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.
Let It Rock
Dave Edmunds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Working on the railroad with the steel-driving hammer
Gotta make some money to buy some brand new shoes
Tryin' to find somebody to take away these blues
"She don't love me," hear them singing in the sun
Payday's coming, and my work is all done
Later in the evening, when the sun is sinking low
Sitting in a teepee, built right on the tracks
Rolling them bones until the foreman comes back
Pick up you belongings, boys, and scatter about
We've got an off-schedule train comin' two miles, about
Everybody's scrambling, running around
Picking up their money, tearing the teepee down
Foreman wants to panic, 'bout to go insane
Trying to get the workers out the way of the train
Engineer blows the whistle, loud and long
Can't stop the train, gotta let it roll on
In Dave Edmunds's song Let It Rock, the lyrics tell the story of a day in the life of a railroad worker in Mobile, Alabama during the Jim Crow era. The first verse sets the scene of the worker's toil in the sweltering heat, hammering away at the rails to make a living. The worker's motivation for enduring this hard labor is to earn enough money to buy a new pair of shoes and forget about his troubles with love. As he works, he hears his fellow workers singing a chorus of "She don't love me," emphasizing their shared experiences of heartbreak and financial instability.
The second verse takes place in the evening when the workers gather together in a teepee built on the train tracks, gambling and waiting for the end of the shift. Suddenly, they hear the foreman shout that an off-schedule train is approaching, causing a mad scramble to grab their belongings and clear the tracks. The foreman is panicking, knowing that his workers' lives are in danger, but there is no time to stop the train. The engineer blows the whistle, and the train "can't stop, gotta let it roll on," symbolizing the unrelenting power of economic forces that shape the lives of the working class.
Overall, the lyrics of Let It Rock provide a poignant commentary on the harsh realities faced by railroad workers in the South during the mid-20th century. The song highlights themes of labor rights, racial inequality, economic insecurity, and the powerlessness of the worker in the face of capitalist forces. Through its vivid imagery and haunting melodies, Let It Rock remains a timeless tribute to the struggles and resilience of working-class Americans.
Line by Line Meaning
In the heat of the day, down in Mobile Alabama
The intense heat of Alabama's afternoons
Working on the railroad with the steel-driving hammer
Working strenuously as a railroad worker
Gotta make some money to buy some brand new shoes
Trying to earn some money
Tryin' to find somebody to take away these blues
Looking for someone or something to cure the blues
"She don't love me," hear them singing in the sun
Hearing others' laments in the hot sun
Payday's coming, and my work is all done
The end of the work week is approaching
Later in the evening, when the sun is sinking low
As the sun sets in the late evening
All day, I been waiting for the whistle to blow
Waiting all day for the signal to end work
Sitting in a teepee, built right on the tracks
Taking a break nearby a Teepee on the tracks
Rolling them bones until the foreman comes back
Playing dice before it is time to return to work
Pick up you belongings, boys, and scatter about
It's time to move and wrap up the workday
We've got an off-schedule train comin' two miles, about
A train is coming unexpectedly down the tracks
Everybody's scrambling, running around
Everyone is running in panic
Picking up their money, tearing the teepee down
People are gathering their money and taking down the Teepee
Foreman wants to panic, 'bout to go insane
The foreman is on the verge of breaking down from the stress
Trying to get the workers out the way of the train
Efforts to get the workers out of the train's path
Engineer blows the whistle, loud and long
The loud and long honk of the train whistle
Can't stop the train, gotta let it roll on
It is impossible to stop the train, it must be allowed to continue
Contributed by Adrian I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Trident750UK
This is by far the best version of this Chuck Berry tune..!!….Subtle as a flying mallet is a truly great album by one of the greats…Dave Edmunds..!!
@josephroache3176
Mr. Edmunds deserves greater acclaim, he’s a musician’s musician, no doubt about it .
@wayneconn1079
Chuck Berry the master everyone played his songs and Dave and the band do a great version here . We love ya Dave Rocknroll forever 😊👍
@sartainja
Superb version.
@josephlemko3027
Dave Edmunds truly understands how to play Rock n' Roll. Fine cover of this Chuck Berry song.👍👌😁😃
@neilladd3410
One of the greatest rockers ever !!!!
@FAITH-FAY
Wicked deadly oh wow. Love the instrument playing. Dam mean awesome song. Now that's what u call good dance music. 👍😎
@neilladd3410
Rock the Rock and Roll it!!!!
@terrywilliams9719
I loved Dave's Blues numbers, why have I not discovered Youtube Before, its a trip down memory lane....... thanks for the memories Popeye
@roberthdahlquist
Whoa — the drummer himself! What a kick to see you here! On Chuck Berry’s birthday, no less....