In 1994, the duo expanded to a trio when Resque drummer Wez joined the band. In 1996, the band expanded further to include Salvatore Alessi of S*M*A*S*H on bass, Ben Lambert on keyboards, and Wez's brother Steve on guitar.
The groups most successful single, "The Only Living Boy in New Cross" from their UK #1 album "1992: The Love Album", reached #7 in the UK and #26 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart in the United States.
Rubbish
Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a short bad trip to the candy shop
Where the shrimps sell smack to the jelly snakes
And the kids buy crack in their morning break
And the grass grows bluer on the other side
Where the old girls queue for their Mothers Pride
For a slice of life it's a bargain sale
From the high rise priest of the office blocks
To a five year lease on a cardboard box
From the Old Queens Head to the Burger King
In my '57 Chevvy made from baked bean tins
(CHORUS:)
And when I drive that heap down the road
You can hear the cheap car stereo
Volume knob turned down low
And rubbish on the radio
From John O'Groats to Elmer's End
With busted lights and dodgy plates
Scrawled with a ball point pen
R U B B I S H
I'm underage and uninsured
on the High Road to Domestos
Chloraflouracarbon Lord
Asbestos lead asbestos
(CHORUS)
From John O'Groats to Elmer's End
With busted lights and dodgy plates
Scrawled with a ball point pen
R U B B I S H
I'm underage and uninsured
on the High Road to Domestos
Chloraflouracarbon Lord
Asbestos lead asbestos
I'll meet you down by the litter bins
Stretch my pins and feed my face
Wait there 'til my ship comes in
Loaded down with toxic waste
I'm going now to meet my maker
Ignition, clutch, accelerator
Mirror, signal and manoeuvre
GLORY, GLORY, GLORY HALLELUJAH!
(CHORUS)
The lyrics of Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine's song "Rubbish" touch upon various societal issues such as substance abuse, poverty, and environmental degradation. The song portrays a bleak and depraved picture of modern society where drug dealers sell smack and kids buy crack during their morning break. The grass on the other side is not truly greener as it's just bluer. The old women queue for their Mother's Pride, which may be a cooked food made with leftover bread, and while the price is right, the bread is stale. The song also has references to the cardboard box homes on a five-year lease, and the use of Radioactive waste for the production of electricity.
The narrative of the song is mysterious, and the lyrics are slightly cryptic. Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine uses metaphors, puns, and wordplay to convey the message. The song also touches upon environmental issues with a mention of toxic waste and chemical compounds. The chorus of the song repeats the mention of rubbish that characterizes the overall theme of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
From the black bag skip in the parking lot
Starting from the bottom of society
It's a short bad trip to the candy shop
Everything in life is fleeting
Where the shrimps sell smack to the jelly snakes
People are willing to do anything for money
And the kids buy crack in their morning break
Drug addiction is at an all-time high, even in schools
And the grass grows bluer on the other side
People always think that life is better elsewhere
Where the old girls queue for their Mothers Pride
Even basic necessities have become unaffordable for some
For a slice of life it's a bargain sale
Life is not as valuable anymore
The price is right but the bread is stale
What we are being offered is not worth it
From the high rise priest of the office blocks
Even the ones who hold power have become corrupt
To a five year lease on a cardboard box
The homeless are often forgotten and ignored
From the Old Queens Head to the Burger King
The only places left for some people to find comfort and solace
In my '57 Chevvy made from baked bean tins
Even the things we possess are makeshift and unsatisfying
And when I drive that heap down the road
We don't always have the best of what life has to offer
You can hear the cheap car stereo
We have to make do with what we can afford
Volume knob turned down low
We become comfortable with less
And rubbish on the radio
We start to accept things that are not worth it
From John O'Groats to Elmer's End
From north to south people are living in squalor
With busted lights and dodgy plates
Even the most basic things are not working
Scrawled with a ball point pen
Often just patched up instead of repaired properly
R U B B I S H
What we have become
I'm underage and uninsured
Living life recklessly without being fully prepared
On the High Road to Domestos
Going down a path of destruction
Chloraflouracarbon Lord
Not even knowing what we're doing to ourselves and the environment
Asbestos lead asbestos
Poisoning ourselves and future generations
I'll meet you down by the litter bins
Meeting in a place that represents our lives
Stretch my pins and feed my face
Enjoying the small things in life
Wait there 'til my ship comes in
Hoping for something good to happen
Loaded down with toxic waste
Even the good things in life come with a price
I'm going now to meet my maker
We are all heading towards the same end
Ignition, clutch, accelerator
Life is a series of steps that we all take
Mirror, signal and manoeuvre
We have to be careful about our choices
GLORY, GLORY, GLORY HALLELUJAH!
