The band has a cult following in the United Kingdom and continental Europe, although the eclectic and unique sound Tindersticks possesses never made significant inroads in the mainstream.
Personnel
* Stuart Ashton Staples, born 14 November 1965 - Lead voice, guitar, melodica
* Dickon James Hinchliffe, born 9 July 1967 - violin, guitar, voice, piano, string and brass arrangements
* Neil Timothy Fraser, - born 22 November 1962 - lead guitar, vibraphone
* David Leonard Boulter, born 27 February 1965 - keyboards, percussion
* Alasdair Robert De Villeneuve Macaulay, born 2 August 1965 - drums, percussion, trumpet
* Mark Andrew Colwill, born 12 May 1960 - bass guitar
The band formed in late 1991, Staples, Boulter, Frazer, Macauley and Hinchcliffe having previously been members of Asphalt Ribbons. The final band line-up for the "old horse" mini-LP (1991) was: Stuart Staples (vocals) Dave Boulter (organ & accordion) Neil Fraser (guitar) Dickon Hinchliffe (Guitar & strings) Al Macauley (percussion & drums) John Thompson (bass). Mark Colwill was recruited when John Thompson left the Asphalt Ribbons, but it is not sure if he played any gigs under the Asphalt Ribbons name. Then they changed their name to Tindersticks after Stuart A. Staples discovered a box of German matches on a Greek beach.
Tindersticks started recording demo tapes in 1992, and were signed by Tippy Toe Records who released their first single, "Patchwork".
Their self-titled first and second albums established their signature sound and received widespread critical acclaim. Their live performances, often augmented by large string sections and even, on occasion, a full orchestra, were rapturously received. (The live album Bloomsbury Theatre 12.3.95 is a recording of one such concert.) By the time of the third album, Curtains, however, it was clear that a change of direction was called for. There was a certain ennui to the songs, and the lengthy "Ballad of Tindersticks" was a weary swipe at the pressures of being a touring band.
The fourth album, Simple Pleasure, lived up to its title with a series of snappy, direct songs influenced by soul music. The female backing vocals on several tracks, and the respectful cover of Odyssey's "If You're Looking For A Way Out", signalled the band's wish to move towards lighter, more soulful material. However, the inner sleeve's documentation of the number of takes each track went through was evidence that the band continued to adopt a painstaking approach to recording.
The fifth album, Can Our Love, continued the band's soulful direction, in particular evidence on the tender "Sweet Release" and in the nod to the Chi-Lites in the title of "Chilitetime".
The sixth and most recent album, Waiting For The Moon, was more stripped down and introspective in nature, particularly on the harrowing "4.48 Psychosis" (based on the play of the same name by the British playwright Sarah Kane) and "Sometimes It Hurts". Only the bouncy "Just A Dog" lightened the otherwise melancholy mood of the album.
In 2005 Staples embarked on a solo career and there was resultant speculation that the band had split. Staples has so far produced two solo albums, Lucky Dog Recordings 03-04 and Leaving Songs. The title of the second album, and Staples' notes on it, indicate that Tindersticks may indeed be at an end: "These are songs written on the verge of leaving the things I loved and stepping into a new unknown life, both musically and personally. I was always aware that these songs were the end of something, a kind of closing a circle of a way of writing that I started so long ago and I knew I had to move on from."
In September 2006, the band played a one-off concert at London's Barbican Centre, performing their second album in full with a nine-member string section and two brass players, including former collaborator Terry Edwards on trumpet. This concert brought the band's members back together. A new recording process in 2007 resulted in a new album, The Hungry Saw, which was released on April 28th 2008.
In the meantime, in July 2007, Island Records had released The BBC Sessions, a double CD compilation of the band's sessions for BBC radio programmes. Also in 2007, a stripped-down line-up of three of the original band, Staples, Boulter and Fraser, spent time writing and recording in a newly-equipped studio in Limousin, France. They were joined by Thomas Belhom on drums and Dan McKinna on bass, with Ian Caple engineering. The resulting album, The Hungry Saw, was released on Beggars Banquet in April 2008. Tindersticks played a number of other European dates during the summer festival season and also announced a winter 2008 European tour.
In 2010, the eighth album Falling Down a Mountain was released on 4AD / Constellation Records with a changed band line-up, with Earl Harvin replacing Belhom on drums and David Kitt, a solo artist in his own right, joining the band on guitar and vocals.
The group's ninth album The Something Rain was released in February 2012.
As well as their nine studio albums, the band has produced the soundtracks for four films by the French director Claire Denis: Nenette et Boni,Trouble Every Day, 35 Rhums and White Material
They recorded a cover of the Four Tops song, "What Is A Man", for the theme to the British TV series The Sins.
The Tindersticks song Tiny Tears was featured prominently in the Series 1 episode "Isabella" of HBO's The Sopranos. Additionally, a version of "Running Wild" was played during the ending credits of the penultimate episode of the series, "The Blue Comet". In the Season One Finale of Brotherhood, "El Diablo En El Ojo" is used twice.
