In 1967, the band was signed to bubblegum label Buddah Records, where they released five LPs under their own name and a variety of singles, as well as "appearing" on the bubblegum concept LP The Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus, which sounded suspiciously like the usual Buddah studio band, in spite of its promotion as a "bubblegum superjam".
Their first hit, "Simon Says", was panned by the band members, but Jeckell persuaded the band to record it. In the process they changed the beat and patterned the song after "Wooly Bully" by Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs. "Simon Says" soon became a chart-topping hit. Some, but not all, of the band's tracks were performed by studio musicians. The band started touring, opening for major acts such as The Beach Boys. They followed on to release the hits "1-2-3 Red Light", "Indian Giver", "Goody, Goody Gumdrops" and "May I Take a Giant Step".
Eventually, the group members were replaced by the producers of Super K, and the musicians that appear on the 1910 Fruitgum Company's final two albums, Indian Giver and Hard Ride, are completely different bands. Hard Ride is in fact a complete departure from the bubblegum sound, and represented an attempt to conquer the FM radio market, with hippie, blues, and psychedelic elements over lengthy tracks.
The band's most recent appearance was on the Bubble Gum Rock Special.
The seminal punk rock group Ramones cited 1910 Fruitgum Company as a fundamental influence on their music. They covered their song "Indian Giver".
1910 Fruitgum Company's song "1-2-3 Red Light" was frequently covered by the Rhode Island School of Design band The Artistics, which would later mutate into the seminal new wave band Talking Heads.
1 2 3 Red Light
1910 Fruitgum Company Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
1,2,3, Red Light,
You stop me,.
Baby you ain't right to stop me.
1,2,3, Red Light, you stop me.
Ev'ry time I make a move to love you,
1,2,3, Red Light, you stop me.
Baby, ev'ry night you stop me.
Stop the game, you've got too much to lose.
If you stop me again, that's when we might end.
So don't refuse.
Ev'ry time I make a move to love you,
1,2,3, Red Light, don't stop me.
Baby you ain't right to stop me,
1,2,3, Red Light won't stop me.
Ev'ry time I try to prove I love you,
1,2,3, Red Light won't stop me.
When I know I'm right don't stop me.
1,2,3, Red Light.
/A/
The lyrics to the 1910 Fruitgum Company's song "1 2 3 Red Light" depict a person trying to express their love for someone and being continually stopped by a "red light." The red light serves as a metaphor for the other person's hesitation or reluctance to reciprocate the love. The phrase "1 2 3 Red Light" is repeated throughout the song as a sort of chant or mantra, emphasizing the frustration and repetition of the situation.
The songwriter uses the lines "Stop the game, you've got too much to lose" to convey the importance of taking a chance on love and not being afraid to take risks. The singer also warns the other person that if they continue to "stop" them with the "red light," it could lead to the end of the relationship. Ultimately, the song is about the struggle of expressing love and the barriers that can sometimes get in the way.
Line by Line Meaning
Ev'ry time I try to prove I love you,
Every time I attempt to show my love for you,
1,2,3, Red Light,
You put a stop to it with the red light
You stop me,.
You prevent me from proceeding
Baby you ain't right to stop me.
It's not fair for you to stop me
1,2,3, Red Light, you stop me.
Once again, your signal stops me
Ev'ry time I make a move to love you,
Whenever I try to show my affection
1,2,3, Red Light, you stop me.
You impede my progress with the repeated signal
Baby, ev'ry night you stop me.
It seems like you do it every night
1,2,3, Red Light.
The red light keeps appearing
Stop the game, you've got too much to lose.
You should stop playing games because there's a lot at stake
If you stop me again, that's when we might end.
If you continue to block my affection, our relationship may come to an end
So don't refuse.
Please don't say no
1,2,3, Red Light, don't stop me.
Please don't let the red light stop me
Baby you ain't right to stop me,
It's unfair of you to keep stopping me
1,2,3, Red Light won't stop me.
I won't let the red light stop me anymore
Ev'ry time I try to prove I love you,
Whenever I attempt to demonstrate my love
1,2,3, Red Light won't stop me.
I won't let the red light interfere with my love anymore
When I know I'm right don't stop me.
If I'm sure of myself, please don't interrupt me anymore
1,2,3, Red Light.
The red light remains, but I won't let it win
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: B. TRIMACHI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind