During this period he also collaborated with Allen Ginsberg, accompanying him on cello while Ginsberg read or sang. Russell also spent time in a Buddhist commune in California; he left when they decided to collectivize his cello.
By the mid-1970's Russell relocated to New York City, where he studied at The Manhattan School of Music. He formed a band from 1975-1979, The Flying Hearts, recorded by John Hammond and featuring David Byrne, Rhys Chatham, Jon Gibson, Peter Gordon, Jerry Harrison, Garret List, Frank Pagano, Andy Paley, Leni Pickett, and Peter Zummo.
In the late 1970s Russell became enamored with the disco scene in New York. At the time it represented a liberation force, particularly for the gay scene, just a few years after the Stonewall riots. (For more see "Turn the Beat Around: The Secret History of Disco" by Peter Shapiro).
'Kiss Me Again' was Russell's first dance track. Released under the name Dinosaur L by Sirerecords, it was to be the first of many innovative dancefloor tracks released under different names and with different collaborators, such as 'Is It All Over My Face' by Loose Joints, released in 1980. In 1982, Arthur Russell and William Socolov founded Sleeping Bag records and their first release was his 24-24 Music. This featured 'Go Bang' which was re-mixed as a 12" single by Francois Kevorkian.
Arthur Russell continued to release dance singles such as 'Tell You Today' (4th and Broadway, 1983) an upbeat dance groove featuring the vocals of Joyce Bowden . 'Wax the Van' (Jump Street, 1985) with vocals by Lola Blank, wife of notorious BobTreehouse aka Bob Schoolbell (Sleeping Bag, 1986) and 'Let's Go Swimming' (Upside / Rough Trade, 1986).
At the same time, he produced more meditative works on the albums 'Tower of Meaning' (Chatham Square, 1983) and 'World of Echo' (Rough Trade, 1986), which presented many of his pop and dance compositions in solo cellist form.
Arthur Russell died of AIDS on April 4, 1992, at the age of 40. The obituary in the Village Voice wrote: "his songs were so personal that it seems as though he simply vanished into his music."
In 2004 a renewed interest in Arthur Russell saw the release of "The World of Arthur Russell" on Soul Jazz records, which compiled his best-known dance hits alongside more introspective love songs such as "Little Lost" and "Keeping Up".
In the same year Audika records reissued "World Of Echo" and produced "Calling Out Of Context", 12 unreleased songs from 1985-90. The songs were taken from an album "Corn", recorded in 1985 but never released. They showcase a set of visionary pop songs years ahead of their time, minimalist and expansive, evidence that Russell's best work was perhaps never realized before his death.
In 2006 Audika released "First Thought Best Thought", compiling Russell's out of print orchestral and instrumental works with previously unreleased material.
Keeping Up
Arthur Russell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Keeping up, keeping up, keeping up
You like it when they look at you
You like it that I can't catch you
Keeping up, keeping up with the feeling
Oh yeah, getting to know what you like
And what you love
Keeping up, keeping up, I'm trying to keep up
Keeping up, trying keep up
Keeping up, trying keep up
Wanted to see what makes me go
And keep on going
When there's no end in sight
Heartbeat in me
Won't go slow
not when it's knowing
That you might be back tonight
Keeping up
With the love, yeah
Can't believe you now
Thought about that
Can't believe me now
forgot about that
You can't believe in love
Forgot about that
that you're letting me try
Keeping up, keeping up, trying to keep up
The lyrics of Arthur Russell's song "Keeping Up" describe the challenges of keeping up with someone who is constantly changing and elusive in their preferences and behavior. The repeated phrase "keeping up" creates a sense of urgency and effort that the singer is putting into the relationship. The first two lines of the song "You like it when they look at you/You like it that I can't catch you" indicate that the subject of the song enjoys being the center of attention and is difficult to pin down. The singer feels like they are always striving to understand and adapt to the subject's desires, represented by the lines "Getting to know what you like/And what you love."
