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That day 'Paddy', Wendy, Martin, and Neil, along with trusty Thomas Dolby, thought it was a good idea to go out on a boat and cross the gentle afternoon waters just to 'stir' the river.
The perfect pop novel of 'Steve McQueen' was still an idea in the restless mind of McAloon, and it would come to light at the end of the same year, 1985, after a first attempt that revealed the remarkable melodic talents of the leader, the excellent 'Swoon'.
But that day something bizarre and unexpected happened to our friends: just a few minutes after Patrick cast his fishing line into the water, he felt it could be his lucky day—'I really think we'll go home satisfied tonight...' exclaimed McAloon confidently in front of the graceful Smith, already anticipating a good dinner thanks to a substantial catch—'Dear Paddy, I think you didn't quite catch a trout,' Thomas pointed out somewhat sarcastically under the terrified gaze of Martin McAloon; in fact, when he pulled up with his rod, there was a shiny, smooth pearl attached to the hook.... And for all the long, subsequent attempts, the elder McAloon did nothing but fish out ten pearls, each more beautiful than the last: the world awakened from a gray slumber of 'The world awake', the praise of daily discovery life of 'Life of surprises', with keyboards dropping notes on the melody like snowflakes and the beautiful guitar counterpoint in the chorus, the relaxed pop\jazz of 'Horsechimes', the frantic '50s memories of 'bad things' (Wicked things), where time is set by the sparkling and concrete rhythm section Neil Conti-drums- and Martin McAloon-bass- and the acoustic inlay of notes and whispers of 'Paddy' McAloon in the melancholic 'Dublin', perhaps the most precious pearl.
What else to say about 'Tiffanys', and the sensations of the title and almost swing-sixties rhythm that brings back the colorful and romantic images of Blake Edwards' classic (almost as if it were a tail to Audrey Hepburn-George Peppard meetings), of a 'scarlet' conversation surreal as a Dali painting (Talking Scarlet) and of those 'pearly' gates we all wish to pass in a twilight march at sunset; while the day’s closing credits end on the piano notes of 'Paddy' and the siren-like echo of Wendy Smith’s choruses-"'Til the cows come home", it's easy to let go.... Finally, evening came, and the five 'pearl fishers' returned to shore with their personal 'treasure chest', carefully and lovingly guarded for a good four years by producer Thomas Dolby.
The 'protest songs', in fact, only began to circulate in '89 (with ethereal Wendy in the foreground on the cover, indeed, old-style) and they addressed in a hushed voice, with customary class but decisively, a music world, then as now, enslaved by commercial interests and unable to learn the lesson of pure pop craftsmanship of Prefab Sprout.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Life of Surprises (04:08)
You can keep the good times righteousness
The best parting line
Rather then pretend we are A1 ultrafine
Shall I be the first then to say what we have found
There's something in our lifetime won't let us settle down
Darling it's a life of surprises
It's no help growing older or wiser
You don't have to pretend you're not crying
When it's even in the way that you're walking
Never let your conscience be harmful to your health
Let no neurotic impulse turn inward on itself
Just say that you were happy, as happy would allow
And tell yourself that that will have to do for now
Darling it's a life of surprises
It's no help growing older or wiser
You don't have to pretend you're not crying
When it's even in the way that you're walking - Baby talking
Never say you're bitter Jack
Bitter makes the worst things come back
Darling it's a life of surprises
It's no help growing older or wiser
You don't have to pretend you're not crying
When it's even in the way that you're walking - Baby talking
Never say you're bitter Jack
Bitter makes the worst things come back
Darling it's a life of surprises
It's no help growing older or wiser
You don't have to pretend you're not crying
When it's even in the way that you're walking
09 'til the Cows Come Home (04:12)
Aren't you a skinny kid - just like his poppa
Where's he working ? - he's not working
Thin as the smile I wear
Cold as the beaches you comb
Till the cows come home
Tell the truth again - tell the truth again
Near to the knuckle, near to the knuckle
Why're you laughing ? - you call that laughing ?
Wearing your death's head grin - even the fishes are thin
When the boat comes in
Things are better now - things are better now
We've education
I doff my cap to a life that lets you
Dream a poor man's dream
But he can't have his coffee with cream
Till the cows come home
10 Pearly Gates (05:28)
Feel the sun upon your back
Someone somewhere wants to steal it
Pray each night you'll catch the thief
But while you sleep he comes and takes it
Does that make you think little girl ?
Doesn't it just little boy
There'll be no stampede on the Pearly Gates
I'll say "after you" you'll say "I don't mind the wait"
There'll be no stampede on those imposing doors
Naked and afraid, cowering we crawl on all fours
See the smile on her young face
Watch life casually erase it
Now I know she's all grown up
She wears a look I can't quite place yet
What makes you cry little girl ?
Maybe I'm scared little boy
There'll be no stampede on the Pearly Gates
I'll say "after you" you'll say "I don't mind the wait"
There'll be no stampede on those imposing doors
Naked and afraid, cowering we crawl on all fours
There'll be no stampede on the Pearly Gates
I'll say "after you" you'll say "I don't mind the wait"
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