Crane found himself in America in 1968 on his first American Tour supporting The Crazy World of Arthur Brown's "Fire" single and "Fire" album which topped the USA charts. The single was number one in England and Europe, and the album top five. The band headlined at that year's Reading Festival. In 1969 they returned to America playing Fillmore East and Madison Square Garden. By the end of the year and after a third U.S. tour, various problems had set in. Crane lived in New York for three months and finally returned to England with Palmer. During 1970 they formed Atomic Rooster as decided in New York, and the band's first gig was headlining at the Lyceum, London, with Deep Purple as support. The first Atomic Roster single was "Friday the 13th", and the first album wasAtomic Ro-o-oster.
In 1971 John Du Cann (born John Cann, 1950 – 22 September 2011) joined Atomic Rooster and added guitar to the American version of Atomic Ro-O-oster. Palmer left to join ELP and Paul Hammond joined the band as drummer. That year saw the band's first hit single "Tomorrow Night", and their first top-ten album Death Walks behind You, followed by a second hit single "Devil's Answer". The band also played the Reading Festival.
In 1972 Pete French joined the band on vocals and they played the Oval with The Who headlining. A third album was released, In Hearing of... This was the year of Atomic Rooster’s first U.S. tour, playing the Troubadour, L.A. and Fillmore East, N.Y. Du Cann and Hammond left the band to form Hard Stuff with Johnny Gustaveston, and Ric Parnell and Steve Bolton joined. French left to join Cactus with Carl Minnaplice, replaced in Atomic Rooster by Chris Farlowe .The band then went on to release their fourth album, Made in England, and their first compilation was released, Atomic Rooster Assortment. The second tour took in the L.A. Amphitheatre, the Texas 'Rose Bowl', and the Dusseldorf 'Rock Festival' with Deep Purple and Free. A third single was released, "Stand By Me".
In 1974 the fifth Atomic Rooster album was released, Nice & Greasy, and a second compilation, Home to Roost. The band left Gaff Management and toured Spain, Italy, Germany, Holland, and Portugal. In 1975, after a tour of Belgium, France, Italy, and Spain, Crane stopped touring and took the band off the road.
1980 saw the reforming of Atomic Rooster, and Crane working again with DuCann. Finally came an EMI deal, a secret warm-up tour, and the release of a new album Atomic Rooster and a single "Do You Know Who's Looking for You"; Preston Heyman did the honours on drums, but by the time of the 1981 three-month tour of the U.K., Paul Hammond was back on drums. This year, saw the release of the first two Atomic Rooster 12" singles, "Play It Again" and "End of the Day". The band played the Reading Festival; with DuCann mysteriously AWOL, Big John McCoy stepped in on bass. DuCann had decided to retire again, and subsequent tours of Germany and Italy were with Bernie Torme on guitar.
1983 saw a new style of Atomic Rooster album, Headline News, with a 12" single "Land of Freedom", featuring guitarists David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, Torme, and John Mizarolli. Torme subsequently toured with the band to Germany and Italy.
In 1984, Crane disbanded Atomic Rooster.
Take My Life
Atomic Rooster Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hopes and dreams are shattered into fragments time and time again
Life's a prison and death's the key
Time take my life [x9]
It's gotta bring me down. Down down down 'til I'm free.
Where's the reason and where's the rhyme
Life's a gift that time takes away
Time take my life [x9]
It's gotta bring me down. Down down down everyday, everyday.
Eyes are blinded by tears of pain
Hopes and dreams are shattered into fragments time and time again
Life's a prison and death's the key
Time take my life [x9]
It's gotta bring me down. Down down down 'til I'm free.
Until your last breath, until your last breath slips away
(That's what time is babe, that's what life's all about babe
You can't rule it babe, it's gotcha babe)
The lyrics of Atomic Rooster's song "Time Take My Life" delve into the human experience of pain, loss, and mortality. The first stanza paints a picture of someone who is struggling with overwhelming sadness and despair. Their hopes and dreams have been shattered repeatedly, leading them to feel trapped in a life that feels like a prison. The repetition of "time and time again" underscores the cyclical nature of this pain - it feels like there's no escape. But then the singer acknowledges that death might be the only relief from this suffering. "Life's a prison and death's the key" suggests that the only way to truly be free from the pain of life is through death. The repeated refrain of "Time take my life" reinforces this desire for release.
The second stanza continues to explore the themes of time and mortality. The question "Where's the reason and where's the rhyme" suggests that the singer is grappling with the purpose of life and struggling to find meaning in the face of so much pain and loss. The reference to life being a "single second in the eternity of time" highlights the sense of finiteness that characterizes human existence. The final line of the stanza - "Life's a gift that time takes away" - is a poignant reminder that life is precious and fleeting, and that time has the power to take everything away from us.
The final stanza brings the song full-circle, returning to the image of eyes blinded by tears and dreams shattered by pain. But there's a sense of resignation in the repetition of "Time take my life." This isn't a cry for help or a plea for release - it's an acknowledgement that death is inevitable, and that it might be the only way to escape the unrelenting suffering of life. The final lines of the song - "Until your last breath, until your last breath slips away / (That's what time is babe, that's what life's all about babe / You can't rule it babe, it's gotcha babe)" - drive home the idea that time is the ultimate ruler, and that there's no escaping the inevitability of death.
Line by Line Meaning
Eyes are blinded by tears of pain
The pain and suffering is so great that it has become difficult to see clearly.
Hopes and dreams are shattered into fragments time and time again
The cycle of disappointment and failure results in the complete destruction of one's aspirations.
Life's a prison and death's the key
The inevitability of death is the only escape from the captivity and hardships of life.
Time take my life [x9]
It's gotta bring me down. Down down down 'til I'm free.
The artist wishes for death to come and end their suffering, and each repetition emphasizes the urgency and desperation of this desire.
Where's the reason and where's the rhyme
What is the purpose of all the pain and suffering? The chaos and randomness of life make it difficult to find meaning in one's struggles.
Life's a single second in the eternity of time
The brevity of life compared to the vastness of the universe makes one's existence seem insignificant and futile.
Life's a gift that time takes away
The preciousness of life is fleeting, and time will eventually rob one of the joy and beauty of existence.
It's gotta bring me down. Down down down everyday, everyday.
The constant toll of life's hardships wears one down day after day, until there is nothing left but exhaustion and defeat.
Until your last breath, until your last breath slips away
(That's what time is babe, that's what life's all about babe
You can't rule it babe, it's gotcha babe)
The artist acknowledges that life will always be full of pain and suffering, and death is the only certainty. One must accept their fate and make the most of the time they have left.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dave Bond
Great tune. Love this album. Chris farlowe excellent on this
Marcelo Araujo
AUMENTA POIS ISSO AÍ É ROCK&ROLL.
Valdo Tross
Great song. Chris is best!
Jorge Gallardo Llipa
He descubierto a este grupomusical:
El gallo atómico!!
SON MUY BUENOS.
JorgeGallo
Zoran Nosovic
kakvo rock n roll delo
Adrian Kelly
I may very well be wrong, but I think this band came out of Procal Harum. Anyone enlighten me?
Jacob Joiner
Robin trower came from procol harum,. not these guys
Starfield Railway
They came out of the Crazy World of Arthur Brown.
vdklippe
Farlowe (Eating a Sandwich) ?