Named for the Alabama 2, a legal case in the American deep South during the 1930s, in which two black men were hanged for allegedly raping a white woman. The name is also a nod to other victims of injustice like the Birmingham 6 and Guildford 4. In the United States, they are known as A3, after they were sued by the legendary country outfit Alabama.
They are perhaps best known in the United States for the remix of their song Woke Up This Morning, which appears as the theme song for the HBO hit series The Sopranos.
They have released six albums so far, with numerous bootlegs more than doubling their catalog. Alabama 3 rarely tour outside of their home country.
Recently, female singer Devlin Love has joined the group.
Additional material:
Alabama 3 are an English band mixing rock, dance, blues, country, gospel, and spoken word styles, founded in Brixton, London in 1995. In the United States, the band are known as A3, allegedly to avoid any possible legal conflict with the country music band Alabama.[1] The group achieved international fame when the producers of hit TV series The Sopranos chose the track "Woke Up This Morning" for the show's opening credits.[1]
The band are particularly notable for their fusion of styles, lyrics full of ironic intent, their deliberately humorous personas and their outrageous live performances. Every member of the group has an alias by which he is known, the band's founding members adopting the personas Larry Love (Rob Spragg) and The Very Reverend Dr. D. Wayne Love (Jake Black).
The band formed when Jake Black met Rob Spragg at an acid house party in Peckham and they decided that a fusion of country music with acid house was a musical possibility.[2] Other members of the band were accumulated over a lengthy period, but it is known that Rob Spragg was at university with Piers Marsh, the harmonica player and synth programmer for the band whilst Orlando Harrison, the group's current keyboardist, used to live with Jake Black.[2] Prior to the formation of the Alabama 3, Jake had gone through his "wilderness years" period of which there is little or no recorded output. This creative gulch lasted years following the demise of The Jangletties.
Starting their act under the alias the First Presleyterian Church of Elvis the Divine (UK), the group eventually switched names to Alabama 3 and, after having been dismissed by the mainstream media as a novelty act, the group finally signed with One Little Indian Records in 1997 for the release of debut album, Exile on Coldharbour Lane.[3]
In August 2007, the group toured under the name of Alabama 3: Acoustic and Unplugged, with Harpo Strangelove and Devlin Love, to promote their new album M.O.R. (released 10 September 2007). Bassist John "Segs" Jennings apparently left the band, saying he was "busy elsewhere and [he doesn't] have the time."[4] The band's sixth studio album album M.O.R included a cover of Jerry Reed's 1970s hit "Amos Moses" and features The Proclaimers on the track "Sweet Joy" plus piano parts on the country stomp version of the Gil Scott Heron song "The Klan", written by Heron and Brian Jackson. In September and October 2007, the band toured the UK in support of M.O.R. with Irish band Republic Of Loose supporting.
On Friday 29 February 2008, Larry Love, Devlin Love and Mark Sams did an encore with Carbon/Silicon at the seventh and final Carbon Casino gig at the Inn on the Green, under the Westway. Mick Jones joined the group on-stage to add guitar and backing vocals to a version of "Woke Up This Morning."
Having recorded and toured with the band in the early days, Aurora Dawn rejoined the band in 2009, and sometime between late 2010 and early 2011, programmer, harmonicist, and founding member Piers "Mountain of Love" Marsh left the band. Although no reason has yet been publicly given, his departure appears to be amicable, as he is still an active contributor to the band's Facebook page. He and other Alabama 3 founder member, Sir Eddie Real, are now performing new material under the name of "Mountain of Love" with vocals from various guest vocalists.
The members of the band are:
Rob Spragg AKA Larry Love: vocals
Jake Black AKA The Very Reverend Dr. D. Wayne Love: vocals
Orlando Harrison AKA The Spirit: keyboards, keyboard bass, vocals
Mark Sams AKA Rock Freebase: guitar, bass guitar
Aurora Dawn: vocals
Steve Finnerty AKA LOVEPIPE: production, guitar and vocals
Nick Reynolds AKA Harpo Strangelove: harmonica, percussion, vocals (son of Bruce Reynolds, architect of the Great Train Robbery of 1963.[5] Bruce appears on the band's 2005 album, Outlaw).
