1. An alterna… Read Full Bio ↴There are two artists that have used the name Electric Six
1. An alternative rock band from the United States
2. A musical group from South Africa
1. Electric Six is a six-piece Detroit-based rock band consisting of Dick Valentine (vocals), Tait Nucleus? (synthesizers), Johhny Na$hinal (guitar), Da Ve (guitar), Percussion World (drums), and Smorgasboard (bass) who play a mix of rock, funk and disco.
The band's first notorious formation comprised Valentine, Rock and Roll Indian (guitar), Surge Joebot (guitar), Disco (bass, former member of Detroit Cobras), and M (drums). Dick Valentine (real name Tyler Spencer) has always been the primary songwriter (both music and lyrics) of Electric Six, currently and under their former incarnation, when they were known as the Wildbunch. During the band's temporary split at the end of the 1990s, Spencer formed his own band called The Dirty Shame and released one CD entitled Smog Cutter Love Story which featured, among other tracks, a first version of Fire track "Vengeance and Fashion". The band reformed by 2001 to record and release the first release of 'Danger! High Voltage' and record the track 'Dealin' With Death N' Stealin' In The Name Of The Lord' with Troy Gregory for his Sybil album.
Electric Six fuses rock and punk with the laid-back funky rhythms and falsetto vocals of disco, and a distinctly comic touch. However, they tend to reject such genre classifications as disco-metal and disco punk. They formed the band in 1996 and were initially known as The Wildbunch, eventually dropping that name due to pressure from the Bristol trip-hop collection of the same name. Throughout the latter half of the '90s, they played about once a month at the Magic Bag in Ferndale, Magic Stick, and the now-defunct Gold Dollar in Detroit, the center of a scene that produced breakout acts like the White Stripes.
Electric Six's 2002 breakout single "Danger! High Voltage" was an infectious dance-rock number, and Jack White from The White Stripes helped sing back up vocals to this track. White has denied this, though Spencer has confirmed it in several interviews. The single reached number 2 on the UK singles chart, and they enjoy icon status in that nation.
Their second single, "Gay Bar", released in 2003, became a hit as well in the UK, reaching #5 in the charts and further aided the group's growth. Curiously, in the American Radio Edit of this track, The words "Nuclear War" are censored with whip-crack sound effects. After fulfilling their recording duties (namely their debut album) three members left in June, leaving Dick Valentine, Tait Nucleus? (synthesizer), and M.
The Colonel (Zach Shipps, guitar, ex-member of Brendan Benson and Mood Elevator), John R Dequindre (guitar and whose stage name is a combination of two Detroit streets) and Frank Lloyd Bonaventure (bass) subsequently joined the group, though they had all been credited on the album and most had been associated with the group for some time. At that time, they were touring in the UK, and they managed to seamlessly replace the members without interrupting the gigs. In time, Johnny Na$hinal joined the group on guitar, Dequindre switched to bass, and Bonaventure switched to law school.
The band's sophomore album, Señor Smoke, was released in the UK on February 14, 2005. Percussion World replaced M on drums around the same time.
The first single from the album put the band at the center of controversy, especially with Queen fans following a cover of the Queen hit song "Radio Ga Ga". The controversial music video shows lead singer Dick Valentine as the ghost of Queen's flamboyant lead singer Freddie Mercury and a backing band of poodles. Queen drummer Roger Taylor, who wrote the song, said that he was "unimpressed" with the video; however, Queen guitarist Brian May reportedly liked it. Electric Six claims they were contractually obligated to commit the song to the album. Issues with Warner Brothers caused a switch to Metropolis Records, who released Señor Smoke in the US.
Switzerland was released in September 2006. A plethora of videos have also been released, and a fan contribution contest led to the video for the single "I Buy the Drugs."
I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me That Restricts Me From Being the Master was released in October 2007. Their next album, titled Flashy, was released in October 2008. In October 2009, their sixth album, KILL, was released. The 7th album, Zodiac was released on September 28, 2010, with one tour-exclusive single ("Jam it in the Hole") and the 8th, Heartbeats and Brainwaves, on October 11th 2011.
A double live album is set for release in 2012.
2. Electric Six was a Soweto-based South African combo active in the 1960s and 1970s
Clusterfuck!
Electric Six Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lies a recipe for druid-fluid.
Sounds like a most refreshing drink to me!
You seem to be accruin',
More penalties than a Boston brewin',
But your card says "get out of jail for free".
You were always such a shoe-in,
But you didn't pay attention to what you were doin',
No one here can do it, (huh!)
