: The setting is established with "November cold frost bites" and a bed described as "colder than chloroform". This medical/chemical metaphor suggests a numbing, artificial state of grief.
: 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.
: 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 Care - Whatever Possessed You (Lyrics)
: 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.
The tracks intended for their lost album, Love Crowns and Crucifies , were eventually collated and released in 1997 on the compilation Diamonds & Emeralds , preserving this frozen moment of 80s melancholia for future listeners. Care: Whatever Possessed You - Spiralphoria - WordPress.com : The setting is established with "November cold
: The creative friction between Broudie’s "gleeful commercial pop" sensibilities and Simpson’s "darker, more serious" inclinations is palpable in the song's structure, which balances catchy hooks with haunting undertones. Legacy and Aftermath
The lyrics of "Whatever Possessed You" are steeped in the imagery of coldness, decay, and the visceral end of a relationship. Simpson’s "dreamy, depressed croon" delivers lines that read like the work of Romantic poets. This creates a lush, shimmering wall of sound
Ian Broudie’s production provides a "majestic, often orchestral" backdrop that contrasts sharply with the bleakness of the prose.
