Lightning Bolt are known for their guerrilla-style live performances, where they typically play on the ground rather than a stage, with the crowd gathered around them. The band's sound is typically loud and aggressive, though the group cites composers Philip Glass and Sun Ra as compositional influences.
The band formed while Chippendale and Gibson attended the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island, and Chippendale had heard about "a new kid who was a whiz on the bass guitar." The two formed Lightning Bolt, with Brian Chippendale on drums, Brian Gibson on bass guitar, and with Hisham Bharoocha on guitar and vocals joining the group after their first show. Bharoocha left the group in 1996 to continue with another RISD band that would eventually become Black Dice, and Chippendale took over vocal duties. The only officially-released music with Bharoocha was a track on the Repopulation Program compilation. For the first few years, Lightning Bolt was primarily an improvisational band, touring the United States for months at a time and "just playing". The concept of writing songs and recording an album didn't occur to the band until 1997, when Ben McOsker, founder of Load Records, approached the duo.
During these formative years, Chippendale and his freshman-year college roommate Matt Brinkman began to set up Fort Thunder, a disused warehouse space in the Olneyville district of Providence. The space eventually came to house a number of local avant-garde artists and musicians, including Brian Ralph as well as Lightning Bolt.
Captain Caveman
Lightning Bolt Lyrics
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That streets should be paved with gold
I can't know just what you read
But health is all the wealth I need
Birds and squirrels and bees and trees
All the things that ride the breeze
Money makes the world go round
I am the caveman
I am the timebomb
Who's got the gameplan
This is the anthem
Fire fire
Burning higher
Making music
Like a choir
In "Captain Caveman" by Lightning Bolt, the lyrics are a commentary on the value and purpose of material wealth. The first verse acknowledges the common belief that having money brings happiness and prosperity. However, the singer asserts that good health is the true measure of wealth. This sentiment is captured in the line "But health is all the wealth I need".
In the second verse, the lyrics highlight a reverence for nature over the pursuit of wealth. The imagery of birds, squirrels, bees, and trees conveys a picture of a harmonious natural world undisturbed by materialistic values. The contrast between this idyllic scene and the destructive power of money is made explicit in the line "Money makes the world go round, Drags it down and burns it out".
The chorus introduces the singer as a "caveman" and "timebomb", suggesting a connection to primal and explosive energies. The repeated line "This is the anthem" positions the song itself as a declaration of this energy, which is further reinforced by the final line "Making music like a choir."
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know what you've been told
I am not sure what information you have received
That streets should be paved with gold
It is unrealistic to expect material wealth to be easily attained or readily accessible
I can't know just what you read
I am unable to understand your personal beliefs or the material you have consumed
But health is all the wealth I need
My personal well-being and contentment is more important than any amount of riches
Birds and squirrels and bees and trees
Various living beings and elements of nature
All the things that ride the breeze
Elements of nature that move freely and are subject to natural forces
Money makes the world go round
Material wealth is a powerful motivator and has great influence in society
Drags it down and burns it out
However, reliance on money can also have negative consequences and lead to destruction
I am the caveman
I am a primal force, a survivor in a world that has become increasingly complicated
I am the timebomb
I am a ticking time bomb, unpredictable and potentially explosive
Who's got the gameplan
In this chaotic world, nobody truly has a plan or can predict what will happen
This is the anthem
This song is a powerful statement of our beliefs and values
Fire fire
A symbolic representation of passion, intensity and energy
Burning higher
Growing in intensity and scope
Making music
Creating something beautiful and meaningful
Like a choir
Symbolizing unity and harmony, working together towards a common goal
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
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