With keen pop sensibilities, a skewed sense of humour and a willingness to draw inspiration from diverse sources (notably punk rock), Therapy? came to attention in the early 1990s rise of alternative rock, but have endured for more than a decade since; Critic Johnny Loftus writes, "After a ten-plus year career that has seen them outlast competitors and outwit industry attempts at categorization, Therapy? are still headbangers with their thinking caps screwed on tight."
Current line-up :
Andy Cairns (guitar, vocals) (1989 - )
Michael McKeegan (bass guitar, backing vocals) (1989 - )
Neil Cooper (drums) (2003 - )
Past members:
Fyfe Ewing (drums) (1989 - 1996)
Martin McCarrick (cello, guitar, backing vocals) (1996 - 2004)
Graham Hopkins (drums) (1996 - 2001)
Discography:
-Hard Cold Fire (2023)
-Cleave (2018)
-Disquiet (2015)
-A Brief Crack of Light (2012)
-Crooked Timber (2009)
-One Cure Fits All (2006)
-Never Apologise Never Explain (2004)
-High Anxiety (2003)
-Shameless (2001)
-So Much For The Ten Year Plan - A Retrospective 1990-2000 (2000)
-Suicide Pact - You First (1999)
-Semi-Detached (1998)
-Infernal Love (1995)
-Troublegum (1994)
-Face the Strange E.P. (1993)
-Shortsharpshock E.P. (1993)
-Nurse (1992)
-Pleasure Death (1992)
-Babyteeth (1991)
Northern Ireland, 1989.
I Told You I Was Ill
Therapy? Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm alone with all the things I've done
The things I can't make right
The words I can't take back
The life that's unfulfilled
The love I've killed
I told you I was ill
I exist a prisoner of my deeds
Manic smiles soon flayed by memories
The things I can't make right
The words I can't take back
The life that's unfulfilled
The love I've killed
I told you I was ill
Bare magnolia walls dragging feet in unlit halls
Unfinished business I've begin and left undone
The things I can't make right
The words I can't take back
The life that's unfulfilled
The love I've killed
I told you I was ill
In this song, Therapy? frontman Andy Cairns reflects on the aftermath of his actions and how they have left him feeling alone and filled with regret. The opening lines reveal a sense of isolation as he is left alone in his empty home. He then begins to reflect on the things he has done that he can't make right, the words he can't take back, the unfulfilled life that he has led so far and the love that he has destroyed. Despite knowing that he should have done better, he feels that he is a prisoner of his actions.
The line "Manic smiles soon flayed by memories" is particularly poignant as it suggests that any happiness he has experienced has been short-lived and ultimately overshadowed by the memories of his past. The final lines reveal that he is struggling with unfinished business, dragging his feet in unlit halls, and feeling overwhelmed by the weight of his mistakes. The repetition of the chorus serves to underline the sense of hopelessness and regret that permeates the song.
Overall, "I Told You I Was Ill" is a raw and vulnerable reflection on the fallout of one's actions and the toll that they can take on a person's mental health.
Line by Line Meaning
Empty home they've all left one by one
Everyone has left my home and I am now alone
I'm alone with all the things I've done
I am lonely and left to face the consequences of my actions
The things I can't make right
There are some things I have done that I cannot fix
The words I can't take back
I said some things that I now regret and cannot undo
The life that's unfulfilled
My life has lacked meaning and purpose
The love I've killed
I have destroyed any possibility of love in my life
I told you I was ill
I warned you that something was wrong with me
I exist a prisoner of my deeds
I am trapped by the consequences of my actions
Manic smiles soon flayed by memories
My happy moments are short-lived and overshadowed by my past mistakes
Bare magnolia walls dragging feet in unlit halls
The emptiness of my surroundings accentuate my feelings of guilt and sadness
Unfinished business I've begin and left undone
There are things in my life that I never completed or made right
Contributed by Jonathan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.