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thirty frames a second
composers
Composers: Kerr / Burchill / MacNeil / Forbes / McGee
Authors: Kerr
(Earlier sleeves simply state:- Lyrics: Kerr: Music: Simple Minds)
Written by: Burchill / Forbes / Kerr / MacNeil / McGee (Post 2012 credit)
publisher
© EMI Music Publishing.
© Bucks Music/Hornall Brothers/EMI Music Publishing Ltd. (Post 2012 credit)
background
The lyrics of the demo version were much more personal, relating how
the man's father, wife and children could no longer recognise him. By the time of recording, this had just been trimmed down
to the verse about his father.
"It used to be a lot heavier than that when I first wrote it. It was about a man, who becomes a father,
but he no longer recognises his children, because they don't take up his mastakes, so they turn around and
say 'I'm sorry Dad. I don't recognise you anymore.' They reject his food and everything. But it turns out to
be the song of a man looking back, trying to grasp what purpose there is in existing, what is required, what
you are meant to do. You too often get to the state of looking back, saying 'I should have done this and I
should have done that..." - Jim.
The feedback, effects and percussion at the end of the song lead to the development of
Kant-Kino.
This relentless, driving song quickly became one of the staple tracks of their
live set and appeared as a B-side for the second
I Travel single.
"One of my absolute favourite Simple Minds songs, musically and lyrically. This, for me was where we
came into our own. Atmospheric, menacing, rhythmic to the point of Voodoo... and downright Weird."
"I remember when we wrote 30 Frames and playing it over and over at the Old Mill House at Rockfield Studios in
South Wales. Charlie asked me how I came up with the bass line,
and I told him that I was writing letters on the fret board while I played. This song was a 'Y' - or so the muse in my head told me.
Later, in the song Twist/Run/Repulsion I played a series of the
letter 'X'."
"I must see a psychiatrist... I must see a psychiatrist..."
Derek Forbes
www.derekforbesmusic.com
June 2016
lyrics
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Today I saw a film going backwards,
Thirty frames a second,
Was a man I recognised,
Say who you are.
I lost my job,
Security,
Self confidence,
Bank account,
Identity.
The league of youth,
Coming backward at me,
Thirty frames a second,
Say who you are.
Go back to father,
Father where's my food?
You food is on the table,
That can't be food,
It's dirt.
Say who you are.
Look at my skin,
Look at my face,
Look at my arms,
Getting younger,
Going backwards,
Thirty frames a second.
Say who you are.
I crash my car,
Collapse in town,
Young immigrants,
And legionaires,
Fighting back, back, backwards,
Thirty frames a second,
Say who you are.
Some friends of mine,
I thought were dead,
Are coming back,
"What are you doing coming back Jack?"
Say who you are,
Feel I'm going backwards,
Thirty frames a second.
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discography
demo discography
live history
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