Care - Whatever Possessed You (lyrics) [ 8K × 480p ]

Ian Broudie’s production provides a "majestic, often orchestral" backdrop that contrasts sharply with the bleakness of the prose.

"Whatever Possessed You" is a haunting mid-80s masterpiece by the Liverpool duo , comprised of vocalist Paul Simpson and producer/guitarist Ian Broudie. Released in early 1984, the track serves as a poignant epitaph for the band itself; Simpson famously walked out on the group just as the single hit the shops, leading to the shelving of their nearly completed debut album. The song’s lyrics and composition are a masterclass in neo-psychedelic gloom and romantic despair. The Winter of Discontent: Lyrical Themes Care - Whatever Possessed You (Lyrics)

: References to a "beloved angel" becoming "skin and bones" and love "silently corroding" emphasize that this is not just a mental breakup but a physical wasting away. Musical Composition and Impact The song’s lyrics and composition are a masterclass

: The track features "explosive, melodious 12-string guitars" and "eastern sounding chimes". This creates a lush, shimmering wall of sound that reviewers have described as the "missing link" between the brooding post-punk of Joy Division and the grandiosity of Echo & the Bunnymen. This creates a lush, shimmering wall of sound

: The narrator warns, "My lies they fall like an acid rain" and describes a "tongue [that] is a dying flame," indicating a collapse of communication and the toxic residue of a failed bond.