The title of the album was taken from an inside joke. Eric Clapton had been thinking of buying a racing bicycle and was discussing it with Ginger Baker, when a roadie named Mick Turner commented, "it's got them Disraeli Gears", meaning to say "derailleur gears," but instead alluding to 19th Century British Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli. The band thought this was hilarious, and decided that it should be the title of their next album. Had it not been for Mick's turn of phrase, the album would simply have been entitled "Cream."
Clapton, Baker, and Jack Bruce all contributed songs with the help of lyricist Pete Brown and producer Felix Pappalardi. The track "Blue Condition" was unusual in that Baker, although not well known for his singing, took the lead vocal. The album was recorded at Atlantic Studios in New York during May 1967, following the band's nine shows as part of Murray the K's "Music in the 5th Dimension" concert series. Cream's American label, ATCO, was a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlantic Records.
The psychedelic cover art was created by Australian artist Martin Sharp, who lived in the same building as Clapton at the time of the Chelsea artists colony The Pheasantry. At their first meeting in a London club, Clapton mentioned that he had some music that needed lyrics, so Sharp wrote out a poem he had composed on a napkin and gave it to Clapton, who recorded it as "Tales of Brave Ulysses."
When interviewed on the episode of the VH1 show, Classic Albums, which featured Disraeli Gears, Bruce stated that when writing the song "Take it Back", he had been inspired by the contemporary media images of American students burning their draft cards and wrote the song in that spirit of rejecting militarism.
In 2004, the album was released as a 2-disc Deluxe edition including the complete album in both mono and stereo, demos, alternate takes and tracks taken from the band's live sessions on BBC radio. In 2003 the album was ranked number 112 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. VH1 also named it their 87th greatest album of all time the same year.
Strange Brew
Cream Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's a witch of trouble in electric blue,
In her own mad mind she's in love with you.
With you.
Now what you gonna do?
Strange brew, kill what's inside of you.
She's some kind of demon messing in the glue.
If you don't watch out it'll stick to you.
To you.
What kind of fool are you?
Strange brew, kill what's inside of you.
On a boat in the middle of a raging sea,
She would make a scene for it all to be
Ignored.
And wouldn't you be bored?
Strange brew, kill what's inside of you.
Strange brew, strange brew, strange brew, strange brew.
Strange brew, kill what's inside of you
The opening lyric "Strange brew, kill what's inside of you" creates an eerie and mysterious tone that is maintained throughout the song. The lyrics are a warning to listeners about the dangers of getting involved with someone who is not what they seem. The following verses paint a vivid picture of a woman who is a "witch of trouble in electric blue" and "some kind of demon messing in the glue." Her madness is exacerbated by her infatuation with the singer, who is advised to protect himself by "killing what's inside of [him]."
The chorus, "Now what you gonna do? / Strange brew, kill what's inside of you," is a call to action for the singer to sever ties with this woman and rid himself of the negative emotions and thoughts she has stirred up within him. The image of being on a boat in the middle of a raging sea with this woman highlights the danger and unpredictability of the situation, and the line "She would make a scene for it all to be / Ignored" implies that she enjoys causing chaos and thrives on negative attention.
Overall, the song is a cautionary tale about the perils of becoming involved with someone who is not mentally stable, and encourages listeners to protect their own well-being by distancing themselves from toxic relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Strange brew, kill what's inside of you.
Eliminate the harmful elements from your inner self.
She's a witch of trouble in electric blue,
Referring to a woman who causes problems and possesses some supernatural qualities.
In her own mad mind she's in love with you.
The woman is deeply infatuated with the listener, as per her distorted and delusional thought process.
With you.
Reinforcing the woman's obsessive fixation with the listener.
Now what you gonna do?
Asking what the listener intends to do in regards to the situation.
She's some kind of demon messing in the glue.
The woman and her influence are akin to a malevolent entity sticking to the listener.
If you don't watch out it'll stick to you.
Warning the listener to be cautious and avoid becoming emotionally ensnared by this woman.
To you.
Reinforcing the warning and the personal nature of the situation being described.
What kind of fool are you?
Questioning the listener's judgement and decision-making ability in regards to involving themselves with this woman.
On a boat in the middle of a raging sea,
Describing a chaotic situation where the woman would still draw attention to herself.
She would make a scene for it all to be
Emphasizing the attention-seeking nature of the woman's character.
Ignored.
Suggesting that the listener should not give into her games and manipulations.
And wouldn't you be bored?
Implying that it would be boring to indulge in the woman's antics.
Strange brew, kill what's inside of you.
Reiterating the song's message that the listener should take action to eliminate the harmful aspects of themselves.
Strange brew, strange brew, strange brew, strange brew.
Repeating the phrase 'strange brew' to further emphasize its importance and significance.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ERIC PATRICK CLAPTON, FELIX PAPPALARDI, GAIL COLLINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ralph Signorelli
on Spoonful
First time I heard Cream I was stoned out of my mind on LSD lying of the floor between two very large speakers, for 8 hours. These guys are the best musicians England ever produced. All Rock music after this was just was just imitation.