The original lineup was notable for having three guitars and no bass player, creating a distinctive, layered sound. Kimble Rendall left in 1982 before the release of their first single, Leilani, and went on to become a noted music video director. He was effectively replaced by bassist Clyde Bramley. Radalj was not happy with Rendall's departure or Faulkner's increasing influence, and left the band himself, to be replaced by one-time Fun Things guitarist Brad Shepherd. This line-up released the band's break-through first album, Stoneage Romeos, in 1984.
In 1998, the band officially split but reformed for occasional concerts in subsequent years. A full-fledged reunion came in 2004, when they released Mach Schau and began touring again. The band received another boost when Come Anytime (from 1989's Magnum Cum Louder) was used as the theme song to the Australian TV show Thank God You're Here.
Discography:
Stoneage Romeos (1984), Mars Needs Guitars! (1985), Blow Your Cool! (1987), Magnum Cum Louder (1989), Kinky (1991), Crank (1994), Blue Cave (1996), Mach Schau (2004), Purity of Essence (2010)
Compilations:
Electric Soup (1992), Gorilla Biscuit (1992), Electric Chair (1998), Armchair Gurus (1998), Bite The Bullet (1998), Ampology (2000)
Glamourpuss
Hoodoo Gurus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Always shaking hands with the unemployed,
He looks like he could shit an asteroid!
Jumped up, pumped up,
Popping hormone pills,
He's got the biceps, triceps.
Got the healthy look that kills.
Too bad.
Who's that girl? She's a living Barbie doll!
In her plastic world, "Barbie" takes control.
Facelift, electrolysis
No hair out of place
Brain - twist barbiturates,
She's got an evil beauty case.
Too bad, so sad.
Well, ain't you the glamourpuss!
Look so good it's dangerous.
Ain't you the glamourpuss,
You're less than amorous to me.
So long, glamourpuss, we might meet again
But if I was you, I wouldn't hold my breath 'til then
(Though I wish you would-'til the year, say 2010!)
Beefcake, cheesecake
Make me lick my lips.
Junkfood pulchritude
Goes straight to my hips.
Skin-deep thrill-seek
Amounts to less-than-zip.
I'm glad.
In the song "Glamourpuss" by the Hoodoo Gurus, the lyrics focus on two people: a muscle-bound narcissistic man and a plastic surgery-obsessed woman. The man is described as always shaking hands with the unemployed and taking hormone pills to achieve his muscular physique. The woman is referred to as a "living Barbie doll" in her plastic world where she takes control. She undergoes facelifts, electrolysis, and ingests various drugs that twist her brain into an "evil beauty case." The Glamourpuss, according to the lyrics, is someone who looks so good it's dangerous, but they aren't amorous or appealing to the singer.
The Hoodoo Gurus' lyrics are a commentary on the obsession with appearance and superficiality in modern society. The two characters in the song are living in a manufactured and shallow world. The man has traded in any substance or depth for his biceps and triceps, and the woman has become a caricature of her own beauty with her plastic surgeries and drug dependency. The singer sees through their false personas and isn't impressed by their seemingly perfect appearances. The lyrics suggest that appearances can be deceiving and that true beauty is more than skin-deep.
Line by Line Meaning
Get a load of him - what a Nature Boy!
Take a look at that guy, he thinks he's so natural and wild but really he's just a phony, always trying to act like he's above it all.
Always shaking hands with the unemployed,
He's always trying to act benevolent, but he's just a fake and his gestures are empty.
He looks like he could shit an asteroid!
He's so full of himself that he thinks even his bodily waste would be something extraordinary.
Jumped up, pumped up,
He's overly energetic and taking steroids.
Popping hormone pills,
He's taking pills to boost his masculinity and strength.
He's got the biceps, triceps.
He's been working out and wants everyone to know it.
Got the healthy look that kills.
He looks fit and attractive, but he's really just superficial and empty on the inside.
Too bad.
It's unfortunate how vain and shallow he is.
Who's that girl? She's a living Barbie doll!
Look at that girl, she's so obsessed with her appearance that she looks like a plastic Barbie doll come to life.
In her plastic world, "Barbie" takes control.
She's so caught up in shallow, materialistic pursuits that she's lost touch with reality and what's truly important.
Facelift, electrolysis
She's had plastic surgery and other beauty treatments to try and keep up her appearance.
No hair out of place
She's so obsessed with perfection that she won't even let a single strand of hair be out of place.
Brain - twist barbiturates,
She's addicted to drugs that she thinks will enhance her beauty and charisma.
She's got an evil beauty case.
She's got a makeup kit that's so full of harmful chemicals that it's like an arsenal of weapons.
Too bad, so sad.
She's so lost in her superficiality that it's tragic.
Well, ain't you the glamourpuss!
Look at you, all dolled up and trying to look pretty.
Look so good it's dangerous.
You're so obsessed with your appearance that it's become a serious problem for you.
Ain't you the glamourpuss,
You're such a show-off when it comes to your looks.
You're less than amorous to me.
You might think you're attractive, but I'm not interested in you.
So long, glamourpuss, we might meet again
Goodbye, you superficial person. Maybe we'll see each other again someday.
But if I was you, I wouldn't hold my breath 'til then
Don't hold your breath waiting for me to seek you out.
(Though I wish you would-'til the year, say 2010!)
Although I'm not interested in you now, perhaps in the future things will change.
Beefcake, cheesecake
He's overly macho and she's overly sweet.
Make me lick my lips.
They both look good, but they're both also superficial and unfulfilling.
Junkfood pulchritude
Their beauty is like junk food - it may look good, but it has no real value.
Goes straight to my hips.
Their superficiality is not nourishing or fulfilling, it just adds to life's excesses.
Skin-deep thrill-seek
They're both obsessed with shallow, surface-level experiences and appearances.
Amounts to less-than-zip.
In the end, their superficiality adds up to nothing of real value or meaning.
I'm glad.
I'm glad I'm not like them.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVE FAULKNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind