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.
Valley of the Dolls
Generation X Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Into the valley of the dolls
Into the valley of the dolls
Went the gang of four
Song number one and the rhythm up amping
Drummer beats down 4/4 rock ranking
A bass so deep thud thud spines shaking
Made up and stunning
As the feet get moving
As the pressure rising
White faces staring
As into the valley of the dolls
Go the gang of four
Song after song rockettes up rocking
One hundred watts scream man
My ears are bleedin'
Hot bodies charged blonde locks a' givin'
And all around - young girls are fainting
Their hearts a pumpin'
As the spikes are dancing
Shank girl shanking
I saw love vibrating
As into the valley of the dolls
Go the gallant four
Into the valley of the dolls
Into the valley of the dolls
As into the valley of the dolls
4 skulls are splitting
5 fingers are clicking
6 strings are burning
7th hour approaching
8 legs are stomping
9 lives are groovin'
10 thousand coasting
X generating
As into the valley of the dolls
Into the valley of the dolls
Into the valley
Into the valley of the dolls
The lyrics to Generation X's song "Valley Of The Dolls" describe a wild and chaotic scene where the "gang of four" (presumably the band members themselves) enter into a place where "mad eyes are rolling" and "young girls are fainting". The "valley of the dolls" is a reference to the novel and film of the same name, which explored themes of drug addiction and the dark side of Hollywood glamour. The song is a high-energy rock anthem, with lyrics that capture the wild and frenzied atmosphere of a concert or club.
The first verse sets the scene, with the gang of four entering into the valley of the dolls to the sounds of "song number one and the rhythm up amping". The bass and drums drive the beat and the energy in the room is palpable, with "white faces staring" and "mad eyes rolling". The second verse describes the intensity of the performance, with "one hundred watts scream man" and "hot bodies charged blonde locks a' givin'". The chorus repeats the phrase "into the valley of the dolls" as the scene becomes more and more frenzied.
Line by Line Meaning
Into the valley of the dolls
The band is entering into the state of mind that is generated by fame, money, and the excesses of pop culture.
Went the gang of four
The band that is singing this song called themselves Gang of Four portraying a sense of togetherness and power in their music.
Song number one and the rhythm up amping
Their music starts to get the crowd ramped up with a new song, and the beat starts getting louder and harder.
Drummer beats down 4/4 rock ranking
The drummer's powerful beat is the driving force behind the band's rock music, and it's a classic 4/4 style rhythm.
A bass so deep thud thud spines shaking
As the song continues, the bass line of the music gets deeper and deeper, which resonates with the audience and shakes their spines.
And all around mad eyes are rolling
The audience is completely caught up in the music and each of them is responding to it in their own unique and crazy way.
Made up and stunning
The beautiful and glamorous people in the audience are completely made up and look stunning as they listen to the music and move with the beat.
As the feet get moving
The music is causing people to move and dance, and as the tempo increases the dancefloor gets more active.
As the pressure rising
With every new song and every new beat, the energy in the room continues to increase and builds to a fever pitch.
White faces staring
The young and attractive people in the audience are staring at the band with enthusiasm and excitement.
Song after song rockettes up rocking
The band continues to play one hit song after another, amping up the crowd and causing the audience to rock back and forth to the music.
One hundred watts scream man
The band is so loud and energetic that it's almost overwhelming to the audience, who are screaming and cheering for them.
My ears are bleedin'
The music is so loud and intense that the singer's ears are starting to ring, but he loves the feeling because it means the crowd is enjoying the show.
Hot bodies charged blonde locks a' givin'
The young women in the audience are charged with energy and enthusiasm, with blonde locks of hair swirling around as they dance and move to the music.
And all around - young girls are fainting
The excitement and energy in the room is so intense that some young women in the audience are getting so overwhelmed they start to faint.
Their hearts a pumpin'
The young women in the audience are so caught up in the excitement of the music, their hearts are racing and pumping hard in their chests.
As the spikes are dancing
As the music continues to play, the energy in the room increases or 'spikes', causing everyone to dance and move to the beat.
Shank girl shanking
This line could mean something like the Girl Guides of America wearing shanks or knives hidden in boots or other various clothing.
I saw love vibrating
The music is so powerful that it's almost like people in the audience are in love with it, and the feelings it generates can be physical vibrations in their bodies.
4 skulls are splitting
The music is so loud and intense that it feels like their eardrums are splitting or bursting.
5 fingers are clicking
People in the audience are clapping their hands and clicking their fingers to the beat of the music.
6 strings are burning
The guitars on stage are being played so hard and with so much energy that it feels like they're burning up from the inside out.
7th hour approaching
As the night goes on and the show continues, it feels like it's been going on forever and they're reaching a climax of some kind.
8 legs are stomping
The dance floor is so crowded and energetic that it feels like there are eight legs instead of just two.
9 lives are groovin'
The music is so intense and powerful that people in the audience are feeling like they have multiple 'lives' and are really getting into the groove of the music.
10 thousand coasting
With so many people in the audience and so much energy in the room, it feels like there are ten thousand people coasting along with the music.
X generating
As the band performs, they're stimulating powerful emotions and reactions from the audience, hence 'X generating'.
Into the valley of the dolls
This line acts as a refrain that repeats throughout the song and represents the idea that the band and the audience have entered into an almost drug-induced state of euphoria and addiction to the music.
Into the valley
This is another refrain that represents the idea that the band and the audience are descending into a surreal and intoxicating experience when they listen to the music.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BILLY IDOL, TONY JAMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind