Lightning Bolt is a noise rock duo which formed in 1994 in Providence, Rhod… Read Full Bio ↴Lightning Bolt is a noise rock duo which formed in 1994 in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. The band consists of Brian Chippendale (drums, vocals) and Brian Gibson (bass). The band also originally included Hisham Bharoocha (vocals, guitar), who left the band in 1996 to join Black Dice. The band has released 8 albums: Lightning Bolt (1999), Ride the Skies (2001), Wonderful Rainbow (2003), Hypermagic Mountain (2005), Earthly Delights (2009), Oblivion Hunter (2012), Fantasy Empire (2015) and Sonic Citadel (2019). A documentary film of the band's 2001 tour, entitled "The Power of Salad", was released in 2003 .

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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I don't know what you've been told
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

Drags it down and burns it out

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

Overall Meaning

In Lightning Bolt's song "Captain Caveman," the lyrics speak to the idea that wealth and money are not the sole measures of happiness and success. The song starts with the lines "I don't know what you've been told, that streets should be paved with gold." This suggests that the idea of a golden, prosperous life is a myth that society perpetuates. The idea of the streets being paved with gold is simply an unattainable goal that can lead to a frustrating and unfulfilling life.

The chorus of the song has the line "I am the caveman" which suggests that we should look back to a more primitive way of life to find true happiness. The idea of living simply and connecting with nature is echoed throughout the song, "Birds and squirrels and bees and trees, all the things that ride the breeze." This highlights that nature is something that we all have in common and that we should appreciate it more than we do.

Overall, "Captain Caveman" encourages us to live a more meaningful life, connecting with nature and each other, appreciating what we have, and finding contentment in the simple things that life has to offer.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't know what you've been told
I am uncertain of the information you may have received

That streets should be paved with gold
The idea that the streets should be lined with wealth is misguided

I can't know just what you read
I am unable to determine what literature you have consumed

But health is all the wealth I need
My wellbeing is of utmost importance to me, not monetary riches

Birds and squirrels and bees and trees
Various living creatures that thrive in nature

All the things that ride the breeze
Animals and plants that can be moved by the wind

Money makes the world go round
The global economy relies heavily on financial capital

Drags it down and burns it out
Excessive focus on wealth can be harmful to society and the environment

I am the caveman
I am a primitive individual who values simplicity

I am the timebomb
I am a potential source of chaos or disruption

Who's got the gameplan
Who is in charge of creating strategy