Fu Manchu is an American stoner rock band, formed in Southern California in… Read Full Bio ↴Fu Manchu is an American stoner rock band, formed in Southern California in 1985, and long-associated with the Palm Desert Scene. They originally formed in 1985 as a hardcore punk band called Virulence. The lineup was vocalist Ken Pucci, guitarist Scott Hill, bassist Mark Abshire, and drummer Ruben Romano. In 1987, Abshire left the band and was replaced by Greg McCaughey. They recorded their debut LP If This Isn't a Dream... in 1988, which was released on Alchemy Records (1989). In 1990, Pucci left the band and was replaced by vocalist Glenn Chivens, and they changed their name to Fu Manchu. Soon after, they released the "Kept Between Trees" 7 inch single on Slap-a-Ham Records. McCaughey was replaced by Mark Abshire. Chivens also left the band around this time for unknown reasons. Rather than search for a new vocalist, Scott Hill added lead vocalist to his guitar duties. To compensate, Scott Votaw was recruited as lead guitarist. In 1992, Fu Manchu released three 7 inch singles: "Senioritis", "Pick Up Summer", and "Don't Bother Knockin' (If This Vans Rockin')". In 1993, Votaw left the band and was replaced by lead guitarist Eddie Glass, who had previously played drums in the band Olivelawn.

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)

Separate Kingdom
Fu Manchu Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I see right to
My separate kingdom
I lead you to
Your certain freedom
I'll be there soon
Where I have seen them
I'm on my way
To my separate kingdom

First time in years
Facing something for your worst fear
Mother ship so high
So what for the knees we rise

Round and down
And round we go
To this place I do not know
A sudden turn
And quick to learn
Of our future

I see right to
My separate kingdom
I lead you to
Your certain freedom
Scrabbled in alone
Being waiting for years to go
Better keep from the side
Or bit to the world unknown

Round and down
And round we go
To this place I do not know
A sudden turn
And quick to learn
Of our future

Round and down
And round we go
The time is place to land of known
Miles to past
Here at last
In our future

Round and down
And round we go
To this place I do not know
A sudden turn
And quick to learn
Of our future

Round and down
And round we go
The time is place to land of known
Miles to past
Here at last
In our future

I see right to
My separate kingdom
I lead you to
Your certain freedom
I'll be there soon
Where I have seen them

I'm on my way
To my separate kingdom

Overall Meaning

"Separate Kingdom" by Fu Manchu explores the idea of a personal paradise where there are no boundaries and only the individual has control. The first few lines of the song reveal that the singer is already in their separate kingdom and intends to lead someone else there, to attain their "certain freedom." The journey towards this paradise is detailed in the later verses - through turns and miles, they will eventually arrive at this unknown place.

The line "Mother ship so high, So what for the knees we rise" seems to allude to the idea that the singer might have arrived at their separate kingdom through an alien abduction or a similar supernatural experience. While the singer's destination is repeatedly referred to as a "kingdom," they mention that they "do not know" where it is, suggesting that this may be a fictional place. The song further suggests that this paradise may not be accessible to those who are "scrabbled in alone," reinforcing the idea that it is a personal and individual experience.

Line by Line Meaning

I see right to
I have a clear vision of

My separate kingdom
A place that's exclusively mine

I lead you to
I'll guide you towards

Your certain freedom
Where you'll be positively liberated

I'll be there soon
I'll arrive shortly

Where I have seen them
Where my eyes have rested upon

I'm on my way
I'm in transit

First time in years
The first occurrence in a while

Facing something for your worst fear
Confronting something that terrifies you

Mother ship so high
An enormous alien craft in the sky

So what for the knees we rise
We stand tall instead of cowering