There are two artists that have used the name Electric Six
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

Eye Contact
Electric Six Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Call me a lover or call me a lion
Call me the minstrel of sighin'
With God as my witness I try to go with this
But I just can't stand by your lyin'

You say you wouldn't dare as far as you're aware
What is fair, is fair let's not go there
We made eye contact take it all back

We arrived here alone and we left here together

Like birds of a cardinal feather
Drinks came and drinks went, but drugs were forever
This contract was doomed to be severed
You said, "All was war in love and fair"

And it was more than I could bear
Don't make me go back there
But before there was all that we made eye contact
Trying to slips back and then we bridge the contract

We made contact with a higher power
Love growing stronger hour by hour
There was no room for compromise
When you made me stare directly in your eyes

How do I get through this nightmare?
I don't know, don't make me go back there
'Cause I won't go, I should have stayed in Ohio
And now they played the last game show

Without eye contact (The more you feel, the less you know)
Take it all back (I'm only here to fly)
We made eye contact (She looked directly in your eye)
Trying to slips back and then we bridge the contract
Eye contact trying to slip back and we'll take our own back

We made eye contact

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Electric Six’s song “Eye Contact” explore the complexities of modern love and the struggle to maintain honesty and trust in a relationship. The opening lines establish the singer’s romantic persona as both a lover and a lion, someone who is both gentle and fierce. However, this persona is undermined by the revelation that the singer’s partner has been lying, leading the singer to question whether they can continue in the relationship. The ambiguity of the second verse, with its conflicting statements about the fairness of the situation, reflects the confusion and uncertainty that often arises in relationships. However, the central metaphor of “eye contact” is used throughout the song to suggest that true intimacy and connection requires an unwavering commitment to honesty and openness, even when the truth is painful.

The repeated refrain of “we made eye contact” emphasizes the power of this connection and its ability to create a profound sense of shared experience. The reference to a “higher power” in the seventh verse suggests that this connection is not simply an earthly bond, but one that transcends time and space. However, the final lines of the song imply that this connection may be impossible to maintain, as the singer’s experiences have left them scarred and disillusioned. The song thus presents a nuanced exploration of the complexities of love and the emotional challenges that come with it.

Line by Line Meaning

Call me a lover or call me a lion
Whether you see me as a passionate lover or a fierce predator, it's up to you.

Call me the minstrel of sighin'
Some might say I'm a bard of heartache and romantic despair.

With God as my witness I try to go with this
I swear to a higher power that I'm doing my best to deal with this situation.

But I just can't stand by your lyin'
I can't ignore your deception and falsehood anymore.

You say you wouldn't dare as far as you're aware
You claim that you wouldn't do anything wrong, as far as you know.

What is fair, is fair let's not go there
Let's not argue about what's equitable, that's not the point.

We made eye contact take it all back
We connected with each other through a look, but now we regret it.

We arrived here alone and we left here together
We came to this place on our own, but now we're leaving together.

Like birds of a cardinal feather
We're like birds of the same species, in this together.

Drinks came and drinks went, but drugs were forever
We consumed alcoholic beverages that were only temporary, but our drug habit was persistent.

This contract was doomed to be severed
Our agreement or pact was bound to fail and be nullified.

You said, 'All was war in love and fair'
You claimed that love was a battlefield and anything goes, all's fair in love and war.

And it was more than I could bear
It was too much for me to handle, emotionally.

Don't make me go back there
I don't want to revisit those painful memories or experiences.

But before there was all that we made eye contact
Despite everything that happened afterwards, there was a moment when we shared a gaze and a connection.

Trying to slips back and then we bridge the contract
We're trying to revert to a previous state and reconcile our differences.

We made contact with a higher power
We experienced a spiritual or transcendental moment or feeling.

Love growing stronger hour by hour
We're falling more deeply in love as time passes.

There was no room for compromise
We couldn't find a middle ground or a mutually acceptable solution.

When you made me stare directly in your eyes
You made me look at you intently, and conveyed something powerful with that gaze.

How do I get through this nightmare?
I don't know how to cope with this overwhelming, distressing situation.

I don't know, don't make me go back there
I'm lost and uncertain, I don't want to relive that traumatic experience.

'Cause I won't go, I should have stayed in Ohio
I refuse to give in, I should have stayed where things were simpler and more predictable.

And now they played the last game show
This is the final act or performance, the last chance to make things right.

Without eye contact (The more you feel, the less you know)
Without a visual connection, it's difficult to understand or express your emotions properly.

Take it all back (I'm only here to fly)
Let's forget everything that happened before and focus on moving forward and achieving our goals.

She looked directly in your eye
You had a direct, intense encounter with her gaze.

Eye contact trying to slip back and we'll take our own back
We want to return to that moment of connection and claim our independence and agency in the process.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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