The band is best known for their singles "Ball of Confusion" (1985, a Temptations cover), "No New Tale to Tell" (1987), "So Alive" (1989) and "No Big Deal" (1990).
L&R's first album was 1985's trippy Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven; Seventh Dream was followed in quick succession by 1986's Express;which featured a cover of Ball of Confusion, which became a club hit. 1987's Earth * Sun * Moon and 1989's eponymously titled release Love and Rockets (all on Beggar's Banquet). Love & Rockets was met with cries of sellout due to the overly slick So Alive (the band toured stadiums following the hit single) and the group disbanded. Tracks recorded for an abandoned EP Swing were added to a reissue of Love & Rockets in 2002.
After working on solo albums they reformed, recorded material for Hot Trip to Heaven which infused dance/electronica elements into their sound. Fearing the world wasn't prepared for it yet in 1992, they waited until 1994 to release it. A fire destroyed the studio they were working in, and all material was scrapped. The next album, Sweet F.A. features one of Daniel Ash's charred guitars on the front cover. The final album Lift was an epic dance/electronic swan song, owing much to producer Doug DeAngelis, who was given honorary L&R member status. After the Lift tour, they disbanded again in 1999 to work on solo projects, and to reform Bauhaus for a series of tours. L&R reunited in 2007 at Coachella. Plans for a 2009/2010 release fell through as the band went their separate ways again.
On 23 January 2023, Love and Rockets announced a reunion for an appearance at the Cruel World Festival in Pasadena, California on 20 May 2023, the band's first concert in 15 years. They later announced a 2023 U.S. tour in support of their appearance at Cruel World. A Bauhaus reunion was aborted in 2022 after Peter Murphy forced the band to cancel the tour as he entered rehab. Daniel Ash said that the 2023 tour would be the band's final.
Kundalini Express
Love And Rockets Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The song is of the skyYou are disintegratingInto everything aroundReintegratingThe worm we dug from higher groundYou have let go of egoEgo is no longer youCloser to nirvanaSince the porters whistle blewAll aboard the express kundaliniAll aboard the express kundaliniAll aboard the express kundalini
The Love and Rockets song Kundalini Express is a fascinating blend of spiritual and physical imagery. The lyrics describe a train that is an allegory for spiritual enlightenment. The train is the Kundalini express, with each carriage connected and forming a track, which is in turn connected to another chain. The idea of a train is used as a metaphor for the spiritual journey, with the train transporting the listener to higher planes of consciousness.
The song encourages listeners to hop on this train, as there will be no other, due to a derailment. The porter is portrayed as joyful and encouraging, announcing the Kundalini express as the only way to ride. The lyrics also speak to the ego, with the idea of disintegrating into everything around and letting go of ego. The ultimate destination seems to be nirvana, as the porter’s whistle blows.
Overall, the song is a call to action for listeners to embrace spiritual enlightenment and let go of their egos. The train represents the journey they must take, with each carriage connected and forming a chain, and each passenger being part of a larger whole. The Kundalini express is the only way to ride and offers the ultimate destination of nirvana.
Line by Line Meaning
This is an announcement
We are about to embark on a spiritual journey.
For the transcendental run
Our journey is for the purpose of achieving transcendence.
The train now standing
The opportunity for this journey is here and now.
Leaves for higher planes
Our journey will take us to higher levels of consciousness.
Due to a derailment
We have lost our way and need to find a different path.
There will be no other train
This is our only chance to take this journey.
So why not hop on this one?
We should seize the opportunity to take this spiritual journey.
Hear the porter's glad refrain.
Let's listen to the call of the universe and embark on this journey.
Each carriage is connected
We are all part of a unified whole, interconnected and interdependent.
As is every single train
All spiritual paths lead to the same destination and are interconnected.
The rails all form a track
The path we take is predetermined and part of a larger plan.
Which is a link within a chain
Our individual journey is part of a larger spiritual journey.
The chain's connected to another chain now
Our journey is not isolated, but part of a larger cycle of birth and rebirth.
You will need no ticket
There are no material requirements to take this journey, only an open heart and mind.
If you wish to ride on this ("OohOohOoh")
We should embrace the journey with enthusiasm and excitement.
All aboard the express kundalini
Let's join the spiritual journey towards enlightenment.
The song is in your heart
The journey towards enlightenment is guided by our innermost desires and emotions.
Your heart is in the song
Our spiritual journey is intimately connected to our innermost selves.
The song is of this earth
Our journey towards enlightenment is grounded in the material world.
The song is of the sky
Our journey towards enlightenment is connected to the heavens and the spiritual realm.
You are disintegrating
We must let go of our ego and attachment to the material world.
Into everything around
We must embrace our interconnectedness and oneness with the universe.
Reintegrating
Through our spiritual journey, we will become one with the universe once again.
The worm we dug from higher ground
We must seek wisdom from a higher plane of existence to guide our journey.
You have let go of ego
We must relinquish our attachment to the self and the material world to achieve enlightenment.
Ego is no longer you
We must transcend our ego to become one with the universe.
Closer to nirvana
Through our spiritual journey, we will approach enlightenment and ultimate liberation.
Since the porter's whistle blew
We have been called to embark on this spiritual journey and must heed the call.
All aboard the express kundalini
Let's join together on this journey towards spiritual enlightenment.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DANIEL GASTON ASH, KEVIN HASKINS, DAVID JAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind