History
Early years
Their origins sprung from Oxford, United Kingdom in 1984 with the formation of a group called Shake Appeal, named after a song from one of their main influences, The Stooges. Consisting of vocalist/guitarists Adam Franklin and Jimmy Hartridge, lead vocalist Graham Franklin (Adam's brother), bassist Adi Vines, and drummer Paddy Pulzer; Shake Appeal went ahead reproducing the sounds of American garage rock of the late 60's and early 70's. The group wrote what would become Swervedriver's first classic "Son of Mustang Ford," however after a few years the band began to fall apart when both Graham and Paddy left.
The remaining three members drafted drummer Graham Bonnar, but by this time the group's sound mutated significantly under the influence of re-invented guitar music by American bands like Dinosaur Jr., and Sonic Youth. So with a new lineup and new sound came a new name, Swervedriver. Their hometown colleagues from fellow shoegazing group Ride passed their re-recorded demo of "Son of Mustang Ford" to Alan McGee of Creation Records; who, as legend has it, played the tape for the first time while cruising the inner streets of Los Angeles in a limo. The experience caused him sign the band immediately.
First album and possible breakup
Merging the whirling qualities of the shoegazer genre with heavy distorted guitars, and lyrics often featuring cars and escapism, the group debuted with a series of EPs; "Son of Mustang Ford," "Rave Down" and "Sandblasted," before issuing their full-length album debut "Raise" in 1991. Then after a U.S. tour in support of Soundgarden, Bonner left the band; the departure of Vines followed shortly afterwards. Bonner and Vines would eventually go on to form a new group called Skyscraper. Swervedriver's final release with the original lineup, 1992's "Never Lose That Feeling" EP, appeared to be the group's last.
Release of Mezcal Head
But in 1993, Swervedriver re-emerged with the core of Franklin and Hartridge along with newly recruited drummer Jez, and released their landmark album "Mezcal Head." If "Raise" was a product featuring a love of Americana, escapism and the open highway, then "Mezcal Head" was all that, but broadcast in IMAX with Dolby surround sound. Production and sound were greatly improved, and the album gave them their most successful single "Duel," hailed as one of the premier songs of the shoegazer genre. The album clearly forged a permanent link with their American fans, and made them more popular there than in their own native Britain. During this era, the fabled b-side "The Hitcher" found a release on the "Last Train to Satansville" EP. "The Hitcher" is widely considered to be a fan favorite.
Ejector Seat Reservation & Britpop
1994 found the band adding new bassist Steve George, along with extensive touring of the U.S. (supporting The Smashing Pumpkins), Japan and Europe. However by then the shoegazing genre in Britain was dead, replaced by the more mainstream Britpop movement hi-lighted by bands such as Oasis and Blur. The massive rise of Britpop caused Creation Records to drop the band just one week after the U.K. release of 1995 album "Ejector Seat Reservation." It was never released in the U.S. where they could have capitalized on the momentum of "Mezcal Head." ESR was another leap forward for the band, incorporating a wider number of influences from Elvis Costello to Bob Dylan. It saw the group grow into rebel visionaries and received the highest critical acclaim; however without any record company support it was doomed to be their poorest selling venture. This began a period of protracted record label problems for the band which fans dubbed the Swervedriver label curse.
Final years
In 1996, Swervedriver signed on with Geffen Records with a multi-record deal, and promptly began recording their fourth album. However their contract was terminated when their A&R (Artists & Repertoire) representative was fired in a corporate downsizing. Once the legal dust settled the band was awarded their own recording studio along with the finished album, however it was still a major setback. Their fourth and final album "99th Dream" was finally released in 1998 after signing on with Zero Hour Records of the U.S., and it continued the evolution that began with "Ejector Seat Reservation." Drawing less from their earlier ‘grunge' sound, the band never the less maintained their swerving, pyschedelic guitar rifts coupled with Franklin's magical lyrics and droning vocals, and was another brilliant body of work. The group continued to draw on a broader range of musical influences; for example the title track "99th Dream" was written as a prequel to Bob Dylan's song "115th Dream." Despite this album easily containing a half dozen possible hit singles, and a successful tour of the U.S., Britain and Australia; they did not break out beyond their traditional cult following. The "Wrong Treats" EP released in 1999 would become the bands last body of work as an extant group; they announced a hiatus later that year that persists to this day. Adam Franklin continues to release albums under his new band Toshack Highway.
In 2005, Castle Music released a Swervedriver anthology album titled "Juggernaut Rides" which brought together 33 songs; including many only available on rare EPs, and four that were previously unreleased..
In Late 2007 the Creation Records web site confirmed Swervedriver was reuniting for a 2008 tour.
Origins of name
How Swervedriver settled on their name has been the subject of debate among their fans for many years. During interviews whenever questioned on this topic, the band would simply respond that it was just a name; as The Beatles were just a name (in reference to that band's simple response in many early interviews). However Adam Franklin had once mentioned the band liked the connotation of a speeding driver, swerving and ultimately losing control of their car.
Discography
Full length albums
* Raise (1991)
* Mezcal Head (1993)
* Ejector Seat Reservation (1995)
* 99th Dream (1998)
* Juggernaut Rides 1989-1998 (2005) - 2 CD set
*I Wasn't Born to Lose You(2015)
*Future Ruins(2019)
Singles/EPs
* Son of Mustang Ford (1991)
* Rave Down (1991)
* Sandblasted (1991)
* Reel To Real (1991)
* Never Lose That Feeling (1993)
* Duel (1993)
* Last Train To Satansville (1993)
* My Zephyr (1994)
* Magic Bus (1994) - from Day Tripper movie soundtrack
* Last Day on Earth (1995)
* Swervedriver / Sophia Split (1996)
* 93 Million Miles From the Sun ... and Counting (1997)
* Space Travel Rock 'n' Roll (1998)
* Wrong Treats (1999)
Son of Mustang Ford
Swervedriver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mustang Ford take me far away
Been driving for days now
Been driving to take the pain away
Gotta get some love now
Love back in my veins, gotta kill this pain
Drove down to the shoreline
There was a sign by the roadside
Back by the road is where my body's layin'
Hallucinogen headlamps
My sane scape's disrupted in a pickup truck
Drive
Hallucinogen headlamps
My sane scape's disrupted in a pickup truck
The radio still plays
Among the mangled metal frays
Petroleum spirit daze
Been drivin' for days now Oh Yeah
There was a sign by the roadside Oh Yeah
Gotta get some love now
Love back in my veins, gotta quit this pain
Do you satisfy my soul (Yeah, such a shame)
I got clean out of control (Soul ride train train)
Held ransom, Rock 'n Roll
The lyrics to Swervedriver's song "Son Of Mustang Ford" tell the story of a person who is driving aimlessly, trying to escape from a deep-rooted pain. The person is pleading for a Mustang Ford to take them far away, hoping that the act of driving will help to numb the pain. The lyrics also talk about the person making their way to the shoreline, hoping that it will be a peaceful and calming environment. However, even by the roadside, the pain is still present in their body. The lyrics' mention of "hallucinogen headlamps" and "sane scape disrupted" convey the idea that the person may be in a state of delirium, struggling to differentiate reality from their emotional pain.
The lyrics also feature the concept of "petroleum spirit daze," which represents the feeling of being lost and disconnected from one's self, often brought on by industrialization or consumer culture. Overall, the lyrics depict a person who is in desperate need of love and connection, but struggling to find it.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah Mustang take me
The singer wants to be taken away by a Mustang Ford car.
Mustang Ford take me far away
The singer wants to go far away from their current location in a Mustang Ford car.
Been driving for days now
The singer has been driving for an extended period of time.
Been driving to take the pain away
The artist is driving as a way to help deal with emotional pain.
Gotta get some love now
The artist needs to experience love to overcome their pain.
Love back in my veins, gotta kill this pain
Love will help the singer overcome their pain and emotional struggles.
Drove down to the shoreline
The singer drove to a shoreline.
Hey shoreline take me far away
The artist wants to go far away from their current location using the shoreline.
There was a sign by the roadside
The artist saw a sign on the side of the road.
Back by the road is where my body's layin'
The artist may have had a serious accident and could have died.
Hallucinogen headlamps
The headlights are causing the singer to have hallucinations.
My sane scape's disrupted in a pickup truck
The artist's rational thoughts are disrupted while driving a pickup truck.
Drive
The singer needs to continue driving.
The radio still plays
Despite the accident or whatever has happened, the radio is still functioning.
Among the mangled metal frays
There has been damage to the vehicle, causing it to become mangled.
Petroleum spirit daze
The lingering smell of gasoline is causing the artist to have difficulty thinking.
Do you satisfy my soul (Yeah, such a shame)
The artist is questioning whether their actions are fulfilling their soul's desires.
I got clean out of control (Soul ride train train)
The singer is feeling out of control and is comparing their feelings to a train ride.
Held ransom, Rock 'n Roll
The singer is struggling with feeling as though they are held captive by Rock 'n Roll music.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ADAM FRANKLIN, ADRIAN VINES, GRAHAM BONNAR, JIMMY HARTRIDGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind