Klaatu was a Canadian progressive rock band formed in 1973 and disbanded in… Read Full Bio ↴Klaatu was a Canadian progressive rock band formed in 1973 and disbanded in 1982. Members John Woloschuk, Dee Long and Terry Draper lived in Toronto. They released five studio albums, the most famous of which is the 1976 debut 3:47 EST (AKA Klaatu), which, due to a rumor started by a DJ, was believed by some to be a front for new work by the Beatles. The album's artwork contained no credits for the performers, and there were at times vocal similarities with Lennon and McCartney. That album's song "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" became a hit when covered by carpenters. As the Beatle rumors subsided, subsequent albums garnered diminishing sales, and the fourth album, Endangered Species (1980), was produced by LA studio musicians with very little input from the band. Their last album, Magentalane (1981), was a return to the band's form (though on a smaller scale, without the elaborate orchestrations which characterized their first albums), but was never released in the US.

Klaatu was named after Michael Rennie's character in the classic science fiction film The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). The band has reunited a number of times since their breakup for small-scale live performances.

Sir Bodsworth Rugglesby III
Klaatu Lyrics

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Well do you get the itching to
Trek about the latitudes, you do?
Well likely you're a chip
Off old Sir Rugglesby
Well he was quite a sporting sort
Behind his cup o'tea he'd snort
I'll wager on the line
Ten thousand pounds and five

I'm the only man who'll ever get to
Hell and come back alive

Now in the fall of forty-nine
He skipped across the seven brine this time
Looking for a berth in naval history
T'was never heard nor seen again
Officially presumed as dead
But the words he left behind
Still echoed through my mind
I'm the only man who'll ever get to
Hell and come back alive
He's the only man who'd ever get to
Hell and come back alive

then one night
While tripping down the English coast
The moon was whiter than a ghost, almost
When I heard a voice yell through a megaphone
And there upon the midnight sea
A signal lamp signaled me
I could feel me blood run cold
As the message did decode
I'm the only man who's ever been to
Hell and come back alive
Well who else could it be
But good old Rugglesby?
He's the only man could ever get to
Hell and come back alive
Yes he's the only man who's
(He's the only one)
Ever gone and been to
(Who's been and gone)
To hell and come back

Hell and come back
Hell and come back alive

Overall Meaning

The song Sir Bodsworth Rugglesby III by Klaatu is a whimsical tale about a man named Sir Rugglesby who had a passion for adventure and a desire to be remembered in history. The song follows his story, beginning with his love for exploration and his penchant for making outrageous bets. He wagers that he is the only man who can go to Hell and come back alive, a notion that seems impossible to most, but not to him. In the fall of 1949, he sets out across the sea, looking to make his mark in naval history. His fate is unknown for many years; he is officially presumed dead, but his legacy lives on through the words he left behind.

The tone of the song is optimistic and playful, with a touch of mystery and intrigue. The lyrics are full of vivid imagery, making it easy to picture Sir Rugglesby skipping across the sea or the singer tripping down the English coast. The verses are sung in a conversational style with a catchy melody that makes the song fun to listen to. The chorus is where the magic happens, with a catchy, repeating refrain that celebrates Sir Rugglesby's daring spirit. The chorus is where the audience joins in, singing along with the singer, "He's the only man who's ever gone and been to Hell and come back alive."

Overall, the song is a lighthearted tribute to adventure, curiosity, and the desire to be remembered. It tells the story of a man who lived his life to the fullest and dared to do the impossible. It's a message that encourages us to follow our dreams and take chances in life, and that even after we're gone, our legacy can live on through the stories we leave behind.

Line by Line Meaning

Well do you get the itching to Trek about the latitudes, you do?
Do you have the desire to travel across the globe?

Well likely you're a chip Off old Sir Rugglesby
You may be similar to Sir Rugglesby in your adventurous spirit

Well he was quite a sporting sort Behind his cup o'tea he'd snort
Sir Rugglesby was a daring and courageous person, despite his refined demeanor

I'll wager on the line Ten thousand pounds and five I'm the only man who'll ever get to Hell and come back alive
Sir Rugglesby was confident that he was the only person who could go to Hell and return safely

Now in the fall of forty-nine He skipped across the seven brine this time
In 1949, Sir Rugglesby traveled across the sea once more

Looking for a berth in naval history T'was never heard nor seen again Officially presumed as dead
Sir Rugglesby was searching for a place in history, but he disappeared and was thought to have died

But the words he left behind Still echoed through my mind
Sir Rugglesby's words about going to Hell and back continued to inspire wonder

then one night While tripping down the English coast The moon was whiter than a ghost, almost
One evening, while walking along the English coast, the moon was very bright

When I heard a voice yell through a megaphone And there upon the midnight sea A signal lamp signaled me
A voice came through a megaphone, and a signal lamp alerted the listener to something happening at sea

I could feel me blood run cold As the message did decode I'm the only man who's ever been to Hell and come back alive
Upon decoding the message, the listener realized that Sir Rugglesby had been to Hell and back

Well who else could it be But good old Rugglesby? He's the only man could ever get to Hell and come back alive
The only person who could have made such a claim is Sir Rugglesby, as he had previously said

Yes he's the only man who's (He's the only one) Ever gone and been to (Who's been and gone) To hell and come back Hell and come back Hell and come back alive
Sir Rugglesby is the only person who has ever gone to Hell and returned alive

Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JOHN WOLOSCHUK

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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