Big Head Todd & the Monsters is a rock band formed in 1986 in Colorado. The… Read Full Bio ↴Big Head Todd & the Monsters is a rock band formed in 1986 in Colorado. The band has released eight studio albums since 1989 with their 1993 album Sister Sweetly going well beyond platinum in the US. The band has developed a sizeable live following especially in the Mountain States of the US.
Big Head Todd and The Monsters – singer-guitarist Todd Park Mohr, bassist-singer Rob Squires, drummer-singer Brian Nevin and keyboardist-guitarist-singer Jeremy Lawton -- could have begun resting on their laurels back in 1993, when their Top 10 singles “Bittersweet,” “Broken Hearted Savior,” “Circle” and “It’s Alright” pushed the album Sister Sweetly to platinum certification. However, Mohr says, “I’ve fought throughout our career not to be a one-trick pony, to be the kind of band that has depth and diversity in its catalogue. I’m a fan of this band, and I’m constantly looking forward to what comes next.”
The essence of Big Head Todd and The Monsters – a rootsy, emotionally direct variety of rock ’n’ roll that lends itself particularly well to a live setting – has been winning fans since Mohr, Rob Squires and Brian Nevin started playing together in high school (Jeremy Lawton joined in 2004). Needless to say, the three never expected to be in the same band at this late date, but, as Mohr points out, “It was a really fortunate combination of musical personalities, and we’re still partners in every sense of the word.”
The band spent seven years developing their chemistry and amassing a following, boosted significantly by the independent releases Another Mayberry (1989) and Midnight Radio (1990), before being “discovered” by the listening public at large with 1993’s Sister Sweetly. After a major-label stint (Sister Sweetly, 1994’s Stratagem, 1997’s Beautiful World), during which the trio increasingly found itself frustrated artistically, they reclaimed their independent status (2001’s Riviera, 2004’s Crimes of Passion). “If it were not for our ability to do things for ourselves, we would have disappeared a long time ago,” Mohr allows.

Kensington Line
Big Head Todd and the Monsters Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

work on a wreckin' wall
Just off the liquor tracks
Onto the shaky ground
Oh, I'm fallin' down
hey, I'm ridin'

A fool to confide. Hey, Eddie watch your name
Let that lady be your guide

hey, she's comin' round
Hey, I'm flyin'

When the sleep gets in your eyes
I'll be on Kensington Line
And I'll run my hundred miles
Hey, don't you follow me tonight

Didn't like the look I see
Runnin' in the autumn leaves
Hasn't got a brain or peeve
Oh, the walls are closin' in

Hey, I'm headed out of here
Oh, I never meant to leave you cryin'

Overall Meaning

The song “Kensington Line” by Big Head Todd and the Monsters is a piece that revolves around a narrator who seems torn between choices and struggling through something difficult in their life. The first few lines are a description of the physical setting for the singer, who is working on a “wreckin’ wall” close to some train tracks, and the ground underneath them is “shaky”. The lyrics also suggest that the singer is on the verge of falling or may have already fallen, which could be a way to symbolize the mental or emotional struggles they are facing. Soon after, the singer makes a reference to a person named Eddie and an unnamed woman as well. The woman is described as a possible guide for Eddie, which seems to be a way of saying that the singer feels lost and needs guidance as well.

The song continues to describe the singer's desire to escape and run away from whatever is troubling them. At one point, they sing, “When the sleep gets in your eyes, I'll be on Kensington Line”, expressing a desire to leave their problems behind and run for miles, leaving everything behind. The final lines suggest regret over something that has happened, with the singer expressing that they did not mean to leave someone crying. Overall, the lyrics of “Kensington Line” are ambiguous and can be interpreted in different ways, but they appear to be about a person struggling with personal demons and unstable feelings, and looking for a way out.

Line by Line Meaning

work on a wreckin' wall
Engaging in a destructive lifestyle

Just off the liquor tracks
In proximity to alcoholism and addiction

Onto the shaky ground
Making precarious choices

Oh, I'm fallin' down
Suffering the consequences of poor decisions

hey, I'm ridin'
Embracing the thrill of reckless behavior

A fool to confide. Hey, Eddie watch your name
Being wary of untrustworthy individuals

Let that lady be your guide
Seeking guidance from a more level-headed person

hey, she's comin' round
Progress towards a healthier mindset

Hey, I'm flyin'
Feeling liberated and carefree

When the sleep gets in your eyes
When you are at your most vulnerable

I'll be on Kensington Line
I'll be somewhere far away and inaccessible