Gomez completed an inaugural U.S. tour opening for Eagle-Eye Cherry in October 1998, while the press still offered praise (Spin magazine called Bring It On "a damn beautiful album," giving it an eight out of ten rating). Liquid Skin followed one year later and went platinum in England, and the rarities/B-sides compilation Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline appeared in 2000. A third studio album, In Our Gun, was released in spring 2002. Another hiatus saw Ian Ball relocating to Los Angeles while still working with the band at its new studio in Portslade, England. The dozens of tracks recorded during this time were whittled down and fashioned into Split the Difference, released in May of 2004. By that time, Hut, the group's original label, had gone under, leaving Gomez signed to Virgin (Hut's distributor). Despite all the critical acclaim, the band's album sales never seemed to match Virgin's expectations, and the two sides parted ways later that year.
In 2005, Gomez signed with ATO Records and released Out West, the group's first live album. How We Operate arrived in May 2006, and the band rounded out the year by assembling a retrospective collection of singles, rarities, and unreleased tracks entitled Five Men in a Hut: Singles 1998-2004. Gomez's members were spread across two continents by this point, leading to a three-year gap between How We Operate and the band's sixth studio release, A New Tide, parts of which were recorded individually by the various bandmates and then merged online. Ben Ottewell took some time after its release to launch a solo career, with 2011's Shapes & Shadows marking his first major release outside of the band. Months later, the band released another studio album, Whatever's on Your Mind, with Phantom Planet's Sam Farrar sharing production duties with the bandmates themselves.
Biography by Greg Prato
Rex Kramer
Gomez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Take me down and safe
Show me the way
Take me places that I want to stay
Here's to today
Here's to today
Caught a lineup
Whenever I get in your steep
Take me places that I know from sleep
Let me sleep
Let me sleep
Hey now
I'm fadin' out
Keep the light on
Turn it up
Hey now
I'm fallin' down, down
Keep the light on
Turn it up
I don't care to live for friends, you say
Cost a fortune
Then they go and leave anyway
Wake me tenderly and leave me to lay
Let me sleep
Let me sleep
Hey now
And fade out
Keep the light on
Turn it up
Hey now
And fall down, down
Keep the light on
Turn it up
Here's to today
Here's to today
Here's to today
Here's to today
The lyrics of Gomez's song "Rex Kramer" are about someone who has lost their way and is searching for guidance and direction. The lyrics suggest that the person has been knocked down but has picked themselves up again and is looking for someone or something to help them find their way. The first verse mentions how the person has been lost but has finally found their way and is now looking to be taken to a safe place where they can be guided. The chorus then repeats the lines "keep the light on, turn it up" implying that the person needs help from others to keep them on the right path.
The second verse suggests that the person has been in trouble before and has managed to overcome it. They are now looking to be taken to places that they know from sleep, indicating a sense of comfort and familiarity. The bridge has the lines "I don't care to live for friends, you say. Cost a fortune. Then they go and leave anyway," which suggests the person has learned not to rely on others for guidance and is looking for something more permanent. The song ends with a repetition of the line "here's to today," which suggests that the person is trying to focus on the present and take things one day at a time.
Overall, the lyrics of "Rex Kramer" suggest a search for guidance and direction, and a need for support from others to stay on the right path.
Line by Line Meaning
I been lost and now I found my way
After being adrift for a time, I have finally found direction in my life.
Take me down and safe
Escort me through life's uncertain vicissitudes, and protect me from harm.
Show me the way
Demonstrate for me the joyful path that I should follow in my life.
Take me places that I want to stay
Take me to those unique places and opportunities that will enable me to achieve true happiness, and where I will want to remain.
Here's to today
Salute the present moment, because it is the only time that truly matters; the past cannot be changed, and the future is not guaranteed.
I been knocked but now I'm on my feet
Though I have undergone personal defeats and setbacks, perseverance has allowed me to continue to stand and fight.
Caught a lineup
Here, the artist is referring to surfing, and ‘caught a lineup’ means having successfully positioned oneself to ride a wave.
Whenever I get in your steep
When I go out into the world, I may confront many challenges and difficulties.
Take me places that I know from sleep
Guide me to those places and opportunities that are familiar to me, both in my waking life and in my dreams.
Let me sleep
Allow me to rest my tired mind and body, and rejuvenate myself for the struggles of life.
Hey now
An exclamation used to express reinvigoration, new determination or resolution.
I'm fadin' out
I may be losing focus and energy towards completing my goals.
Keep the light on
Keep hope alive, and continue to believe that a solution can be found.
Turn it up
Increase the intensity of my internal drive and desires to achieve my goals.
I'm fallin' down, down
I feel that I am losing ground in my struggles and will not be able to recover.
I don't care to live for friends, you say
I am not interested in living to please or impress others simply because society expects it of me.
Cost a fortune
Something may come at a high price, either monetarily or through sacrifices.
Then they go and leave anyway
Despite these efforts, the people I try to please will often go their own way, leading to disappointment and despair.
Wake me tenderly and leave me to lay
Allow me to be at peace in my rest, and do not force me to face the harsh realities of life.
Here's to today
A repetition of an earlier line, and can signify a parting sentiment of hope, strength, and purpose.
Here's to today
A repetition of an earlier line, and can signify a parting sentiment of hope, strength, and purpose.
Here's to today
A repetition of an earlier line, and can signify a parting sentiment of hope, strength, and purpose.
Here's to today
A repetition of an earlier line, and can signify a parting sentiment of hope, strength, and purpose.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BEN OTTEWELL, IAN THOMAS BALL, OLIVER JAMES PEACOCK, PAUL BLACKBURN, THOMAS WILLIAM GRAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind