The blatantly image conscious group soon secured management, fired their first drummer, and auditioned over 50 drummers before settling on Mark Laff of Subway Sect. They were photogenic and signed a worldwide long term deal to Chrysalis (also home of Blondie) and had popsmith Phil Wainman, producer of The Bay City Rollers and Sweet mix their debut album. In September 1977 they became the first punk group to "sell out" and lip synch their debut single Your Generation on TV's Tops of The Pops, and also that month performed on Marc Bolan's TV show just days before the T-Rex frontman's death. Generation X also appeared in films like DOA and in Don Letts' Punk Movie.
In October of 1978, recordings for a second Generation X album produced by Ian Hunter of Mott The Hoople followed, the resulting Valley Of The Dolls hitting the streets in 1979. Guitarist Bob Dagwood Anderson eventually quit the lineup after completing a Japanese tour and the recordings for a third album in 1979.(The final Derwood lineup LP actually doesn't resurface for almost 20 years until 1998, and was finally released on an indie against Idol's wishes as Sweet Revenge).
After a troubling two year period of uncertainty due to legal and financial battles with manager Stewart Joseph, Billy Idol and Tony James re-recruited & re-christened for their re-dubbed Gen X project. Friends, foes, pros and fellow fools then convened and attempted to get another record out. Outside the core Idol/James duo, studio collaborators like ex-Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones, ex-Clash drummer Terry Chimes, Chelsea guitarist James Stevenson, Steve New of Rich Kids, Danny Kustow of Tom Robinson Band, as well as John McGeogh later of Siouxsie & the Banshees.
With renewed spirit and producer Keith Forsey at the helm, Gen X would go on to release one more LP Kiss Me Deadly in 1981. After neither the album nor the singles "Dancing With Myself" and "Kiss Me Deadly" took the charts, the band broke up. Idol joined up with NYC based Kiss manager Bill Aucion, re-releasing "Dancing with Myself" and the rest, as they say, is history.
A one off Generation X reunion occurred in 1993 at London's Astoria. Hopes for future reunions have popped up infrequently, but, with the band members ensconced in their own projects, prospects have seemed unlikely.The group's music remains popular among punk rock, new wave, and power pop revivalists in the U.K. and elsewhere, with a cult following lasting into the new millennium.
Kiss Me Deadly
Generation X Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To maximum rockabilly
When two punks chose to risk the subway
For a tube to Picadilly
And the Zephrys stir fast gangs for glory
Another dumb casualty
Having fun
In South West six
Kiss me deadly tonight
Another battle was won and lost
Down The Bishops End last night
Spotlights pick the kids in triumph
With a thousand scarves in flight, see how they run
Spring from the terraces in black and white
Young and old into the fight
Having fun
In South West six
With violence for a fix
Kiss me deadly tonight
Seven o'clock they stand in rank
For the thirty bus uptown
And later in a downstairs room
She pulls her lover down
In ecstacy but they can't make a sound
Case her mother might come down
Having fun
In South West six
Discovers teenage sex
Kiss me deadly tonight
The snooker hall is empty
'Cause they're all out playing pool
Hustling down the Fulham Road
Doing deals with Mr.Cool
They're on the waterfront now instead of school
Too old now to dig pinball
Having fun
In South West six
Having fun
When a hidden flick knife flicks
With violence for a fix
Discovers teenage sex
Tried shooting up for kicks
Kiss me deadly
Kiss me deadly
Kiss me deadly
Kiss me
Kiss me tonight
The Generation X song "Kiss Me Deadly" describes the recklessness of youth culture in South West six of London. The opening line of the song sets a rockabilly tone, with the image of a Greyhound bus rolling down the highway to a punk soundtrack. The lyrics talk about two punks taking the underground tube to Piccadilly, risking their safety just for kicks. The song describes the casual violence of youth culture, including gang clashes involving flick knives.
The second verse of "Kiss Me Deadly" discusses a battle won and lost in front of the Bishop's End, with spotlights illuminating the victors, symbolic of how youth culture can be quite tribalistic. The lyrics describe how the young and old engage in these battles with violence, and how the idea of having fun in South West six includes competing with each other over these battles. The song then moves on to describe teenagers having sex in a downstairs room while parents sleep, emphasizing the taboo nature of such behavior.
Line by Line Meaning
The greyhound's rocking out tonight
A dog racing track named Greyhound is busy tonight
To maximum rockabilly
The music being played at Greyhound tonight is upbeat rockabilly
When two punks chose to risk the subway
Two punks decided to take a risky subway ride
For a tube to Picadilly
Their destination was the underground Piccadilly tube station
And the Zephrys stir fast gangs for glory
A fast and powerful car named Zephyr encourages gangs to take pride in their actions
Another dumb casualty
Sadly, someone else has become a victim of gang violence
Having fun in South West six
Despite the risks, people in the South West six area are still looking to have a good time
When a hidden flick knife flicks
The fun comes to an end when someone is attacked with an unexpected flick knife
Kiss me deadly tonight
The artist seeks a dangerous, thrilling encounter tonight
Another battle was won and lost
A violent confrontation took place at The Bishops End pub last night
Down The Bishops End last night
The scene of the battle last night was The Bishops End pub
Spotlights pick the kids in triumph
The victorious group of kids are singled out by spotlights
With a thousand scarfs in flight, see how they run
The kids flee the scene waving their scarves in celebration
Spring from the terraces in black and white
Young and old fans, wearing black and white colors, jump onto the field
Young and old into the fight
The young and old become involved in violent altercations
With violence for a fix
Some find excitement in the use of violence
Seven o'clock they stand in rank
People are queuing to catch the 30 bus uptown at 7 PM
For the thirty bus uptown
The bus they are queuing for goes uptown
And later in a downstairs room
Later on, in a room downstairs from the main living area
She pulls her lover down
A girl pulls her lover down on the bed
In ecstacy but they can't make a sound
The lovers remain silent to avoid alerting the girl's mother
Case her mother might come down
The girl is afraid that her mother might come downstairs and catch them
Discovers teenage sex
The couple explore teenage sexuality for the first time
The snooker hall is empty
The snooker hall is not in use at the moment
Cause they're all out playing pool
Everyone is playing pool instead of snooker
Hustling down the Fulham Road
People are moving quickly down Fulham Road
Doing deals with Mr. Cool
People are buying or selling goods from someone called Mr. Cool
They're on the waterfront now instead of school
Instead of being in school, some individuals spend their time on the waterfront
Too old now to dig pinball
Some are too old to find pinball interesting anymore
Having fun
Despite the risks, people are having fun in South West six
Tried shooting up for kicks
Some experiment with drugs for enjoyment
Kiss me deadly
The artist craves a dangerous, potentially fatal encounter
Kiss me tonight
The artist is looking for a thrilling experience tonight
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BILLY IDOL, TONY JAMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind