Taking their name from the number of Susans in the line up, Band of Susans released one EP - Blessing and Curse - on Poss's own Trace Elements label before being signed to Mute Records's Blast First imprint for their first album Hope Against Hope. After the release, Rogers, Lyall and Tallman quit to be replaced by Karen Haglof (guitar) and Page Hamilton (guitar). After a second album - Love Agenda - and a Peel Sessions EP the two new members quit (Hamilton to form Helmet) and were replaced by Anne Husick (guitar) and Mark Lonergan (guitar), forming the line up which made three more albums and one EP. On the band's final U.S. and European tours a young Jay Braun filled in for Mark Lonergan. The band's final production was a version of Wire's Ahead for a collection of Wire cover versions called Whore, released in 1996.
Musically, BoS organised their three guitarists into providing an overwhelming wail of feedback and guitar noise layered under more conventional song structures (Poss had worked with guitar enemble composer Rhys Chatham and was a big fan of The Rolling Stones - the latter resulting in covers of Child of the Moon and Paint it Black). Although pretty much unconnected with it, Band of Susans are generally included in the New York No Wave scene that produced Sonic Youth and Glenn Branca.
After the dissolution of the band, Poss and Stenger performed with Bruce Gilbert of Wire as GilbertPossStenger. Poss then concentrated on production and solo work whilst Stenger played live with The Creatures for a period. An open-ended promise to reform under a new name has yet to happen.
Take The Express
Band Of Susans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know that's the way in the suburbs
But here in New York there's just one way to go
You change from local to express
Oh, take the express
It's ninety cents
And you can ride all day
They don't know what they're missing
While they're driving around
We're two miles underground
Stuck in a tunnel near 56th
So you think it's real cool to go where you want to
And polish your car to reflect the sun while you're stuck in Holland Tunnel
I'll be here where the fun is smelling the piss of the Number 1
Tell me how many people have you met in your pickup
Have you ever been mugged in your blue Chevette
You can bet your last Rabbit that you'll see stranger habits on a train filled with loony-bin vets
They take the express
I hope against hope that the trains will keep running
To get me to Chinatown before twelve o'clock
While you're looking for parking
I'll be looking at Peking
The pork in the windows
The fish crates on the block
You get in a car and drive real fast
I know that's the way in the suburbs
But here in New York there's just one way to go
You change from local to express
Oh, take the express
In Band of Susans’ song “Take The Express,” the lyrics revolve around the idea that the best way to travel in New York City is by taking the subway, as opposed to driving a car. The opening lines, “You get in a car and drive real fast, I know that’s the way in the suburbs, but here in New York there’s just one way to go, you change from local to express,” emphasize the importance and efficiency of the subway system. The subway is a more cost-effective mode of transportation, as noted in the line “it’s ninety cents and you can ride all day,” and it allows the song’s protagonist to experience the unique quality of city life - the grit, the chaos, and the diversity.
The second half of the song highlights the different experiences one can have by taking the train rather than driving. While the New Jersey kids who drive to the city to party are “stuck in traffic,” the singer is “two miles underground” and able to “smell the piss of the Number 1” subway line. Furthermore, unlike the driver who needs to find parking, the singer can easily access Chinatown and enjoy the atmosphere with “the pork in the windows” and “the fish crates on the block.”
Overall, the song speaks to the beauty and practicality of the subway system in New York City, and encourages the listener to embrace this unique aspect of city life.
Line by Line Meaning
You get in a car and drive real fast
The suburban lifestyle involves driving in a hurry
I know that's the way in the suburbs
I am aware that fast driving is a thing in the suburbs
But here in New York there's just one way to go
In New York, taking the express train is the best mode of transportation
You change from local to express
Switch from the local train to the express train for a quicker journey
Oh, take the express
Emphatically urging the audience to take the express train
It's ninety cents
The fare for the express train is 90 cents
And you can ride all day
Unlimited rides for the day with the express train ticket
All those New Jersey kids coming into clubs
The ones that come to the city from the suburbs
They don't know what they're missing
They have no idea of what is in store for them in the city
While they're driving around
The suburban kids are driving aimlessly in the city
We're two miles underground
The express train runs two miles beneath the ground
Stuck in a tunnel near 56th
Currently halted in a tunnel near 56th street
So you think it's real cool to go where you want to
Assuming it's a good idea to take a car anywhere you want to go
And polish your car to reflect the sun while you're stuck in Holland Tunnel
Polishing the car idles one while the traffic stands still in the Holland tunnel
I'll be here where the fun is smelling the piss of the Number 1
Enjoying the vibrancy of the city and subways, even though it stinks
Tell me how many people have you met in your pickup
Challenging those who prefer driving everywhere to meet new people
Have you ever been mugged in your blue Chevette
Though it may sound frightening, being mugged is an experience in the city
You can bet your last Rabbit that you'll see stranger habits on a train filled with loony-bin vets
We see and meet a variety of eccentric people while traveling by subway
I hope against hope that the trains will keep running
Praying the subway system always remains functional
To get me to Chinatown before twelve o'clock
Needing to reach Chinatown before midnight
While you're looking for parking
People driving will be searching for a parking spot
I'll be looking at Peking
Observing the shops and restaurants in Chinatown
The pork in the windows
Pork meat on display in shops
The fish crates on the block
Fish on sale in front of the stores
Contributed by Parker B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.