* Tindersticks (aka First Album) (This Way Up, 1993)
* Tindersticks (aka Second Album) (This Way Up, 1995)
* Curtains (This Way Up, 1997)
* Simple Pleasure (Island, 1999)
* Can Our Love... (Beggar's Banquet, 2001)
* Waiting for the Moon (Beggar's Banquet, 2003)
* BBC Sessions (2007)
On 17th October 2014, Tindersticks released the commissioned soundscapes from the In Flanders Fields WW1 museum in Ypres, Belgium.
See the band's site at www.tindersticks.co.uk.
Boobar Come Back To Me
Tindersticks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know you feel the pain that I feel
I've heard that a thousand times
It sings behind every door
And I go rushing into that room
To find nothing at all
I ran down into the street
'Seems no matter where I go
I still hear that voice
She sang: Boobar
And all the ships came in
Before the storm began
She sang: Boobar, come back to me
I know you feel the pain, that I feel
I jumped on the nearest train
I travelled down to the shore
I screamed into the waves
But I still hear that voice
I picked up an old guitar
I tried to learn that song
It's been so many years now
Of 'where did all gone wrong?
I sang it in every town
You know, I tried my best
Some nights I almost made it shine
I've made a fool of it.
Was there a time we really sold ourselves out?
We wanted so much more
We wanted something else
I sang it in limousines
On the back of mules
It turned me into a king
It turned me into a fool
(2x)
Boobar come back to me
I know you feel the pain that I feel.
The lyrics of Tindersticks' song "Boobar Come Back to Me" explore the theme of loss and regret. The singer is haunted by the memory of someone named Boobar and the pain that both he and Boobar felt. The lyrics suggest that this pain is ubiquitous - it is ever-present and seems to reside behind every door. The singer searches for Boobar and tries to escape his own feelings by going to different places: the city, the shore, and even trying to learn Boobar's song on guitar. But no matter where he goes or what he does, he is still burdened by the memory of Boobar and the pain that they both felt.
The chorus of the song, "Boobar come back to me, I know you feel the pain that I feel," brings to mind the idea of empathy - the idea that someone else can understand and feel the same pain that you feel. It is possible that the singer is looking for Boobar to share in this pain and to try to heal together. However, it is also possible that Boobar has already gone, and the singer is left to deal with his pain alone.
Overall, "Boobar Come Back to Me" is a poignant and introspective look at the experience of loss and the longing that comes with it. The lyrics are beautifully written and convey the depth of emotion that the singer is feeling.
Line by Line Meaning
Boobar come back to me
The singer is desperately calling out for someone named Boobar to return to them.
I know you feel the pain that I feel
The singer believes that Boobar shares the same level of emotional pain that they do, likely indicating a past relationship.
I've heard that a thousand times
The singer has been haunted by this pain for what seems like an eternity, and has heard others express similar emotions countless times before.
It sings behind every door
The artist finds that this pain echoes throughout their life, and is present everywhere they turn, like an unwanted melody they can't seem to escape.
And I go rushing into that room
The artist has a habit of impulsively and hopelessly seeking out the source of their pain every time they hear it.
To find nothing at all
Every time the singer tries to find the source of their pain, they realize that what they are looking for is unattainable and never really existed in the first place.
I ran down into the street
The singer tries to distract themselves from their pain by getting lost in the sound and activity of the city.
And bathed in the city's noise
The artist becomes enveloped in the sound of the city, momentarily forgetting their own sorrows.
'Seems no matter where I go
I still hear that voice
Despite trying to escape, the artist finds that their pain follows them wherever they go and that they cannot outrun it.
She sang: Boobar
And all the ships came in
Before the storm began
She sang: Boobar, come back to me
I know you feel the pain, that I feel
The artist recalls a time when Boobar's voice was soothing and could bring comfort, but the relationship was complicated and filled with its own pain and storms.
I jumped on the nearest train
I travelled down to the shore
I screamed into the waves
But I still hear that voice
The singer continues trying to escape their pain by physically running away, but they find that it still lingers and haunts them despite their distance.
I picked up an old guitar
I tried to learn that song
It's been so many years now
Of 'where did all gone wrong?
The artist tries to process their pain and memories through music, but struggles to understand where everything went wrong in their past with Boobar.
I sang it in every town
You know, I tried my best
Some nights I almost made it shine
I've made a fool of it.
The singer has tried to perform the song hoping it will provide relief but realizes that the pain and memories it represents can make them appear foolish and desperate.
Was there a time we really sold ourselves out?
We wanted so much more
We wanted something else
The singer reflects on the past relationship and questions whether they sacrificed their own values and desires for a fleeting dream of something more with Boobar and ultimately coming up empty.
I sang it in limousines
On the back of mules
It turned me into a king
It turned me into a fool
The singer reflects on the power and vulnerability that comes with performing music, how it can make one feel both elevated and foolish at the same time.
Boobar come back to me
I know you feel the pain that I feel.
The song ends as it began, with the artist's desperate plea for Boobar to return, hoping they can find solace in their shared pain.
Contributed by Evelyn W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.