Critically acclaimed though perceived as commercially disappointing, their debut contained tracks such as a spirited version of the Bobby Troup chestnut "The Girl Can't Help It", and it brought them a cult following. Their second album, 1970's 'Flamingo', revealed a musical approach that continued to draw upon 50s rock and roll as well as upon the more tuneful work of The Beatles and the The Rolling Stones. 'Flamingo' is also notable as well as the only album by the group to feature an apostrophe after "Flamin" (all the others are credited to "The Flamin Groovies"). It also was the first of their two albums for the label Kama Sutra.
Their next album, and last with musician Roy Loney, was the 1971 classic 'Teenage Head'. Continuing their streak of critical praise, this album appears in the famous book '1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'. Mick Jagger praised the work as an excellent album with parallels to the Stones' work at the time which, like 'Teenage Head', revisited both 50s music and roots rock. 'Teenage Head' is also considered to be a classic in the proto-punk music canon.
Still, Roy Loney left the Flamin' Groovies, and he was replaced by singer-songwriter and guitarist Chris Wilson, who, along with Jordan, began to move the group in a more overtly power pop direction. Between 1971 and 1976, very little was heard of the band except their 1972 anti-drug song "Slow Death". In 1976, they teamed up with British producer and famous retro rock artist Dave Edmunds, and recorded an album entitled 'Shake Some Action'.
With Cyril Jordan and George Alexander the lone holdouts in the band after their line-up changes, their sound found them fully embracing melodic 60s British invasion music and putting on a suit and tie public image reminiscent of those groups. The album even breaking into the Billboard 200 chart, reaching the #142 slot, it picked-up massive critical acclaim. Title track "Shake Some Action" became somewhat of a 'signature song' for the group, and the album has been viewed as a landmark release of the Anglo-American power pop movement.
The following effort, 1978's 'Now', continued to be a good example of their self-conscious attempt to revive the sound of classic 60s rock. As Cyril Jordan told an interviewer, "The time that we were personifying had died in America years before. We were trying to put it into a capsule." The Groovies continued in the same style until somewhere early in the 80s, almost folding entirely and shifting into a sporadic, on-again/off-again existence as the American music scene changed into a more new wave and alternative rock based direction.
In retrospect, the band has been praised by critics as being "one of America's greatest, most influential, and legendary cult bands", in the words of Allmusic. Their siren song of a last album, 1993's 'Rock Juice', has also attracted attention as a great underground release. As time goes by, many punk and powerpop leaning bands have took inspiration from the Groovies.
Slow Death
Flamin' Groovies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the morning
I had a fever
It was a warning
She said "There's nothing I can prescribe
To keep your raunchy bag of bones alive"
I got some money left for one more shot
She said "God bless you" I said "Thanks a lot"
It's a slow, slow death
I called the preacher
Holy, holy
I begged forgiveness
That's when he told me
He said "There's nothing I can prescribe
To keep your raunchy bag of bones alive"
I got some money left for one more shot
He said "God bless you" I said "Thanks a lot"
Slow Death
I'm set to mainline
A hit of morphine
It's set to mainline
It's like a bad dream
Slow death--eat my mind away
Slow death--turn my guts to clay
It's a slow, slow, slow death
The Flamin' Groovies' song Slow Death is a somewhat bleak and ominous commentary on the inevitability of our mortal end. The song follows the singer's desperate search for any form of salvation that might keep him alive just a little bit longer, but it's clear neither the doctor nor the preacher have any real solutions to offer. The lines "She said 'There's nothing I can prescribe/To keep your raunchy bag of bones alive'" and "He said 'There's nothing I can prescribe/To keep your raunchy bag of bones alive'" illustrate this futility.
The final verses of the song take on a more surreal tone as the singer turns to drugs to ease his pain and dread. He describes his mind being eaten away and his guts turning to clay, a grotesque and vivid visualization of the slow decay of his body. The repeated refrain of "slow death" creates a haunting sense of finality, a reminder that no matter how frantically we search for answers, death is always waiting for us in the end.
Line by Line Meaning
I called the doctor
The singer reached out to a medical practitioner for help
In the morning
This occurred during the morning hours
I had a fever
The singer had a high temperature
It was a warning
The fever was a sign of something more serious
She said "There's nothing I can prescribe
The doctor stated that there was no treatment available
To keep your raunchy bag of bones alive"
There was no cure for the singer's deteriorating health which was already in a weak state
I got some money left for one more shot
The singer had some money left to seek one last solution
She said "God bless you" I said "Thanks a lot"
After the doctor gave the bad news, the artist expressed gratitude for her time and effort
It's a slow, slow death
The artist's health was deteriorating painfully and slowly
I called the preacher
Desperate, the artist sought spiritual help
Holy, holy
The preacher is exalted into reverence
I begged forgiveness
The artist asked for mercy and absolution for their sins
That's when he told me
The preacher spoke honestly to the singer after hearing their plea
I'm set to mainline
The singer considered resorting to injecting unregulated substances
A hit of morphine
The singer considering taking morphine
It's set to mainline
The artist is determined to take the drug intravenously
It's like a bad dream
The situation feels nightmarish
Slow death--eat my mind away
The ongoing lack of proper care had led to a decline in the singer's mental health
Slow death--turn my guts to clay
Their physical health had declined significantly, leaving them hollow and weak
It's a slow, slow, slow death
The artist's condition is leading to their eventual demise slowly and painfully
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ROY LONEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Александр Локтев
Я обожаю Фламмингов!впервые
Влил в раковины этот бальзам
В 1993 году,придя из Армии.
Удивился,что в Америке был
Человеческий рок.Дальшеслушал только
Британцев и Америкой.Русскийрок не умнее
На стихи,а кучка опустившегося говна шестёрок Пугачевой
Иее хуеты.Я нет не очень люблю.Но Фламмингов,как и Роллингов,слушаю Часами.,Битлов,Кинкс,Джефферсона,Дип Перрпл-.темы,философия Жмура ебучего мало,как у срани
80,90,2000хлет.
Jacquelyn Chen
Why did I only discover this amazing piece of music randomly on Spotify? They should have millions of views.
vpres100
right back at you Jacquelyn they are awesome! from sfo and the only thing I can think of is the band leader didin't give a break to their bass player George Alexander, the few interviews he did, Wow his voice amazing they fucked up!!!!!!! th British singer fucked up for always leaving George on the back so that's what I think what happened
poorguyfromharlem gaming
It's underground Power-Pop baybay
eouroshopper
Check out a song called Glamour for glamour by the ark...
Jay Kahl
You need Little Steven’s Underground Garage in your life. That show turned me onto the groovies and many others.
Sir Pancho Villa
No surprise at all, The groovies are the most underrated band ever.
Katherine Turney
OH, YEAH! The Groovies are one of those bands that will never reach a huge audience, but those they do reach become fervent acolytes forever. I've been a fan since I first heard the JUMPIN' IN THE NIGHT album, and, WOW were my ears blown! I immediately sought out every Groovies LP, single, EP, whatever, for more, more, MORE! And discovered the great Roy Loney, moving on to his solo material and so much more. And here is one of their greatest tracks, SLOW DEATH. Unbelievably hooky, yet radio never took to it. Shame on you, radio. Not even the FM stations of the day gave it more than a cursory spin. All hail the Groovies, whom, in whatever form they take, are Gods. Roy and Cyril, you are a gift. Rock on forever!
strictlynorton
Katherine Turney you have impeccable taste sister T.... FG's are beasts!!!!
Jorge López Sánchez
Pienso lo mismo, un abrazo
MR. ONETHIRTYEIGHT
I’m here for the first time. Let’s see if they can hook into me!