John Jennings AKA Segs: backing vocals, guitar
Past Members:
Zoe Devlin AKA Devlin Love: vocals
Jonny Delafons AKA L. B. Dope: drums, percussion
Simon (The Dude) Edwards AKA Sir Eddie Real: percussion, vocals
Piers Marsh AKA The Mountain of Love: Synths
Film:
"Peace in the Valley" is featured in the film A Life Less Ordinary (1997).
"Too Sick to Pray" plays on the radio in the film Gone in 60 Seconds (2000).
A snippet of "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness" features in the film Some Voices (2000).
"Mansion on the Hill" featured on the Kurt Russell/Kevin Costner film 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001).
A part of "M.I.A" by the band is played in the film The Football Factory (2004) as the Chelsea firm travel up to Liverpool for an away match.
The song "Sister Rosetta" from Exile on Coldharbour Lane can be heard in the film Barnyard (2006).
A snippet of "Bulletproof" appears in A Very British Gangster (2007), Donal MacIntyre's documentary film about Manchester crime boss Dominic Noonan.
The song "Ain't Goin' to Goa" is featured in the motion picture Definitely, Maybe (2008).
The band is featured in the documentary We Dreamed America (2008). The film, which explores the influence of American country music on British artists, features three songs by the band.
"Mansion on the Hill" is used on the opening credits of mockumentory Good Arrows (2009), written by Irvine Welsh and Dean Cavanagh.
Television:
Episode four of the BBC Three series Being Human features "Too Sick to Pray" at its opening and "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlife" at its end. The songs were omitted from the DVD release of the episode due to copyright issues.[citation needed]
"Mansion on the Hill" features in the sixth episode of the ABC television series Carpoolers.
The closing scene to first season Criminal Minds episode titled "Won't Get Fooled Again" (10/05/05) plays "The Night We Nearly Got Busted".
A shortened alternate version of "Woke Up This Morning" can be heard for nearly 50 seconds in The Simpsons episode "Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge", while Fat Tony and his gang are on the ride to the Simpsons' house. The sequence is a parody of the opening sequence of The Sopranos.
"Woke Up This Morning" is also in the later Simpsons episode "The Mook, the Chef, the Wife and Her Homer", which guest-starred Sopranos regulars Michael Imperioli and Joe Pantoliano.
A remixed version of "Woke Up This Morning" plays during the opening credits of the HBO television series The Sopranos.
On the Region 4 DVD release of season one of The Sopranos, the music video to "Woke Up This Morning" is included as a special feature; it is incorrectly credited as being performed by "Alabama 5".
A snippet of "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlife" can be heard at the beginning of The Sopranos: "Mr. Ruggerio's Neighborhood" (episode 3.1) as Tony Soprano walks down the driveway to get his morning newspaper.
"Woke Up This Morning" was also used in an episode of BBC series Top Gear, in which the team were driving through Alabama.
"Mao Tse Tung Said" features in the first episode of the second season of Torchwood Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang.
Rob Spragg (as Rob Love) wrote and recorded the theme to Welsh TV series Y Pris. He and John Hardy won the Best Original Music Soundtrack award at BAFTA Cymru 2008
Speed
Alabama 3 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You come on big when you're feeling small
You come home straight and you come home fucked up
Sometimes you don't come home at all
Chorus:
So what in the world's come over you
And what in heaven's name have you done
You're out there running just to be on the run
Well I got a heart that burns with a fever
And I got a worried and a jealous mind
How can a love that'll last forever
Get left so far behind
Repeat Chorus:
It's a mighty mean and a dreadful sorrow
It's crossed the evil line today
Well, how can you ask about tomorrow
We ain't got one word to say
Repeat Chorus:
Ending:
You're out there running just to be on the run
You're out there running just to be on the run
You're out there running just to be on the run
Alabama 3's song "Speed" is a heartbreaking and introspective exploration of loneliness and the painful effects of a relationship gone wrong. The first verse sets the tone for the song, describing a lover who is coming home late, early, straight, and drunk, and sometimes not coming home at all. The chorus asks the questions that the singer has been pondering: what has happened to cause this behavior, and how has the speed of loneliness impacted the relationship? The second verse reveals the singer's own feelings of jealousy and fear that the love they share will be lost forever. The chorus repeats, emphasizing the weight of the situation, and the song ends with the melancholy refrain that the lover is running away.
