Four albums followed - Born Sandy Devotional, In the Pines, Calenture and The Black Swan - before the group disbanded in 1989. David McComb and "Evil" Graham Lee joined the Blackeyed Susans while Martyn P Casey joined Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. McComb later pursued a solo career which failed to match the success of his time with the Triffids.
In 1996 David McComb received a heart transplant, having suffered for many years from congenital heart disease. He died in 1999 due to complications arising out of the transplant. In 2006 the Triffids' back catalogue is being remastered and re-released by Domino, beginning with Born Sandy Devotional. In June a brief European tour was undertaken by the remaining members, with guest vocalists filling in for McComb.
Plaything
The Triffids Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The good Lord has our best interests at heart, He's
Making an effort and starting again
Chorus :I just wanted a plaything
The only good ones a dead ringer for the real thing
I just wanted a plaything, the right way to say the wrong thing.
Now you're wearing someone elses pin/I'm as blue as the night is long
Hiding in corners I overlooked in
Sometimes I wonder what the good Lord has in store
for us/Is it a happy ending or a disastrous fuss?
But I know one thing for sure, it's gonna be a ride
So hold on tight and don't you dare hide (Chorus)
The lyrics of "Plaything" by The Triffids tell a story of a person who feels lost in their own plain where there's nothing but emptiness. The line "looking out on my treeless plain" symbolizes the feeling of being stranded or left out in a barren landscape. However, the person still hopes for a better future, and believes that the good Lord is making an effort to give them a new start.
The chorus of the song "I just wanted a plaything, the only good ones a dead ringer for the real thing, the right way to say the wrong thing" is a depiction of the person's desire for happiness and companionship. The singer wishes for a plaything, but even the good ones are not real, they are just a substitute for the original. The line "the right way to say the wrong thing" is symbolic of how sometimes, even our desires can lead us to wrong paths. The singer sees himself as a plaything in the larger scheme of things, just as the good Lord is making an effort to start again.
In the second verse, the singer laments that they are now struggling to cope with the loss of their lover, who has moved on with someone else. They feel blue and lost, and are trying to fill in the gaps left by the splinters of the past. The song's message is about accepting the good with the bad and moving forward with hope, even in the face of difficulty. Sometimes we wonder what lies ahead, and whether it will be good or bad, but we must hold on tight and never give up.
Line by Line Meaning
I thought this was a good place to start
I believed this location was suitable to begin something.
Looking out on my treeless plain
Observing my vast, empty land with no vegetation.
The good Lord has our best interests at heart, He's making an effort and starting again
God wants the best for us and is putting in the work to ensure a fresh start.
Chorus: I just wanted a plaything
Repeating the desire for a toy or object of amusement.
The only good ones a dead ringer for the real thing
The only worthwhile playthings are exact replicas of genuine objects.
I just wanted a plaything, the right way to say the wrong thing.
Yearning for a distraction, even if it means expressing oneself improperly.
Now you're wearing someone else's pin
You are adorned with another person's badge or emblem.
I'm as blue as the night is long
I am very sad and depressed, just like the endless night.
Hiding in corners I overlooked in
Concealing oneself in unnoticed spaces.
Filling in cracks where the splinters belonged (Chorus)
Trying to fix injuries or damages where they actually occurred.
Sometimes I wonder what the good Lord has in store
Occasionally, I question what plans God has for me.
Contributed by Mia K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.