A cry of hope amidst the chaos
Contributed by Arianna Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ianmcdonald3053
@@randomtransportguyx4397 good luck on your journey, I’m 47 now myself so I’m still riding the escalator up to the sky! Look out for these Bands, weren’t mainstream back in the day and had some cracking sounds!
Soup Dragons,
James,
Something Happens
The levellers
Energy Orchard
Neds Atomic Dustbins
Inspiral Carpets
The Farm
Just a few I can think of right now, Enjoy your journey kid, love your family and get a German shepherd, best friend you’ll ever have! 👍
@davegreen1915
From the black bag skip in the parking lot
It's a short bad trip to the candy shop
Where the shrimps sell smack to the jelly snakes
And the kids buy crack in their morning break
And the grass grows bluer on the other side
Where the old girls queue for their Mothers Pride
For a slice of life it's a bargain sale
The price is right but the bread is stale
From the high rise priest of the office blocks
To a five year lease on a cardboard box
From the Old Queens Head to the Burger King
In my '57 Chevvy made from baked bean tins
And when I drive that heap down the road
You can hear the cheap car stereo
Volume knob turned down low
And rubbish on the radio
From John O'Groats to Elmer's End
With busted lights and dodgy plates
Scrawled with a ball point pen
R U B B I S H
I'm underage and uninsured
On the High Road to Domestos
Chloraflouracarbon Lord
Asbestos lead asbestos
And when I drive that heap down the road
You can hear the cheap car stereo
Volume knob turned down low
And rubbish on the radio
From John O'Groats to Elmer's End
With busted lights and dodgy plates
Scrawled with a ball point pen
R U B B I S H
I'm underage and uninsured
On the High Road to Domestos
Chloraflouracarbon Lord
Asbestos lead asbestos
I'll meet you down by the litter bins
Stretch my pins and feed my face
Wait there 'til my ship comes in
Loaded down with toxic waste
I'm going now to meet my maker
Ignition, clutch, accelerator
Mirror, signal and manoeuvre
GLORY, GLORY, GLORY HALLELUJAH!
And when I drive that heap down the road
You can hear the cheap car stereo
Volume knob turned down low
And rubbish on the radio
@jamiewm
A criminally underrated band, their lyrics are up there with the very best 👌
@chrisd6982
Intangible, immortal, special.
@ruairidhmclachlan
I have listened to loads of different music over my 45 years but these guys will always be the GOAT in my mind...
@randomtransportguyx4397
Why is no one remembering this great band I'm 16 and my dad introduced me to carter last year best bloody thing to happen in music terms
@ExcellRocks
Brilliant. One of my favourite bands ever 👍👏👌
@wayner7111
Boy this band has written some awesome lyrics over the years.
@stephenwright8551
Loved carter since 1991.
@paulowen6462
Agree Stephen one of the best bands ever been rocking them too since 91
@garethb4540
Gary N/Wales. Love it. Still means something to me today.
@christopherleemcdougall2914
Carter usm defined my youth 90''s, crazy times ,🤯😈, seems 2mins ago,LONG LIVE U.S.M🤩