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.
Travis
Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine Lyrics
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I am
I served my time in Vietnam
I've got three jobs
This is one
Sometimes I wish I'd kept my gun
This country's going down the tubes
I can't afford to pay my dues
For Christ sakes buddy
Don't get sick
Don't grow old
Don't be poor
Do what you're told
Yeah!
Are you from Europe?
Well so am I
I came here in 1955
Half American, half asleep
Some day a rain will come
And wash the streets
The CIA, the KGB
It's all the same conspiracy
The whole damn country's on the skids
You better tell your kids
Don't get sick
Don't grow old
Don't be poor or underprivileged
Do exactly what you're told
Keep the meter running
Until we meet our destination
The grim reaper isn't coming
He's been otherwise detained
With Apocalypse practice
And his other occupation
Behind the wheel of his taxi cab
That's driving me insane
They took 4,000 headers on a bus ride
Left 'em dribbling at the seaside
Where the sun would keep them warm
Give a guy a uniform
They live out on the freeway now
They're waiting till your car breaks down
Don't take the American dream to bed
One of these days you'll wake up dead
The song “Travis” by Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine is a satirical take on American society, with the singer railing against his own racism and outlining the harsh reality of life in the United States. The first verse opens with the singer admitting that he is, in fact, a racist, but goes on to explain his background as a Vietnam veteran with three jobs. He laments the state of the country, with everything seemingly going “down the tubes,” and bemoans the fact that it is increasingly difficult to make ends meet.
The second verse takes a more global perspective, with the singer identifying himself as half-American and half-European. He expresses a sense of apathy and lethargy, describing himself as “half asleep,” and sees the machinations of the CIA and KGB as all part of the same conspiracy. The chorus, “Don’t get sick, don’t grow old, don’t be poor, do what you’re told,” serves as a biting commentary on the harsh realities of life in America, where it seems like the odds are stacked against anyone who isn’t wealthy or privileged.
The third verse takes aim at the American Dream itself, with the singer warning against taking it to bed for fear of waking up dead. The overall tone of “Travis” is one of resignation and despair, with the singer resigned to the fact that things are unlikely to change anytime soon.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm not a racist but,
I'm a racist and I'm about to say something terrible
I am
I hold prejudices against people of different races
I served my time in Vietnam
I am a veteran of the Vietnam War
I've got three jobs
I have to work multiple jobs to make ends meet
This is one
This song is one of the three jobs I have
Sometimes I wish I'd kept my gun
I'm frustrated with the state of society and sometimes I wish I could take matters into my own hands
This country's going down the tubes
The state of the country is declining
I can't afford to pay my dues
I'm struggling financially
Unless you've got some sponsorship
I need someone to help me financially
For Christ sakes buddy
Please help me
Don't get sick
It's expensive to get sick and healthcare is expensive
Don't grow old
Old age comes with ailments and medical bills
Don't be poor
Being poor is difficult and people in poverty often face many challenges
Do what you're told
You need to comply with the rules and regulations set by those in power
Are you from Europe?
Do you come from Europe?
Well so am I
I also come from Europe
I came here in 1955
I immigrated to America in 1955
Half American, half asleep
I feel like I'm not fully awake or aware of what's going on around me in America
Some day a rain will come
One day something bad will happen and wash away the problems the country has
And wash the streets
This bad event will have an impact on society and affect the streets
The CIA, the KGB
The American and Russian intelligence agencies
It's all the same conspiracy
The two intelligence agencies have similar goals and are working together to conspire against the American people
The whole damn country's on the skids
The whole country is in decline
You better tell your kids
You need to warn your children about the state of the country
Keep the meter running
Keep working hard
Until we meet our destination
Until we reach our goals
The grim reaper isn't coming
Death isn't going to come for me
He's been otherwise detained
Death is busy with something else
With Apocalypse practice
Death is busy training for the end of the world
And his other occupation
Death has other things to do as well
Behind the wheel of his taxi cab
Death is metaphorically driving me crazy
That's driving me insane
I'm going crazy dealing with everything
They took 4,000 headers on a bus ride
4,000 homeless people were put on a bus
Left 'em dribbling at the seaside
They were left stranded
Where the sun would keep them warm
Where they had some sort of shelter but it still wasn't enough
Give a guy a uniform
A uniform doesn't fix everything
They live out on the freeway now
They now live in poverty, stuck on the freeway
They're waiting till your car breaks down
They are hoping for help from people passing by
Don't take the American dream to bed
Don't believe in the false promises of the American Dream
One of these days you'll wake up dead
You could die any day, so don't waste your life chasing the American Dream
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave
Written by: JAMES NEIL MORRISON, LESLIE GEORGE CARTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind