In the late 1960s he led a blues-rock trio called Love Sculpture, who scored a quasi-novelty hit by reworking Khachaturian's classical piece "Sabre Dance" as a speed-crazed rock number. "Sabre Dance" became a hit after garnering the enthusiastic attention of British DJ John Peel.
After Love Sculpture split, Edmunds had a number one single with "I Hear You Knocking", a Smiley Lewis cover. His only acting role followed, as a band member in the David Essex movie Stardust (1974 movie). After learning the trade of producer, culminating in a couple of singles in the style of Phil Spector, "Baby I Love You" and "Born To Be With You", he became linked with the pub rock movement of the early 1970s, producing Brinsley Schwarz, Ducks Deluxe, and also The Flamin' Groovies, using a stripped down, grittier sound.
His own solo LP from that era, Subtle As A Flying Mallet, was similar in style. In 1977, the Brinsley Schwarz connection brought about a collaboration with Nick Lowe under the name Rockpile, with Billy Bremner and Terry Williams. For contractual reasons they could not record as Rockpile until 1980, but contemporary solo LPs (such as Nick Lowe's Labour of Lust and Edmunds' own Repeat When Necessary) were in fact group recordings. Dave Edmunds had more hits during this time, including Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk", Nick Lowe's "I Knew The Bride", Hank DeVito's "Queen of Hearts" ), Graham Parker's "Crawling From The Wreckage", and Melvin Endsley's "Singing The Blues" (originally a hit for Guy Mitchell).
Unexpectedly, after Rockpile relased their first LP under their own name (1980's Seconds Of Pleasure), the band split, generally attributed to tensions between Edmunds and Lowe. Edmunds spent the 1980s collaborating with and producing an assortment of artists, from Paul McCartney to King Kurt, and from The Stray Cats to Status Quo. He recorded the soundtrack for Porky's Revenge, supplying the main theme, "High School Nights", and was the musical director for a television special starring Carl Perkins, with assorted guests including George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and Rosanne Cash.
On his 1983 and 1984 releases, Information and Riff Raff, Edmunds collaborated on two songs with Jeff Lynne, the lead musician of Electric Light Orchestra. He recorded less frequently after the mid 1980s.
Edmunds now lives in Wales in semi-retirement, touring Scandinavia infrequently, after surviving a quadruple bypass several years ago.
Get Out of Denver
Dave Edmunds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Our 60 Cadillac was roaring through Nebraska whining
Doing 120 man the fields was bending over
Heading out for the mountains knowing we was traveling further
All the fires were blazing and the spinning wheels were turning turning
Had my girl beside me, brother, brother, she was burning burning
Up walked a Baptist preachin' southern funky school teacher
We told her that we needed something that would get us going
She pulled out all she had and laid it on the counter showing
All I had to do was lay my money down and pick it up
The cops came busting in and then we lit out in a pickup truck
Go! Get out of Denver, better, go
Get out of Denver, better, go,
Get out of Denver, better, go
Cause you look just like a commie
And you might just be a member
Get out of Denver
Get out of Denver
Well, red lights were flashing and the sirens were a-screaming screaming
We had to pinch each other just to see if we were dreaming
Made it to Loveland Pass in under less than half an hour
Lord, it started drizzling and it turned into a thundershower
The rain was driving but the Caddy kept on burning rubber
We kept on driving till we ran into some fog cover
We couldn't see a thing but somehow we just kept on going
We kept on driving all night long and then into the morning fog
It finally lifted when we looked to see where we was at
We're staring at a Colorado state policeman trooper cat
Go! Get out of Denver, better, go
Get out of Denver, better, go,
Get out of Denver, better, go
Cause you look just like a commie
And you might just be a member
Get out of Denver
Get out of Denver
Go! Get out of Denver, better, go
Get out of Denver, better, go,
Get out of Denver, better, go
Cause you look just like a commie
And you might just be a member
Get out of Denver
Better go!
The lyrics to Dave Edmunds’s song “Get Out of Denver” tell the story of a wild night of escapades and trying to outrun the law in Denver, Colorado. The song starts by setting the scene of an autumn night, with the moon shining and a 60 Cadillac roaring through Nebraska. The car is going so fast that even the fields appear to be bending over. The singer of the song is traveling with his girlfriend and looking to go to the mountains while everything is ablaze, and the wheels are turning. The passion between the singer and his love interest is also evident from the lyrics which mention that “she was burning”.
The song then takes a turn when a Baptist preacher, and a Southern funky schoolteacher comes into the picture. The preacher has something heavy that the singer needs, but he couldn’t get it from her. However, she eventually laid it out on the counter, and all he had to do was lay the money down and pick it up. The singer and his girlfriend got into a pick-up truck and went on the run. They were chased by the police, and red lights were flashing, and the sirens were screaming.
The singer and his girlfriend managed to make it to a pass in Loveland, where it started drizzling and turned into a thundershower. They continued driving through the night, even when they couldn't see a thing. Eventually, they found themselves facing a Colorado state policeman trooper cat. Interestingly, the song mentions that the singer looked like a commie and might just be a member.
Overall, “Get Out of Denver” is an exciting and thrilling song that tells a story of adventure and danger.
Line by Line Meaning
I still remember it was autumn and the moon was shining
The singer recalls a specific night in autumn that was memorable due to the bright moon that illuminated the sky.
Our 60 Cadillac was roaring through Nebraska whining
The singer and his companion were driving through Nebraska in a loud, powerful Cadillac.
Doing 120 man the fields was bending over
They were driving at a very high speed of 120 miles per hour, with the landscape passing by so quickly that it appeared to be bending over.
Heading out for the mountains knowing we was traveling further
The purpose of their trip was to reach the mountains and they were aware that they had a long journey ahead of them.
All the fires were blazing and the spinning wheels were turning turning
The scene was filled with the sound of roaring engines and the sight of flickering flames from fires.
Had my girl beside me, brother, brother, she was burning burning
The singer had his girlfriend with him and was describing how attractive she was.
Up walked a Baptist preachin' southern funky school teacher
A Baptist preacher who had a distinctive southern accent approached them while they were on the road.
She had a line on something heavy but we couldn't reach her
The preacher had something illegal or controversial to offer, but they were unable to obtain it from her.
We told her that we needed something that would get us going
The singer and his companion were seeking substances to enhance their experience of the road trip.
She pulled out all she had and laid it on the counter showing
The preacher showed them all the items she had available for purchase or exchange.
All I had to do was lay my money down and pick it up
To acquire what they wanted, all they had to do was pay the preacher and take the items.
The cops came busting in and then we lit out in a pickup truck
The police arrived and they quickly fled the scene in a pickup truck.
Go! Get out of Denver, better, go
The singer gives a directive to leave quickly in order to avoid trouble.
Get out of Denver, better, go,
Get out of Denver, better, go,
Get out of Denver, better, go
The singer emphasizes the urgency of leaving Denver and repeats the line for emphasis.
Cause you look just like a commie
And you might just be a member
The reason for leaving Denver is because the singer and his companion are afraid of being mistaken for communists or communist sympathizers.
Well, red lights were flashing and the sirens were a-screaming screaming
The attention of the police was drawn to the singer and his companion, with their cars flashing red lights and sirens blaring.
We had to pinch each other just to see if we were dreaming
The singer and his companion were in disbelief at the situation and had to check if it was real.
Made it to Loveland Pass in under less than half an hour
They quickly made it to Loveland Pass, covering the distance in less than thirty minutes.
Lord, it started drizzling and it turned into a thundershower
It began to rain gently, but this soon escalated into a loud and heavy thunderstorm.
The rain was driving but the Caddy kept on burning rubber
Despite the heavy rain, the Cadillac kept on driving recklessly fast.
We kept on driving till we ran into some fog cover
They continued to drive through foggy conditions without being able to see clearly.
We couldn't see a thing but somehow we just kept on going
Despite the lack of visibility, they continued driving forward.
We kept on driving all night long and then into the morning fog
They continued driving throughout the night and into the morning with the fog still impeding their vision.
It finally lifted when we looked to see where we was at
The fog finally cleared, and they were able to see their surroundings more clearly.
We're staring at a Colorado state policeman trooper cat
They were faced with a Colorado state policeman upon the lifting of the fog.
Better go!
The urgency to leave is repeated.
Contributed by Jayce O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tommy Wells
on Sabre Dance (Love Sculpture)
Could you please put this song on Amazon Music?