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.
Marbles
Tindersticks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In that dress growing ever tighter
It was saddening the lengths she had gone to
To appear more attractive
In the process losing something
We never knew but still missed
You knew you were lost as soon as you saw her
You saw your life as a series of complicated dance steps
Together you squirmed and wriggled
And I could only jerk along behind
[Chorus]
They're going to hurt you
They always will
She is now with me, inside of you
And I could only stare wide-eyed
As everything closed in around the three of us
Things you never saw, talking of the power and rescue
That were rushing through our body
And it's good
[Chorus]
She opened the door his face bruised and swollen
Before he knew, pushed, falling down curved stairs
Our message lost and our plans forgotten
Surrounded by men in suits, and black shiny shoes
Moving in, kicking, stamping
Bland expressionless faces
A handful of marbles thrown in a dustbin
Memories, memories
[Chorus]
In a northern town there were amazing rows of standing stones arranged on the southern slope
They got out in the last few seconds of consciousness
Look for their inscriptions one day, the most distant ocean plains, those who make the desert island
I saw you in a tin bath in red water
Were the ones who went to Washington to do their laundry
They wanted to see the mysterious hurricane
I never believed in New York, or where you intended to stand
But we don't actually want to see the shipwrecked
I just had to go
They came
The lyrics of the song Marbles by the group Tindersticks are rather cryptic, and it is difficult to determine a singular meaning or interpretation. However, with a closer examination, it is possible to derive some general themes and ideas that might be present within the song. In the first verse, the singer describes a woman who appears to have undergone some sort of transformation or change to become more physically attractive. However, the singer notes a sense of loss, perhaps indicating that this transformation has sacrificed some essential part of the woman's identity. The singer then shifts to describe a complicated relationship, which feels like a series of difficult dance steps, and in which the singer is struggling to keep up. The chorus is a warning, suggesting that this relationship may lead to pain and hurt for those involved.
The second verse offers more mysterious and surreal imagery, describing a unity or merging of three individuals, which seems to evoke a sense of transcendence or transformation. The final verse shifts again, describing a violent encounter and lost message, perhaps suggesting a failure to achieve some sort of goal or objective. The verse ends with images of marbles being thrown away, which could symbolize lost memories or experiences. Overall, the song seems to deal with themes of transformation, loss, and struggle within a complicated relationship, ultimately leading to uncertain outcomes.
Line by Line Meaning
Her haircut, she looked pudgy and made-up
Despite her styled haircut and heavy makeup, she appeared overweight.
In that dress growing ever tighter
Her dress was getting tighter and tighter, as she tried to appear more attractive.
It was saddening the lengths she had gone to
The attempts she made to appear more attractive were disheartening.
To appear more attractive
She was doing everything to look more beautiful.
In the process losing something
While trying to enhance her appearance, she lost some essential qualities of herself.
We never knew but still missed
Though these qualities were not known, they were still missed.
You knew you were lost as soon as you saw her
As soon as you saw her, you knew there was something you lost.
You saw your life as a series of complicated dance steps
Your life seemed like a sequence of intricate dance moves.
Impossible to learn, they had to come naturally
To execute these moves, they had to come instinctively.
Together you squirmed and wriggled
As you moved with her, you squirmed and wriggled together.
And I could only jerk along behind
I could only awkwardly follow along.
[Chorus] They're going to hurt you They always will
The people she is with are going to cause you pain, as they always do.
She is now with me, inside of you
She is now a part of you, as she is with me.
And I could only stare wide-eyed
I could only observe with a stunned expression.
As everything closed in around the three of us
As everything became tight and intimate between the three of us.
Things you never saw, talking of the power and rescue
As we discuss things you have never seen, the notion of control and saving emerges.
That were rushing through our body
These ideas are flowing through our bodies.
And it's good
It feels good.
[Chorus] They're going to hurt you They always will
The individuals she is with will harm you, as they always do.
She opened the door his face bruised and swollen
She opened the door to reveal a man's face that was beaten and swollen.
Before he knew, pushed, falling down curved stairs
Before he could comprehend, someone pushed him, and he fell down on the staircase.
