The group were basically just Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band (an above average R'n'B rave-up band) with a new name and a totally new direction. Zoot Money (vocals, keyboards), Andy Somers (guitar), Pat Donalson (bass) and Colin Allen (drums) exchanged their suits for white, flowing robes and quickly became UFO favourites. ‘The Madman Running Through The Fields’, their only single, has since become recognized as one of the best songs of the entire British psychedelic boom. Full of backward phasing, studio effects and abrupt changes into unexpected avenues, an original pressing is now a highly valuable collector’s item. They soon started work on an LP but it was never finished as EMI didn't approve of Zoot’s psychedelic conversion and promptly dropped them. They broke up in the spring of ‘68 with Zoot and Somers joining Eric Burdon’s New Animals and Allen joining John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.Their unfinished LP has since been released by Tenth Planet and is now available to all. Andy Somers would later gain fame as the guitarist for The Police.
World War Three
Dantalian's Chariot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Suddenly...
comes reality...
All around,
burning ground...
Just how far can you see?...
How will you feel when you live underground?
No longer free of the things that brought you down
(Above ground)
Can this be
reality?...
All the dreams are decayed...
Here we stand,
world in hand...
We ourselves have the key...
Open the gateway to flowers and streams
Children are living our dreams
Look at them playing their games, so wild and free
(Let this be)
World War Three
Must it be?...
Live and love, don't destroy...
Ah,ah ha ha!
Don't destroy...
Don't destroy...
Don't destroy...
Please...
Please...
Don't destroy...
Don't destroy...
Ah!
The lyrics of Dantalian's Chariot's song "World War Three" express concern about the potential outcome of a global war. The opening lines describe a sudden realization of the reality of the situation, with burning ground and limited visibility. The lyrics suggest that the outcome of such a war may involve living underground, losing the freedom to move around freely, and being unable to escape the problems that caused the conflict in the first place.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the importance of preventing such a disaster from happening. The singer urges listeners to open a gateway to a peaceful existence, where children can live out their dreams and play without fear. The song concludes with a plea to live and love rather than destroying the world and all that it has to offer.
Overall, the song is a plea for peace, urging people to work together to prevent the catastrophic consequences of war.
Line by Line Meaning
Suddenly...
The start of a sudden, unexpected event.
comes reality...
The moment when a harsh truth or a challenging circumstance becomes apparent.
All around,
burning ground...
The destruction that surrounds and engulfs everything.
Just how far can you see?...
The realization of how far and wide the destruction has spread and how severe the aftermath will be.
How will you feel when you live underground?
The conditions of being trapped underground and unable to experience life above ground in its entirety.
No longer free to move on
The confinement of being underground, unable to move or travel freely.
No longer free of the things that brought you down
The inescapable consequences of actions that led to living underground.
Can this be
reality?...
The disbelief and shock that such destruction could occur and become a reality.
All the dreams are decayed...
The loss of hope and optimism due to the destruction of everything that was once valued or cherished.
Here we stand,
world in hand...
The world has been destroyed, and now what remains is in our hands.
We ourselves have the key...
The choice that we make to determine the future direction of the world.
Open the gateway to flowers and streams
The hope for a better future, where the beauty of nature can be experienced once again.
Children are living our dreams
The innocence and joy of children playing, representing what the future could be if we make the right choices.
Look at them playing their games, so wild and free
The freedom and carefreeness of children playing in a world that should be filled with the same.
World War Three
Must it be?...
The question of whether we can avoid such destruction and devastation in the future.
Live and love, don't destroy...
The message to choose love and life over destruction and death.
Ah,ah ha ha!
Don't destroy...
Don't destroy...
Don't destroy...
Please...
Please...
Don't destroy...
Don't destroy...
Ah!
The desperate plea to keep destruction at bay and choose a better path for the future.
Contributed by Sadie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.