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.
Set Me Free
Love And Rockets Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Send me away
Be the sea of Tranquility (Send me away)
To set me free (Send me away)
Be the sea of Tranquility (Send me away)
To set me free (Send me away)
The lyrics to Love and Rockets' song Set Me Free are a poignant plea for release from whatever burdens or struggles the singer is experiencing. The repeated refrain of "Send me away" suggests a desire to escape, whether that be physically or mentally, from the current situation the singer finds themselves in. The second line, "Be the sea of Tranquility," invokes a sense of calm and peacefulness, perhaps indicating that the singer is looking for a retreat from the chaos of everyday life. The notion of being "set free" adds weight to the idea of being trapped or confined in some way.
The repeated "Send me away" phrase also reinforces the idea that the release the singer is seeking is not something they can achieve on their own, but rather something they must rely on others to provide. The repetition creates a sense of urgency and desperation, as if the singer is pleading with someone to grant them this freedom. Overall, the lyrics are powerful in their simplicity, conveying a deep desire for release and the hope that it can be found.
Line by Line Meaning
Send me away
I yearn to move away from my current situation and start anew.
Send me away
My current surroundings are suffocating and I need to leave.
Be the sea of Tranquility (Send me away)
I seek solace and peace, like the calmness of the Sea of Tranquility on the moon.
To set me free (Send me away)
I am looking for liberation and a fresh start in life, and I cannot achieve this while being held back by my current circumstances.
Be the sea of Tranquility (Send me away)
I need a place of serenity and calmness to ease my troubled mind.
To set me free (Send me away)
I want to be free from the chains of my past and to find happiness and fulfillment in life.
Contributed by Kaitlyn R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.