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "keeping up" several times, suggesting that this is an ongoing struggle. The singer acknowledges that sometimes "there's no end in sight" and despite their efforts, they may struggle to maintain the connection. However, they are willing to keep trying and continue to pursue the subject's affection. The final lines of the song "You can't believe in love/Forgot about that/that you're letting me try" suggest that even though the subject may have given up on love, they are still willing to let the singer keep trying to keep up and maintain the relationship.
Overall, the lyrics of "Keeping Up" convey a sense of perseverance and dedication in the face of uncertainty and change. The repetitive nature of the song emphasizes the effort needed to keep up with someone who is always evolving.
Line by Line Meaning
Keeping, keeping, keeping, keeping
Continuously holding on, constantly going on, not stopping, and always progressing
Keeping up, keeping up, keeping up
To not lag behind, to constantly move with pace and to keep climbing upwards
You like it when they look at you
Enjoying the attention and admiration you receive from people in your life
You like it that I can't catch you
Thriving on being difficult to attain, and that despite efforts made to know someone, they still remain enigmatic
Keeping up, keeping up with the feeling
Following the vibe and being full immersed in the sentiment of the moment
Oh yeah, getting to know what you like
Taking the time to fully understand yourself and your preferences
And what you love
Being mindful of the things that truly matter to you
Keeping up, keeping up, I'm trying to keep up
Pushing yourself to stay current with changes and evolving situations, and keeping up with the people that matter in your life
When there's when there's no end in sight
Even when the future might seem uncertain, and the journey ahead is unclear
Wanted to see what makes me go
Striving to identify the things that truly inspire and motivate, and the things that help you thrive
And keep on going
To keep pushing the boundaries and striving to achieve greater things
When there's no end in sight
Even when the destination or outcome is unknown and uncertain
Heartbeat in me
The driving force, passion and energy that keeps one going
Won't go slow
It will not taper off or diminish, it will maintain its path and continue moving forward
not when it's knowing
Consciously aware of what keeps you moving
That you might be back tonight
Hopeful that someone you care for will return, and anticipating their return
Keeping up
Continuously striving to grow, evolve and be better
With the love, yeah
Endlessly pursuing the things you love and cherish the most
Can't believe you now
Unable to trust someone who was once believed to be trustworthy
Thought about that
Ruminating over past events, and analyzing past decisions
Can't believe me now
Having lost confidence or trust in oneself
forgot about that
Exhibiting short term memory loss or not thinking much about the present
You can't believe in love
Skepticism and disbelief towards love and its genuineness
Forgot about that
Losing sight of one's memories and not thinking about them anymore
that you're letting me try
That the chance to believe in love and take another chance at it, has been given to oneself
Keeping up, keeping up, trying to keep up
Endlessly trying to be the best version of oneself while keeping up with everything else in one's life
Contributed by Caleb M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sebbe Nyström
one of the best songs ever made
Arthur Russell, you are dead but you live on. If you live in some kind of nothing now, I hope you know that you are a saint. I hope you know how much your music means to me. Bless you forever.
Stefan Mironov
this guy is incredible
wordslouderthanbombs
that harmony when they sing " what you like and what you love" makes the hair on neck stand up
Woofled
There is literally nothing else like it - incredable
Homadnomad
He was. A much underrated yet pivotal musician to the entire disco movement. A lovely man. Genius.
Thomas Fitzpatrick
First time I've heard this, just now. My eyes have welled up. So many thoughts and memories emerging from the recesses of my mind. Importantly, this sums up how I feel about someone, I've just met, which fills me with wonder and excitement. Its Saturday 25th July 2Q2Q, 1:29am gmt.
Thomas Fitzpatrick
@Haru Beautifully!!! Thank you!!
Haru
did it work out?
John Doe
@Thomas Fitzpatrick trust Bruv these kinds of songs really open a sense of nostalgia one never knew they had.....
Thomas Fitzpatrick
@Diego Ahh that's so sweet of you. One day you might be lucky, if you ever understand how it feels to love and be loved in return. One day,,,