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.
Sometimes it Hurts (Duet with
Tindersticks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
coming round here
what got you to thinking
there was something new going on
you're waisting your time
coming round here
what got you to thinking
been lying awake all night
trying to figure out
it's that old song
keeps running around in my head
you're waisting your time
coming round here
but what's good for me
is not necessarely for the best
so play it for me
sometimes it works
sometimes it don't you know
some days it hurts
some days it feels real good
sometimes it hurts
sometimes it don't you know
some days it works so good
i can't see my way home
been climbing these old walls
why don't they screamin
what a cheat you are
(oh i'm not you're mean)
cos nothing else comes near me
you got this trick on the world
me have the sharpest chisel
the keenest eye
it's just that old song
i only got the one
so play it for me
sometimes it works
sometimes it don't you know
some days it hurts
some days it feels real good
sometimes it hurts
sometimes it don't you know
some days it works so good
i can't see my way home
i may have unscrewed the top
just to hear that sound
i may poor little
just to see the light shining thru
a little sip, but no more
hey, you belong to me now
don't you wander too far
so play it for me
and i'll play it for you
so play it for me
and i'll play it for you
sometimes it works
sometimes it don't you know
some days it hurts
some days it feels real good
sometimes it hurts
sometimes it don't you know
some days it works so good
i'm waisting my time
coming round here
what once burned so brightly
is all but smoke in the air
you're waisting your time
coming around here
what got you to thinking
i had a different song
The lyrics to "Sometimes it Hurts" by Tindersticks are a reflection on the complexities of love and relationships. The singer tells their lover that they are wasting their time coming around because they are playing an old song that they have heard before. They have been lying awake all night trying to figure out why this old song keeps running around in their head. The singer understands that what is good for them is not necessarily what is best for their lover, but they still want them to play the song.
The song touches on the idea that love is not always easy, and it can be painful at times. But despite the pain, the singer still wants to hear the song because sometimes it works, and sometimes it feels real good. The song is a representation of the complexity of love and the highs and lows that come with it. The singer loves the song, even though it sometimes hurts to hear it, because it reminds them of the beauty and passion of love.
The lyrics also touch on the idea of possession and control in relationships. The singer tells their lover not to wander too far because they belong to them now. This suggests a possessive and controlling attitude towards their lover, which may not be healthy or sustainable in the long run. Overall, the lyrics convey a complex and nuanced understanding of love and relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
you're wasting your time
The singer does not want the other person to come around
coming round here
Coming to the singer's place
what got you to thinking
The singer is curious about why the other person came
there was something new going on
The artist doesn't have anything new to offer
i had a different song
The artist doesn't have any new ideas
been lying awake all night
The singer couldn't sleep and was thinking about something
trying to figure out
The singer is attempting to understand something
it's that old song
The same idea keeps repeating in the artist's mind
keeps running around in my head
The idea is stuck in the artist's mind
but what's good for me
What is beneficial for the artist
is not necessarily for the best
What is beneficial for the singer may not be beneficial for others
so play it for me
The artist wants to hear the same thing over again
sometimes it works
Sometimes things go well
sometimes it don't you know
Other times things don't go well
some days it hurts
Some days are painful
some days it feels real good
Other days are pleasant
been climbing these old walls
The artist is struggling and not making progress
why don't they screamin
The singer is frustrated and wants something to happen
what a cheat you are
The singer feels like they have been fooled
(oh i'm not you're mean)
The artist is trying to convince themselves not to be angry
cos nothing else comes near me
The artist cannot find anything else that is as important
you got this trick on the world
The other person has something that is coveted
me have the sharpest chisel
The singer has the best tools
the keenest eye
The artist has the best vision
i only got the one
The singer only has one idea
i may have unscrewed the top
The singer is referencing opening a bottle
just to hear that sound
The singer enjoys the sound of something being opened
i may poor little
The artist is pouring a small amount of something
just to see the light shining thru
The artist enjoys seeing the light pass through a container
hey, you belong to me now
The singer feels ownership towards the other person
don't you wander too far
The singer doesn't want the other person to leave
i'm wasting my time
The artist believes they are not making any progress
what once burned so brightly
Something that was once exciting and important
is all but smoke in the air
Something that no longer exists
Contributed by Jackson K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Emilce Herrera Cozzoli
You’re wasting your time coming ‘round here
What got you to thinking there was something new going on?
You’re wasting your time coming ‘round here
What got you to thinking I had a different song?
Been lying awake all night trying to figure out
It’s that old song – keeps running around in my head
You’re wasting your time coming ‘round here
But what’s good for me is not necessarily for the best
So play it for me
Sometimes it works, sometimes it don’t, you know
Some days it hurts, some days it feels real good
Sometimes it hurts, sometimes it don’t, you know
Some days it works so good I can see my way home
Been climbing these old walls
warning and screaming what a cheat you are
Ah, how much you mean (?)
‘Cause nothing else comes near me, you got this trick going on
May have the sharpest chisel, the keenest eye
It’s just that old song, I’ve only got the one
So play it for me
Sometimes it works, sometimes it don’t, you know
Some days it hurts, some days it feels real good
Sometimes it hurts, sometimes it don’t, you know
Some days it works so good I can see my way home
I may unscrew the top just to hear that sound
I may pour a little just to see the light shining through
A little sip, but no more
Hey, you belong to me now, don’t you wander too far
So play it for me
And I’ll play it for you
So play it for me
And I’ll play it for you
Sometimes it works, sometimes it don’t, you know
Some days it hurts, some days it feels real good
Sometimes it hurts, sometimes it don’t, you know
Some days it works so good...
I’m wasting my time coming ‘round here
What once burned so brightly is all but smoke in the air
You’re wasting your time coming ‘round here
What got you to thinking I had a different song?
Reggie R
beautiful
lifemelon - ZoePeponi
R.I.P. Lhasa de Sela...
biesmusik
This is good stuff
lunedude
🖤
Harvy Garibo
her name is Lhasa de Sela...
Nozzy
vocal sounds like Madrugada
Err Pee
what are you?