No one here can do it, (huh!)
No one here can do it
As good as me!
[Chorus]
Singing "Yeah!
It was a clusterfuck!
(was a clusterfuck)
Oh yeah, it really fucked us up
(it really fucked us up)
Oh why,
Do bitches cry, When I went
Bye, bye
Bye
It ain't no lie,
That rent is
Too damn,
Too damn high.
The lyrics to Electric Six's "Clusterfuck!" are a combination of seemingly nonsense phrases and clever wordplay. The song begins with a reference to the writings of the druids and a recipe for Druid-fluid, which appears to be a made-up concoction. The singer then mocks someone who has accrued more penalties than a Boston brewery, but who also happens to have a "get out of jail free" card. The singer brags about being better than this person, even though they were originally a shoe-in for success.
The chorus repeats the phrase "clusterfuck" and acknowledges that things have gone terribly wrong. The line "It ain't no lie / That rent is / Too damn, / Too damn high" appears to be a reference to a viral video from 2010 in which New York City mayoral candidate Jimmy McMillan ranted about the high cost of rent. The song ends with the singer asking why bitches cry when they say goodbye.
Overall, the song seems to be a commentary on chaos, confusion, and the difficulties of life. It incorporates humor, wordplay, and pop culture references to create a catchy and memorable tune.
Line by Line Meaning
In the writings of the druids,
There is an old recipe for druid-fluid that was written down by the ancient druids.
Lies a recipe for druid-fluid.
The recipe for druid-fluid is hidden within the writings of the druids.
Sounds like a most refreshing drink to me!
The singer remarks that the druid-fluid sounds like a great beverage.
You seem to be accruin',
The singer notes that the listener seems to be collecting or accumulating something.
More penalties than a Boston brewin',
The listener seems to have an excessive number of penalties, akin to a brewer in Boston having an excessive amount of beer.
But your card says "get out of jail for free".
Despite the listener's accumulation of penalties, they appear to have a card that will allow them to avoid punishment.
You were always such a shoe-in,
The singer remarks that the listener has always had an easy time being selected or achieving success.
But you didn't pay attention to what you were doin',
Despite the listener's prior success, they didn't focus on what they were doing, causing problems now.
And no one here can do it as good as me!
The singer boastfully claims that no one here can do what they do as well as they do it.
No one here can do it, (huh!)
The singer repeats their claim that no one else can do what they do as well.
No one here can do it, (huh!)
Again, the singer repeats that no one else can do what they do as well.
No one here can do it
Yet again, the singer emphasizes that no one else can match their abilities.
As good as me!
To conclude the section, the singer resolves to remind everyone of their unparalleled skills.
Singing "Yeah!
The singer shifts into a more upbeat tone, signaling the start of the chorus.
It was a clusterfuck!
The singer describes a situation or event as a complete and utter disaster, using the term "clusterfuck".
(was a clusterfuck)
The singer repeats their assertion that the situation or event they're describing was a massive clusterfuck.
Oh yeah, it really fucked us up
The singer punctuates their description of the disaster by commenting on how it caused real harm or problems.
(it really fucked us up)
Again, the singer emphasizes that the disaster they're describing had serious consequences.
Oh why,
The singer begins a new, unrelated thought with this question.
Do bitches cry, When I went
The singer wonders why women are crying or upset after they left.
Bye, bye
The singer suggests that their departure or absence might be the reason the women are crying.
Bye
The singer repeats the word "bye" to illustrate their point further.
It ain't no lie,
The singer states that what follows is undoubtedly true or accurate.
That rent is
The singer starts a sentence about the cost of rent.
Too damn,
The singer believes that the amount of rent being paid is too high.
Too damn high.
The singer concludes by stating that the rent is far too expensive.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Billaxle
I want this song played at my funeral
Torance Gardner
Love the chorus, it just keeps running around in my mind at random times
Moo
i fucking love this song. heck i love all electric 6 songs, they can do no wrong.
Carlos Hernandez
Tremenda banda!!! Esta muy underated. Excelente. Hace falta qeu vengan a tocar aqui en La Florida, USA
Daniele Tommaso Bianco
electric six is real music!
Brett .Ensminger
so we're all in agreement: THE RENT IS TOO DAMN HIGH!!!
MerlynMusicman
Too damn, too damn high.
DMG Roberts
It ain't no lie.
Brett .Ensminger
@DMG Roberts I made that comment ten years ago, why are you replying now? I know you did it, you have no alibi.
Hugo Dunsany
Most badass Jazzercise session ever recorded.