The lyrics can be interpreted in several ways. It may be that the lover is running away from the relationship, or perhaps they are running towards something else, hoping to fill the void in their life. The speed of loneliness, with its overwhelming force, may have caused the lover to spin out of control and take drastic actions. The ambiguity of the lyrics allows listeners to draw their own conclusions and make their own emotional connections to the song.
Line by Line Meaning
You come home late and you come home early
Regardless of the time you come home, your presence causes an unpredictable effect on the people who love you.
You come on big when you're feeling small
You overcompensate when you feel insignificant about yourself.
You come home straight and you come home fucked up
You might come home sober or under the influence of drugs, which makes your loved ones wonder what they should expect when you arrive.
Sometimes you don't come home at all
Your loved ones worry about your safety when you don't come home at all.
Chorus: So what in the world's come over you And what in heaven's name have you done You've broken the speed of the sound of loneliness You're out there running just to be on the run
The singer expresses confusion and concern about the reckless and aimless behavior of the person who is always running away from loneliness.
Well I got a heart that burns with a fever
The singer has strong emotions filled with anxiety and worry towards the person who is always running away.
And I got a worried and a jealous mind
The singer is anxious and jealous about the unpredictable behavior of the person they care about.
How can a love that'll last forever
The singer wonders how they can manage to maintain a lasting relationship with someone who runs away from loneliness instead of confronting it.
Get left so far behind
The singer feels left behind and forgotten because of the person's actions.
Repeat Chorus:
The singer repeats their worry and confusion about the person who is constantly running.
It's a mighty mean and a dreadful sorrow
The singer describes the sadness and pain caused by the person's actions.
It's crossed the evil line today
The person's actions have gone beyond the boundary of acceptability and have become dangerous and wrong.
Well, how can you ask about tomorrow
The singer feels uncertain about the future of the relationship with the person who is constantly running.
We ain't got one word to say
The singer feels helpless and unable to understand how to help the person they care about.
Ending: You're out there running just to be on the run
The song ends with the singer repeating their concern and confusion about the person's constant running from loneliness.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: JOHN PRINE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Wally Mazur
(Everybody gotta run sometime)
Come home late, come home early
Come home big when I'm feelin' small
Come home straight, come home f**ked-up
Sometimes I don't come home at all.
What in the world has come over me?
What in heaven's name have I done?
I've broken the speed of the sound of loneliness
I'm out there running just to be on the run
You've a heart that burns with a fever
You've got a worried and a jealous mind
How can a love that'll last forever
Leave me so damn far behind?
Tell me now.
What in the world has come over me?
What in heaven's name have I done?
I've broken the speed of the sound of loneliness
I'm out there running just to be on the run
It's a mighty mean and dreadful sorrow
It's crossed that evil line today
I can't think about tomorrow
I ain't got one word to say
So tell me now
What in the world has come over me?
What in heaven's name have I done?
I've broken the speed of the sound of loneliness
I'm out there running just to be on the run
Sweet goddamn pretty motherf....king country acid house music all night long
D Wayne owns your soul and the barman owns your gold. A lady owns your key and the only goddamn thing you own is a guilty conscience. Whisky flows like the crystal streams they say flow in heaven. The choir sings as you sink deeper down deep deep deeper down into the comfort of your own narcolepsy.
bingybangy
Album is an all time classic. Never gets old.
Enigma Bletchley
One of the best covers, big fat dynamic sound - but much better on the original album than reproduced here.
scrafpro
RIP Mr Prine, you were better that many of us will ever dare to want to be.
UrbanOutsider
Holy shit I isn't knkw he hd passed away. Another legend.
Gail Remp
@UrbanOutsidergod damn COVID.
chevchelios77
This was the first alabama 3 song I ever heard and I was hooked instantly. I do think Alabama 3 are a bit like marmite though, You either love them or hate them and that's fair enough, after all everybody is entitled to their own opinion.... Personally I think every single person who doesn't get them is a soulless husk but hey that's just my opinion. :-)
Steven Shepherd
chevchelios77 fkn agree pal,nice 1 u either get them or u dont
MRFRANKSTANKS RUKFOUL
best of the bloody best, out there running just to be on the run. :)
Cheezy Truth Seeker
chevchelios77 This is an old John Prine song.
pat egan
I love them 💕