The prototype was Dunedin punk rock band The Enemy. Then there was Toy Love, formed late '78, first gig early '79, they played 500 plus gigs in 19 months, then they were gone. They made an indelible impression on the New Zealand music scene though, upping the theatrics and giving the punters something to dance about. High hopes of making the big time, via Australia, gave way to tougher times ... Toy Love's dissolution soon followed.
Chris Knox, Toy Love's vocalist, was a key player in the foundation of iconic New Zealand record label Flying Nun, mastering some of the first recordings for the likes of The Clean. Knox has been a persistent figure in the NZ music scene and worked alone and on various projects such as Tall Dwarfs and Chris Knox & The Nothing, or simply The Nothing. He also ran his own label, cunningly called Major Label.
The members of Toy Love are said to have hated the sound of the Toy Love LP ("all tops, no bass"). The passage of twenty five years saw the release of Cuts (Flying Nun, 2005) - two discs of reconditioned tracks drawn mostly from previously unknown master tapes along with mixes from 45 singles, the AK79 compilation (Ripper Records, 1980), and demo versions.
Toy Love was:
Mike Dooley - Drums and Cymbals
Paul Christopher Kean - Stereo original with Di Marzio through Holden Graphic (and JBL K145) and Fender Jazz pickup through Jansen Combo.
Chris Knox - A throat, a body and a mind beyond repair.
Jane Walker - Hohner Clavinet, DG-EKO organ, bits of foam plastic, bits of 4x2, Holden graphic amp, speakers, phaser, electricity.
Alec Bathgate - Ibanez 59'er and Rockit 130
After Toy Love broke up, Bathgate and Knox remained together as the Tall Dwarfs. Kean was later a member of The Bats.
In 2012, Toy Love was inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame and given the Legacy Award at the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards.
Don't Catch Fire
Toy Love Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just to see you
Don't think I could still believe you
When you say tomorrow's not that bad, I know
And there's no belief than you can't shatter
Though it doesn't really matter
When you say tomorrow's not that bad, I know.
But there's still one thing that always makes me sad
Thinking 'bout the good things that we had
Thinking 'bout the good things that we had, I know
I watch your striptease til I feel I have to go
I watch the crowd applaud as you put on your show
You're like some mad musician on his funeral pyre
I have to shout aloud... Don't catch fire!!!!
The Toy Love song "Don't Catch Fire" is a melancholic tune that is open to interpretation but can be seen as a contemplation of lost love, disillusionment, and feelings of powerlessness. The opening lines, "Turn my eyes round, Just to see you, Don't think I could still believe you, When you say tomorrow's not that bad, I know," suggests that the singer is still in love with the person they are addressing despite the lies and broken promises. The next lines continue with the idea of disbelief, "And there's no belief than you can't shatter, Though it doesn't really matter, When you say tomorrow's not that bad, I know." The lines indicate that the singer knows in their heart that the person they love is lying, yet they seem to hold onto hope.
The chorus hits with a more melancholic and reflective tone as the singer recognizes what has been lost, "But there's still one thing that always makes me sad, Thinking 'bout the good things that we had, Thinking 'bout the good things that we had, I know." The following verses describe an image in which the singer is a witness to the person they love's performance not unlike a "mad musician on his funeral pyre." In this moment, the singer feels compelled to interject "Don't catch fire." The phrase "Don't catch fire" could be interpreted as a warning against burning out too quickly or as an enjoinment to stay alive. It could also be a metaphorical warning not to let the passion of love consume them or not to let the passions and pressures of life consume them altogether.
Interestingly, the song takes a melodic detour from slightly uptempo at the beginning to slow and contemplative in the chorus. The song is brief, clocking just under three minutes, leaving a sense of incompleteness, which fits well with the themes of disillusionment and loss in the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Turn my eyes round
I turn my eyes around to look at you
Just to see you
I turn my eyes around just so I can see you
Don't think I could still believe you
I don't think I can still believe you
When you say tomorrow's not that bad, I know
I know you're lying when you say tomorrow's not that bad
And there's no belief than you can't shatter
There's no belief that you can't destroy
Though it doesn't really matter
But it doesn't really matter
But there's still one thing that always makes me sad
But there's one thing that always makes me sad
Thinking 'bout the good things that we had
When I think about the good things we had
I watch your striptease til I feel I have to go
I watch your striptease until I feel like I have to leave
I watch the crowd applaud as you put on your show
I watch the audience cheer as you perform
You're like some mad musician on his funeral pyre
You're like a crazy musician playing on his burning platform
I have to shout aloud... Don't catch fire!!!!
I have to shout out loud... Don't ignite and burn down the place!!!
Writer(s): JANE DAWSON, ALEXANDER CHARLES BATHGATE, CHRISTOPHER ALEXANDER KNOX, MICHAEL DOOLEY
Contributed by Eva R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.