Stewart and Gouldman were straight pop-song-writers, who created the band’s most accessible songs; Godley and Creme were the experimental half of 10cc, featuring an Art School sensibility and cinematic writing. All are skilled multi-instrumentalists, vocalists, writers, and producers, and each could perform convincingly as lead singers, leading to favourable comparisons with The Beatles.
The band achieved its greatest commercial success during the 1970s.
In 1976 ... Godley & Creme left, releasing records under that name before making a significant contribution to the development of the music video in the 80s.
In 1977 ... 10cc embarked on an international tour with guitarist Rick Fenn, keyboardist Tony O'Malley and additional drummer Stuart Tosh and recorded a live album in 1977, "Live And Let Live", which mixed the hits with material from the previous three albums.
Fenn, Tosh, Burgess and keyboardist Duncan Mackay were full members of the band and performed on 1978 album "Bloody Tourists", which provided the band with their third UK No.1 single, the reggae-styled "Dreadlock Holiday".
1977-1983 ... After the departure of Godley and Creme, Stewart and Gouldman opted to continue as 10cc, bringing in to the studio drummer Paul Burgess, who had up to that point been their tour backup drummer. Their first album as a three piece band was "Deceptive Bends".
1984-1992 ... Separate projects - after 1983, the band went into recess as Stewart did produce recordings for Sad Café and Gouldman produced tracks for The Ramones before teaming up with Andrew Gold to form the synth-pop group Wax.
1992-1995 ... In 1992 the original four members reunited to record "Meanwhile", an album produced by Gary Katz of Steely Dan fame. ...the album was not a "reunion" in the strict sense of the word. All the album's songs were written by Stewart and Gouldman ... Creme and Godley agreed to guest on the album to fullfil their obligation to Polydor records.
1999-2009 ... since 1999 Gouldman has toured as 10cc consisting of Rick Fenn, Paul Burgess, Mick Wilson, Mike Stevens and/or Keith Hayman, with occasional guest appearances by Kevin Godley. The band has embarked on several national tours of the UK and various dates throughout the World playing 10cc hits, plus a section of Gouldman's hits written for others. Their first gig was at Ronnie Scotts jazz club in Birmingham in 1999.
Additional info:
There is much speculation about where the name of the band comes from but the general consensus was that it is named after the average amount of ejaculate in a single male orgasm. However one will find that the average is about 3cc ...the name "10cc" in fact comes from a dream: Jonathan King, the person who signed them, dreamed of a band called 10cc topping the charts in both the UK and America - see: snopes.com/music/artists/10cc.asp
Iceberg
10cc Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Life is a roller coaster that we all ride
Life is a roller coaster that we all ride
Iceberg, I've fallen in love with an
Iceberg, its only the tip of the
Iceberg, I've heard that it's cool
But once in a while out on the town
I must go
You'd better wash out your zone
Watch out you stone bone headed woman
Watch out you bone headed man
Iceberg-it's settlin' over Second Avenue
There's not a thing that you can
Iceberg-it's freezin' over Second Avenue
You'd better believe there's nothin'
You can do about it
I was an orphan and I couldn't help it
I've been in and out of trouble
Ever since they left me in a basket
On the freeway
It's me that's been doggin' your shadow
It's me that's been a shadowin' your dog
You got me hung up lock and stock and barrel
I'll always be behind you in the fog
So you better not annoy me
Or I'll do somethin' that I might regret
You'd better not annoy me or I'll do
Somethin' that you won't forget in a hurry
And I might be back for some sloppy seconds
You've heard me heavy breathing on the telephone
My word they say that I'm belongin'
In a home for crazy people
But you know I don't belong there
I was an orphan and I couldn't help it
I'd been in and out of trouble
Ever since they left me
In a basket on the freeway
Lie lie lie etc
Die die die (etc)
Hooray hooray ha ha ha
Hooray ha ha ha
Get down get down get down get down
There's really not a lot that you can do
Lay down lay down lay down lay down
There's really not a lot that you can do
There's really not a lot that you can do
And I might be back for sloppy seconds
Life is a roller coaster that we all ride
Life is a roller coaster that we all ride
Life is a roller coaster that we all ride
Life is a roller coaster that we all ride
The lyrics of 10cc's song Iceberg are enigmatic and subject to personal interpretation, as often happens with songs that feature surreal and absurdist imagery. The recurrent phrase "life is a roller coaster that we all ride" could be seen as a metaphor for the ups and downs, twists and turns, and unexpected developments that characterize existence. The mention of an iceberg as a love interest could represent the idea of being drawn to something or someone that is cold and distant, and only revealing a small part of their personality or true self. The lyrics hint at obsession and the inability to let go, as well as a desire for revenge or retaliation.
