract myself from my emotions
(Ooh) I'll follow their dreams
I'll temporarily immerse myself in other people's aspirations
And wake up alone
Ultimately, I'll still be alone when I wake up
So now still burning silently away
My emotions are still raw and intense, but I keep them hidden
A storm without the thunder
My pain is palpable yet unspoken, like a storm without thunder
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID GAVURIN, HARRIET WHEELER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind