Waiting for the Call / You 'n' Me

Three main versions:

* "Laughter Version" (September 1980) - Stained Glass Soma Fountains (6:01)

The sound of a woman laughing preceeds a "1-2-3-4" countdown before the song actually begins. Like all versions it features sound effects, though there are some goofy vocal interjections by other band members. The "constipation" noise cracks Ka-Spel up. The whole band sings during the "you 'n' me" section, and they all sing "we keep in line!" at the end. Everybody goes discordant during the fadeout.

This is the slowest version. Instead of the lyric "It suits me, does it suit you?" that appears in subsequent versions, he sings "It suits me down to the ground."

Instruments: Single drum machine pattern; choppy piano chords; organ keyboard chords; two monophonic bass keyboards; single vocal track with no effects; synthesizer effects; occasional vocal interjections; high-pitched synth line during some of the "you 'n' me" section; handclaps.

* "Epic Version" (1981) - Only Dreaming (5:51)

Gradual fade-in to a more "wall of sound" approach, more organic but without the informal goofiness of the "Laughter Version." Many of the synth lines fade out for the "you 'n' me" section, making for a comparatively quiet middle portion. Ka-Spel sings the entire song himself, though you can hear a bit of the "local laughing policeman." The discordant musicianship at the end is more accomplished and is gradually covered by a warm synth, which fades out.

Instead of the line "us in leather, in lovely weather," he sings "depressed in leather, shiny leather."

Instruments: Single drum machine pattern; two vocal tracks with lots of echo; choppy organ chords; guitar; bass guitar; monophonic synth line for the melody; monophonic bass keyboard with occasional modulation;

* "Full Band Version" (1981) - Chemical Playschool Volume 2 (5:06)

Gradual fade-in to a version striking for its Beatles-y, live drum sound. Iliffe sings the "you 'n' me section" on two vocal tracks. Other band members occasionally make quiet vocal interjections in the middle, everybody sings "dressed in leather, ahh!" After "we keep in line," everybody stops and the song ends with a quiet machine-gun synth sound.

Instruments: Live drums; monophonic synth for melody; choppy organ chords; quiet warm synth chords; occasional synth sound effects; barely-audible guitar; two vocal tracks without effects; two vocal female tracks for "you 'n' me" section.

Sounds a Lot Like:

"Another Kind of Violence," because it's the same tune.

What It's About:

While "Before the End" showed us small-town archetypes, "Waiting for the Call" exposes the underdogs and predators of the big city. The city-dwelling narrator goes into a "You 'n' Me" reverie while riding the subway, dreaming of an escape from the troubles of city life, but his dream turns into a nightmare about persecution that ends up as a leather-fetish fantasy. Meanwhile, back in the city, the police are brutalizing and extorting the citizens who are obediently learning to "keep in line."

Lyrics (adapted from the Cloud-Zero archive):

Shuffling through the ciggy packs, the broken bottles, plastic bags,
sprinkling crumbs in corners for the vermin.
There's a feast in the old rat-hole tonight. Little lady fair
and rats for miles around will come to fight for the rat's full share.
It's a pity that the party will be ruined by a guest armed with a spray.

Spraying murder. Playing plagues.

It's early, I should be in bed. They're bombing Brixton in my head.
But still I slink in silence to the station.
A busker in the subway hums a tune apathetically,
while showing me the windows in his shoes for some sympathy.
The sun turned to a nova as he stroked his beard, swiveled dim blue eyes.

I gave him nothing. He sold me knives.

You and me alone together, you in suede, me in leather.
Laughing on our island blowing bubbles at the world.
Free from business complications, sleeping pills, bitching nations,
hemorrhoids, constipation. What a thrill!

Heaven indeed, sad I'm only dreaming.
It's time that I accepted things
the way they really are.

You, me, me, you supporting cast of thousands,
squash into a chute, we're sending maydays out for air.
If you smash the other cheek I wouldn't feel it, feel it, feel it.
Stand on me, stamp on me, stamp out my existence,
I've got this dread disease, you'd better throw me out of town,
don't you recognize the eyes of a loser, loser, loser?

String me up, cut me down, bury me in concrete.
Don't waste a slab of marble on an alien like me.
It might make it that much harder to forget me, get me, get me.
You and me, alone together, us in leather, lovely leather.
The whole world, dressed in leather, haah,
lovely leather. In lovely weather.
What a dream. It suits me, does it suit you?

Old man tried to make a dash. He's blind, he just ran out of cash.
Inspector smirked and smashed him in the ribcage.
Told him "Wait, you're not going anywhere. You're in custody.
I'm bored, got a headache, couldn't care about your poverty.
How old you are, how poor you are - don't matter, everybody's gotta pay."

Pay the money. Pay the man.

Deities in uniform spout up from unseen barriers.
Fingers tapping "Chopsticks" on their holsters.
It's your time or your money, perhaps your shirt, little lady fair.
Slip a hand inside your coat, you're a cert for intensive care.
For your local laughing policeman's only happy when you're writhing in a heap.

We learned our lesson. We keep in line!

Trivia:

Around the time this song was written, Brixton was notorious for its clashes between police officers and local black youths, partly due to the restrictive policies of the police. The 1981 Brixton riot may have inspired this song, though the tensions were widely known throughout Britain before the riot actually occurred.

There actually WAS a Brixton bombing...but not until 1995.

Why you should care:

The idea of two people being alone and "blowing bubbles" at the world is followed by several solo Ka-Spel songs called "Blowing Bubbles."