In a crowd, in a city I call my home
Undercover, on the edge I move alone
The Canadian New Wave band Martha and the Muffins are better known for their 1980 international hit Echo Beach (the name a reference to the 1977 Ultravox song Hiroshima Mon Amour, itself a reference to a 1959 French film – it’s references all the way down!)
It’s a great video, by the way. Aren’t they all so young??!
But strangely, I never actually heard Echo Beach at the time.
During the mid 1980s, the Muffins dropped to a duo and renamed themselves as M+M. (Definitely NOT to be confused with Eminem.) This was happening even by 1983 – Danseparc was titled with both band names. But like many of their peers, they made a comeback in the synthpop resurgence of the 2000s and their latest album, Delicate, was released in 2010.
There are still some gems for me from the 1990s period; 1992’s Rainbow Sign is one. Capturing perhaps that newfound sense of optimism in the wake of cancelled Armageddon that was so rare and precious to see in 90s media (which usually went for the dark, bleak and weird). It reaches my soul. But it’s a different feeling from a different time.
No, the Muffins song that haunted my 80s was 1983’s Danseparc (Every Day It’s Tomorrow). I probably only heard it a couple of times; almost certainly on AM radio. It has all the cyberpunk elements though… urban mystery, science, future shock, a hint of romance… and what is that face laser scanner thing?
In a crowd, in a city I call my home
Undercover on the edge I move alone
Faces stare across at me
With eyes that look but cannot see
Out of reach, out of love, stepping out of bounds.
Every day it’s tomorrow and I never know what tomorrow will be
Every day it’s tomorrow and I feel someone move close to me
Every day it’s tomorrow and I never know what tomorrow will be
Every day it’s tomorrow and to dance with you is all I need.
(Into the thick, into the night, into your arms in the failing light.)
Danseparc!
In a park, in a city I call your name
Will the way that we dance always be the same?
Hold me fast, draw me near
Don’t let love disappear
Come to life, come together, steal me from my sleep.
Every day it’s tomorrow and I never know what tomorrow will be
Every day it’s tomorrow and I feel someone move close to me
Every day it’s tomorrow and I never know what tomorrow will be
Every day it’s tomorrow and to dance with you is all I need…
(Into the thick, into the night, into your arms in the failing light.)