Jas Mann had formerly been in an indie music band, called The Sandkings, which he left in 1992, because of musical differences.
Babylon Zoo was signed to Phonogram Records after A&R rep Clive Black heard their first three-track demo tape in May 1993. When Black moved to Warner Bros. Records in 1993, he took Mann's contract with him. An album had been prepared and sleeves for a single, "Fire Guided Light", were printed, but Babylon Zoo's debut was put on hold again when Black moved once more to EMI in 1995, where the band were signed on to a seven-album contract.
However, promotional copies of the song "Spaceman" had already been distributed, and chosen to tie in with the release of a new Levi's jeans TV advert. The single went straight to Number 1 on the UK singles chart and also went to Number 1 in the single charts in twenty-three countries.
An album entitled The Boy with the X-Ray Eyes was produced at Mann's New Atlantis Productions music/artwork/video centre. It was released in 1996 and included new-age tracks such as "Is Your Soul for Sale?" and "I'm Cracking Up I Need a Pill". It debuted at #6 on the album charts and reached the Top 20 in 17 countries, including Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
In 1997, Jas Mann was lampooned on the channel 4 TV series, Brass Eye.
Three years later, in 1999, a follow-up album was released entitled King Kong Groover, but Mann decided not to promote the album as he was not getting support from his label EMI since the departure of the man who had signed him, Clive Black. Mann subsequently decided to move to India and work for an aid agency.
Years active 1992–2000
Spaceman
Babylon Zoo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I always wanted you to go
Into Spaceman (Intergalactic Christ)
Spaceman
I always wanted you to go
Into Spaceman (Intergalactic Christ)
Pungent smells
Beyond the black horizon
Trying to take control
See my girl
She shivers in her bones
The sun and zenith rising
Trying to take us all
There's a fire between us
So where is your god
There's a fire between us
I can't get off the carousel
I can't get off the carousel
I can't get off the carousel
I can't get off this world
This sickening taste
Homophobic jokes
Images of fascist votes
Beam me up
Cause I can't breath
Spaceman
I always wanted you to go
Into Spaceman
It's time to terminate
The great wide world
Morbid fascinations
Television takes control
Decimation different races fall
Electronic information
Tampers with your soul
There's a fire between us
So where is your god
There's a fire between us
I can't get off the carousel
I fall off this world
This sickening taste
Homophobic jokes
Images of fascist votes
Beam me up
Cause I can't breath
Spaceman
I always wanted you to go
Into Spaceman (Intergalactic Christ)
Spaceman
I always wanted you to go
Into Spaceman (Intergalactic Christ)
Spaceman Spaceman Spaceman Spaceman
Spaceman Spaceman Spaceman Spaceman
Spaceman
Spaceman
Spaceman
The opening lines of "Spaceman" by Babylon Zoo suggest a longing for escape and a desire to reach beyond the horizon to a place where something new and better awaits the singer. However, the song soon takes a darker turn as it explores the oppressive nature of contemporary society. The lyrics evoke images of fascism, homophobia, and racism, all of which the singer struggles to rise above. They also hint at a sense of despair and frustration, with the repeated refrain of "I can't get off the carousel" suggesting a feeling of being trapped and powerless.
Line by Line Meaning
Spaceman
The song is addressing an entity.
I always wanted you to go
The singer expresses a desire for the entity to leave.
Into Spaceman (Intergalactic Christ)
The entity is being asked to become an intergalactic being.
Pungent smells
Environment around the artist is polluted.
They consummate my home
Pollution and dirt have taken over the artist's home.
Beyond the black horizon
The 'horizon' suggests that it's too far away for anyone to make a difference. 'Black' indicates that it's a hopeless situation.
Trying to take control
Something is attempting to establish authority.
See my girl
The artist has a girlfriend.
She shivers in her bones
The girlfriend is scared.
The sun and zenith rising
The sun is a sign of hope.
Trying to take us all
The thing trying to take control wants to affect everyone.
There's a fire between us
The artist and his girlfriend are having relationship issues.
So where is your god
The singer questions the existence and influence of a higher power in their situation.
I can't get off the carousel
The singer is going through a repetitive cycle in life and can't break free.
I can't get off this world
The singer wants to leave this world he's stuck in.
This sickening taste
Something is unpleasant.
Homophobic jokes
Jokes promoting discrimination against gay people.
Images of fascist votes
Images that suggest a political ideology that is oppressive and bigoted.
Beam me up
The singer wants to be extricated from his current situation.
Cause I can't breath
The artist feels suffocated by the circumstances he's in or the oppression around him.
It's time to terminate
It's time to end the world.
The great wide world
The entire world.
Morbid fascinations
Unhealthy obsessions.
Television takes control
Television has too much influence.
Decimation different races fall
Different races are being destroyed.
Electronic information
The media.
Tampers with your soul
The media is infecting or influencing people's minds.
Spaceman Spaceman Spaceman Spaceman
The repetition of the word 'Spaceman' builds up a sense of urgency or importance.
Spaceman
The song is addressing an entity.
Spaceman
The song is addressing an entity.
Spaceman
The song is addressing an entity.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jasbinder Mann Singh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@EntropyBot
The version you heard was probably the radio edit which has that sped up chorus in the beginning and end. Looks like someone had the idea to speed up the whole thing and it didn't turn out so well.
@EntropyBot
Damn... three years. I don't even know who I was replying to. And those lyrics... slow clap
@bmarley5723
Best quality on YT, thanks 🙏🏻👍
@mark-anthonybent7951
excellent !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@tomestone
why can i not download this version anywere .....
@favela4eva
i first heard this on a lunar jim advert and u can download it on vid 2mp3
@KiteMemfis
Where!??
@jokker9
:D
@Katetanic
Spacebar? What??
@BIGBIGBIG
:)