Our message lost and our plans forgotten
Our message was not heard, and our plans were ignored.
Surrounded by men in suits, and black shiny shoes
We were surrounded by men in suits and gleaming black shoes.
Moving in, kicking, stamping
They advanced towards us, kicking and stomping.
Bland expressionless faces
Their faces were bland and devoid of any emotion.
A handful of marbles thrown in a dustbin
The situation was chaotic, and it felt like we were throwing away valuable things, like marbles in a bin.
Memories, memories
These were memorable moments.
[Chorus] They're going to hurt you They always will
The individuals she is with will hurt you, as they always do.
In a northern town there were amazing rows of standing stones arranged on the southern slope
There were exceptional lines of erect stones arranged on the southern side of a town in the North.
They got out in the last few seconds of consciousness
They managed to flee in the last few moments of their awareness.
Look for their inscriptions one day, the most distant ocean plains, those who make the desert island
One day, look for their engravings on the farthest oceanic plains, where people form deserted islands.
I saw you in a tin bath in red water
I saw you bathing in a tin tub filled with red water.
Were the ones who went to Washington to do their laundry
These are the people who went to Washington to do their laundry.
They wanted to see the mysterious hurricane
They were intrigued by the mysterious hurricane.
I never believed in New York, or where you intended to stand
I never trusted New York, or the place where you planned on staying.
But we don't actually want to see the shipwrecked
We do not truly desire to see the individuals affected by the shipwreck.
I just had to go
I had to leave anyway.
They came
They arrived.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ALASDAIR MACAULAY, DAVID BOULTER, DICKON JAMES HINCHLIFFE, MARK ANTHONY STEPHEN COLWILL, NEIL TIMOTHY FRASER, STUART ASHTON STAPLES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MsMiguel70
Thanks for the post. I too heard this off that awesome NME comp while an exchange student in Scotland. I think it came out the same month the issue headline told us Cobain was dead. I never read the lyrics til today. I thought they were worth putting below. : )
Her haircut, she looked pudgy and made-up
In that dress growing ever tighter
It was saddening the lengths she had gone to
To appear more attractive
In the process losing something
We never knew but still missed
You knew you were lost as soon as you saw her
You saw your life as a series of complicated dance steps
Impossible to learn, they had to come naturally
Together you squirmed and wriggled
And I could only jerk along behind
They're going to hurt you
They always will
She is now with me, inside of you
And I could only stare wide-eyed
As everything closed in around the three of us
Things you never saw, talking of the power and rescue
That were rushing through our body
And it's good
They're going to hurt you
They always will
She opened the door his face bruised and swollen
Before he knew, pushed, falling down curved stairs
Our message lost and our plans forgotten
Surrounded by men in suits, and black shiny shoes
Moving in, kicking, stamping
Bland expressionless faces
A handful of marbles thrown in a dustbin
Memories, memories
They're going to hurt you
They always will
In a northern town there were amazing rows of standing stones arranged on the southern slope
They got out in the last few seconds of consciousness
Look for their inscriptions one day, the most distant ocean plains, those who make the desert island
I saw you in a tin bath in red water
Were the ones who went to Washington to do their laundry
They wanted to see the mysterious hurricane
I never believed in New York, or where you intended to stand
But we don't actually want to see the shipwrecked
I just had to go
They came
@poppychoppy5091
Was a Spotify recommendation. Came here to read the comments of everyone who loved this as much. Its beautiful
@canis77
I remember buying the NME's singles of the week 1993 compilation and hearing this for the first time. Completely blew me away then, still blows me away now.
@colinlogue7685
Same as .....!!
@paulacrevaux5730
Absolutely, great song
@stevebaconlettuceandtomato8353
Now that we're a good cd
@millascent
One of my favorite Tindersticks. Never fails to thrill.
@richardalan1977
A song for those moments when you find yourself at 3 a.m. with a whisky in your hand wondering where it all went wrong
@supermanchini2849
That's just my moment
@andyking7621
I sometimes have this on for breakfast ...(it went tits up years ago)
@ST-xg3gy
@@andyking7621 "tits up"?