The song features a propulsive beat and funky bassline, with a prominent use of synth and guitar riffs. The chorus is catchy and repetitive, reinforcing the roller coaster metaphor and creating a sense of urgency and excitement. The use of echo and distortion on the vocals adds to the otherworldly feel of the song. The ending section of the lyrics, with its repetition of "get down" and "lay down," could be seen as a call to surrender to the chaos and unpredictability of life, rather than trying to resist or control it.
Line by Line Meaning
Life is a roller coaster that we all ride
Life is full of ups and downs that we all experience
Iceberg, I've fallen in love with an
I've fallen in love with someone who is cold and distant like an iceberg
Iceberg, its only the tip of the
I've only scratched the surface of this person's complex personality
Iceberg, I've heard that it's cool
I've heard that this person is cool and detached like an iceberg
I got class, I got style
I have good taste and am fashionable
But once in a while out on the town
However, from time to time when I'm out, I may let loose
I must go
I feel the need to leave and do something spontaneous
You'd better wash out your zone
You should beware and clean up your act
Watch out you stone bone headed woman
Be careful, stubborn woman
Watch out you bone headed man
Be careful, foolish man
Iceberg-it's settlin' over Second Avenue
Something ominous and cold is coming to the neighborhood
There's not a thing that you can
You cannot stop this impending event
Iceberg-it's freezin' over Second Avenue
The event is getting closer and more chilling
You'd better believe there's nothin'
You should accept that there's nothing you can do
You can do about it
to prevent the event from happening
I was an orphan and I couldn't help it
I had a tough childhood and couldn't control my circumstances
I've been in and out of trouble
I've had a turbulent life
Ever since they left me in a basket
Ever since I was abandoned as a baby
On the freeway
On the side of the road
It's me that's been doggin' your shadow
I've been following you closely
It's me that's been a shadowin' your dog
I've been lurking behind you like a shadow
You got me hung up lock and stock and barrel
You have me completely obsessed and infatuated
I'll always be behind you in the fog
I'll always be following you, even in confusion or uncertainty
So you better not annoy me
You shouldn't anger me
Or I'll do somethin' that I might regret
Or I may do something that I'll regret later
You'd better not annoy me or I'll do
You shouldn't provoke me or I may react negatively
Somethin' that you won't forget in a hurry
Something memorable that you'll always remember
And I might be back for some sloppy seconds
I may come back for more after the initial encounter
You've heard me heavy breathing on the telephone
You've noticed my strange behavior, like heavy breathing on the phone
My word they say that I'm belongin' in a home for crazy people
People think I'm insane and should be institutionalized
But you know I don't belong there
But you know I'm not really crazy
Lie lie lie etc
There's nothing important to say here, just vocalizations
Die die die (etc)
Another unnecessary vocalization
Hooray hooray ha ha ha
Celebratory noises
Hooray ha ha ha
More of the same
Get down get down get down get down
Come on and move to the music
There's really not a lot that you can do
You don't have much control over what's happening
Lay down lay down lay down lay down
Get comfortable and relax
There's really not a lot that you can do
There's still not much you can do to change things
There's really not a lot that you can do
Seriously, there's nothing you can do!
And I might be back for sloppy seconds
Again, I may come back for more later
Life is a roller coaster that we all ride
A reminder that life is full of ups and downs and everyone experiences it
Life is a roller coaster that we all ride
We all know that life can be unpredictable and full of surprises
Life is a roller coaster that we all ride
No matter what, we all go through the highs and lows of life
Life is a roller coaster that we all ride
At the end of the day, we're all in this ride called life together
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KEVIN GODLEY, GRAHAM GOULDMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind