Fu Manchu's first album, No One Rides for Free (1994), was released by Bong Load Custom Records, an independent label. No One Rides for Free marked the beginning of the band's heavy focus on muscle cars and drag racing, common themes in the stoner rock genre.
Abshire left Fu Manchu before they recorded their second album, Daredevil, in 1995. He was replaced by Brad Davis. The band promoted Daredevil with extensive touring throughout the US and Canada, and reached a wider audience thanks to an opening slot with Monster Magnet, who at the time were the commercial darlings of the stoner rock genre.
Romano and Glass left shortly after the release of Fu Manchu's third album, In Search Of... (1996), citing personal and musical differences with Hill. They were replaced by Brant Bjork and Bob Balch, respectively. Glass, Romano and Abshire soon regrouped to form Nebula, a power trio that took the jam-influenced side of Fu Manchu and expanded on it. Members of Nebula have commented that "we're all family" to fans wearing Fu Manchu shirts at their concerts.
Fu Manchu went on to release several successful albums and reinforce their reputation as a powerful live act. The band had gained this reputation over the years due to their performance when touring with notable bands such as Kyuss, Monster Magnet, Marilyn Manson, Clutch, Corrosion of Conformity, White Zombie, Sevendust, and P.O.D., among others.
In 2001, the band released an album, California Crossing. Brant Bjork left the band soon after to pursue a solo career and was replaced by former Sunshine and Smile drummer Scott Reeder (often confused with bassist Scott Reeder, of Kyuss, Unida, and Goatsnake fame). In 2004, Fu Manchu released their eighth album, Start the Machine.
Fu Manchu's ninth album is called We Must Obey which was released on February 19, 2007. The band spent most of 2007 and 2008 on tour, playing several shows in North America and Europe.
In February 2008, the track "Mongoose" (from the California Crossing album) was featured in a Super Bowl ad for the Toyota Sequoia.
Their tenth album Signs of Infinite Power was released on October 19, 2009, in Europe and October 20 in North America.
On March 10, 2010, it was announced that Scott Reeder would play drums for Social Distortion for the South American tour dates in April. In June 2012, the band stated they had begun writing for a new record. In 2014, the band released its eleventh album, Gigantoid.
In December 2017, they announced their twelfth album, Clone of the Universe, which released on February 9, 2018.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fu_Manchu_(band)
Studio albums
No One Rides for Free (1994)
Daredevil (1995)
In Search Of... (1996)
The Action Is Go (1997)
Godzilla's/Eatin' Dust (1999)
King of the Road (2000)
California Crossing (2001)
Start the Machine (2004)
We Must Obey (2007)
Signs of Infinite Power (2009)
Gigantoid (2014)
Clone of the Universe (2018)
Guardrail
Fu Manchu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All through the town
A' Several years since we seen them near
It's the dying sound!
Divide the time on another ride
Forget the sign
I do believe when they say shift down
Been 15 times, I never holded the line
A fever speed on them, starting over again
The lyrics to Fu Manchu's song Guardrail seem to describe the thrill-seeking, dangerous lifestyle of high-speed car racing. The first line, "Awhile down's been left in the dust," may refer to leaving behind any worries or fears and embracing the adrenaline rush of racing. The following line, "All through the town," implies that this activity is well-known and common among the people in the area.
The next line is particularly telling: "Several years since we seen them near." The use of "them" may refer to other racers, suggesting that racing may be a communal activity, perhaps even a subculture. "It's the dying sound!" may allude to the danger and risk of racing, with the "sound" being the screeching of tires or the roar of an engine pushed to its limit.
Line by Line Meaning
Awhile down's been left in the dust
It's been a long time since we've looked back or revisited our past.
All through the town
This situation exists everywhere.
A' Several years since we seen them near
It has been several years since we were close to them.
It's the dying sound!
This moment is the end of something that was once alive and vibrant.
Divide the time on another ride
Split up the time we have and use it on another adventure.
Forget the sign
We don't need to follow the rules or adhere to the norm.
I do believe when they say shift down
I trust and accept the suggestion to slow down.
Guardrail to the right
We need to stay on the path marked out for us to avoid danger.
Been 15 times, I never holded the line
I have failed to stay on the right path 15 times in the past.
A fever speed on them, starting over again
We are going too fast and need to reevaluate and restart.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BOB BALCH, BRAD DAVIS, BRANT BJORK, SCOTT HILL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind