While still teenagers, they formed after guitarist Cole Alexander and bassist Jared Swilley left the Renegades, and guitarist Ben Eberbaugh left the Reruns. Drummer Joe Bradley joined a few months later. They released their first 7" in late 2001/early 2002 on their own Die Slaughterhaus label.
Just days before a tour was to begin in December 2002, Ben Eberbaugh was killed in a car accident after his car was hit by a drunk driver. The band carried on believing that Eberbaugh would want them to continue.
The band's debut full length album was released on Bomp! Records in 2003. Eberbaugh was replaced by Jack Hines, a friend of the band members, but he too was eventually replaced by current guitarist, and former Renegades member, Ian St. Pe , in 2004.
The Black Lips have a reputation for crazy live shows that have included vomiting, urinating, nudity, band members kissing, fireworks, and a chicken. They have slowly built a fanbase that appreciates their energy and style that is a rough mishmash of blues, rock, doo-wop, country, and punk.
They gained national attention in 2006 with features in Spin and Rolling Stone magazines. The band got exposure in the New York Times for being the hardest working band during the 2007 South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, in which they played a dozen shows over a three-day period.
In September 2007 their most recent album entitled Good Bad Not Evil was released. The Black Lips made their American national television debut in October 2007 on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and played O Katrina.
The band also has songs from previous recording sessions, and they will eventually be released by In The Red Records.
The Black Lips are going to star in a film called Let It Be. They will play musicians in a fictitious '1980s era DIY band called The Renegades. The movie is set for production in 2008.
Cole, Jared and Joe also play in a band called The Spooks, along with members of Deerhunter and The Kiwis. The Spooks have recorded an album which should be released in 2007 or 2008 on the Die Slaughterhaus label. Ian also plays in a blasphemous garage punk band called The Original Three. There is a full length record out on Empty records and a single out on SYA records (Italy). The Original Three will have a new single coming out in December 2007 on Savage records (Sweden). Jared plays in a band called The Gaye Blades. Rob's House Records has released one 7" by The Gaye Blades, and another one should be released before the end of 2007. Cole has also released solo material under the name Old King Cole Younger. There is one split 10" release of his material on Rob's House Records that features Bradford Cox of Deerhunter, under the name of Atlas Sound, on the other side.
In 2009, the band released their fifth album, "200 Million Thousand", on Vice Records.
Band Members
* Cole Alexander (Old King Cole Younger) - Vocals, Guitar (2000 - present)
* Jared Swilley - Vocals, Bass Guitar (2000 - present)
* Joe Bradley - Vocals, Drums (2000 - present)
* Ian St. Pe - Guitar (2005 - 2014)
* Jack Hines - former Guitar (2002 - 2005, 2014 - present)
* Ben Eberbaugh - Guitarz(2000 - 2002) - deceased
Off The Block
Black Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Allegation
Feel the sun's
Radiation
Death tolls forming
Under oceans
Neptune's calling
In slow motion
But you never get off the block
Painted faces
Being places
All the people are all famous
Band is coming
Seven years running
Legal body
Will he find it
Will he find it
But you never get off the block
The lyrics to "Off The Block" by Black Lips explores the themes of escapism and the search for something beyond the mundane. The words 'Space salvation' could signify the desire to leave behind earthly troubles, and 'allegation' suggests the escape is not easy, as there may be claims or doubts to contend with. The next line, 'Feel the sun's radiation', could represent the pull towards warmth and light, a possible antidote to the coldness and darkness of life. The subsequent two lines, 'Death tolls forming under oceans' and 'Neptune's calling', present an evocative image of casualties arising beneath the sea, while Neptune, the god of the ocean in Roman mythology, calls out with mysterious allure. The final line, 'In slow motion', adds to the languid, dreamlike atmosphere.
In the second verse, 'Painted faces' could refer to the masks people wear or the fake personas they adopt in social circles. These people are 'being places', meaning they attend events and go on trips to show off their status. Meanwhile, 'All the people are all famous' implies a culture where public recognition is coveted above all else. The third line, 'Band is coming', is possibly a reference to the Black Lips themselves, and they have been 'seven years running', indicating their longevity in the music industry. The next two lines, 'Legal body, will he find it?' suggests that the pursuit of something beyond the norm may involve legal or official documents, or perhaps a bodily experience like a drug-induced high. However, despite these yearnings for something more, the final line, 'But you never get off the block', reveals that the characters in the song are stuck in their current situations and unable to break free.
Line by Line Meaning
Space salvation
Savior from the vast emptiness of space
Allegation
Unverified statement accusing someone of wrongdoing
Feel the sun's
Radiation
Experience the intense energy emitted by the sun
Death tolls forming
Under oceans
Reports of death and destruction arising from underwater sources
Neptune's calling
In slow motion
In slow motion
The distant planet Neptune's call that seems to be moving in a slow motion
But you never get off the block
Despite everything, you're always stuck in one place and unable to move forward
Painted faces
Being places
People with fake appearances always appearing in different locales
All the people are all famous
Everyone seems to be known and popular in their own right
Band is coming
Seven years running
A music group is arriving after being active for seven years
Legal body
Will he find it
Will he find it
The question of whether someone will uncover a legitimate organization
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
Written by: JAMES WHITE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
FarmerDoom
When I hear this song I think of Cthulu and being poor.
AlbertFisher119
space salvation allegation feel the sun's radiation death tolls forming under oceans Neptune's calling in slow motion in slow motion but you never get off the block
AlbertFisher119
painted faces being places all the people are all famous band is coming seven years running legal body will he find it will he find it but you never get off the block