For the most part Love Battery was an unusual group in the early 90's Seattle music scene. Blending intense swirling psychedelic guitar work, pulsating rhythms, driving beats and heartfelt vocals derived from '60s garage/psych, '70s punk rock, '80s post punk and '90s grunge, their music was significantly more complex than most of the music associated with that era.
Although they never achieved the commercial success of many of their contemporaries, they nonetheless retained a fervent cult following that continues to this day.
Love Battery was formed in 1989 by former Room Nine leader Ron Nine (b. Ron Rudzitis), guitarist Kevin Whitworth (ex-Crisis Party), bassist Tommy "Bonehead" Simpson (also ex-Crisis Party) and Mudhoney drummer Dan Peters. Their name came from a song of the same name by British punk band the Buzzcocks.
Before releasing their first single Peters left the group and was replaced by ex-Skin Yard drummer Jason Finn. With this lineup the band released their debut single Between The Eyes for seminal Seattle record label Sub Pop. By 1990 Simpson had been replaced by ex-U-Men bassist Jim Tillman. With this lineup the band released their debut EP Between the Eyes in 1990, again on Sub Pop. This record was later expanded and released as their first full-length album in 1991. Following the Between The Eyes EP were the Foot singles and Out Of Focus EP.
In 1992 the band recorded and released what many consider their finest record Dayglo. In the Sub Pop catalog, Dayglo was listed as "Blotter not included" a play on "Batteries not included" instead referring to LSD. Soon after, Tillman left to pursue other interests. He was replaced at first by original bassist Tommy Simpson, who in turn was replaced by ex-Green River and Mother Love Bone guitarist Bruce Fairweather.
In 1993 the Far Gone album appeared, which to many was considered a disappointment following Dayglo's critical success. Initially Far Gone was to be released by PolyGram Records but due to contractal problems with Sub Pop Records, Far Gone was dumped by the major label. Instead an inferior 'rough mix' of the album was released by Sub Pop, a problem which Love Battery planned to rectify by remixing and reissuing but never did.
Following the Far Gone fiasco, Love Battery signed with Atlas Records in 1994 releasing the Nehru Jacket EP late in the year. It contained 2 songs that also found their way onto 1995's Straight Freak Ticket album which was also released on Atlas in 1995. The label failed to promote the band and album properly however which resulted in poor sales. Shortly thereafter Finn left the group to join The Presidents of the United States of America who quickly found success later in the year.
A prolonged period of uncertainty ensued following Finn's departure with an array of drummers brought in as his replacement including original drummer Dan Peters and ex-Posies and Fastbacks drummer Mike Musburger. The band practically disappeared until the release of their fifth album Confusion Au Go Go in 1999. This time around drummers Peters, Musburger and Finn all contributed to the album although Peters took on a majority of the work.
Following the release of Confusion Au Go Go Love Battery remained for the most part quiet. A few one off performances were made in 2002 featuring Tommy Simpson returning on bass and Finn and Peters on drums. After a prolonged period of inactivity the band played their first show in 4 years on June 23, 2006 at Neumoes in Seattle, WA. The current lineup consists of Nine, Whitworth, Simpson and Musburger.
In 1996 Love Battery was featured in the documentary Hype!, chronicling the rise of the Seattle "grunge" music scene. A clip is shown of a live performance of "Between the Eyes", and the song also appears on the documentary's soundtrack.
A video for "Out Of Focus" appears on Sub Pop Video Network Program, Volume Two. They also made videos for "Fuzz Factory" and "Harold's Pink Room" from the Straight Freak Ticket album. The "Fuzz Factory" video was shot in Las Vegas and featured the band driving around in a white Cadillac convertible, hinting at Hunter S. Thompson's famous book, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas years before the film of the same name starring actor Johnny Depp was released.
A "Fuzz Factory" is also a creation of Z.Vex Effects, a musical stomp-box fuzz pedal hand crafted with vintage style '60s parts and hand painted with a psychedelic look.
Love Battery leader Ron Nine also plays in new band Down With People who have been significantly more active than Love Battery as of late.
Albums
* Between The Eyes (Sub Pop Records, 1991).
* Dayglo (Sub Pop Records, 1992).
* Far Gone (Sub Pop Records, 1993).
* Straight Freak Ticket (Atlas Records, 1995).
* Confusion Au Go Go (C/Z Records, 1999).
Singles/Eps
* "Between The Eyes" b/w "Easter" (Sub Pop Records, 1989).
* "Foot" b/w "Mr. Soul" (Sub Pop Records, 1991).
* Out Of Focus EP (Sub Pop Records, 1991).
* Nehru Jacket EP (Atlas Records, 1994).
* "Snipe Hunt" b/w "Punks Want Rights" (Let Down Records, 1996).
Compilation/Soundtrack contributions
* "Between The Eyes" on The Grunge Years (Sub Pop Records, 1991).
* "I Just Can't Be Happy Today" on Another Damned Seattle Compilation (Dashboard Hula Girl Records, 1991).
* "Ball And Chain" on Milk For Pussy (Mad Queen Records, 1994).
* "No Matter What You Do" on We're All Normal And We Want Our Freedom: A Tribute To Arthur Lee and Love (Alias Records, 1994).
* "White Bird" on Star Power! K-Tel Hits Of The '70s (Pravda Records, 1994).
* "Fuzz Factory" on Turn It Up & Pass It On, Volume 1 (1995).
* "Straight Freak Show" on huH Magazine CD6 (promo only) (RayGun Press, 1995).
* "Out Of Focus (Live)" on Bite Back: Live At The Crocodile Cafe (PopLlama Records, 1996).
* "Color Blind" on Home Alive: The Art of Self-Defense (Epic Records, 1996).
* "Commercial Suicide" on Teriyaki Asthma, Vols. 6-10 (C/Z Records, 1999).
* "Half Past You" on Sleepless In Seattle: The Birth Of Grunge (LiveWire Recordings, 2006).
Damaged
Love Battery Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It creeps into your eyes, and then it gets into your bones
Never stop believing
And cut so many times, you can't even trust yourself
Yeah, I really care
But all things you said, I never really cared about
If you don't say a word, no one will know it's so hard not to follow
Of what is done to you and what is done to me, too
Yeah, I don't really care
But all things I said, I really care about
Lisa says, we gotta get outta here!
Tom says, this is killin' me!
Scott's gone... Scott's gone underground
And I wanna cross this wide country!
Yeah, we're all damaged
Drive the point home
It creeps into your eyes, and then it gets into your bones
Never stop believing me
But cut so many times, you can't even trust yourself
Yeah, I'm not unaware
Of what is done to you and what is done to me, too
Lisa says, we gotta get outta here!
Tom says, this is killin' me!
Scott's gone... Scott's gone underground
And I wanna cross this wide country!
Yeah, we're all damaged
Lisa says, we gotta get outta here!
Tom says, this is killin' me!
Scott's gone... Scott's gone underground
And I wanna cross this wide country!
Lisa says!
Tom says!
Scott's gone!
And I wanna cross...
If you, if you ever (x3)
No one will know
If you, if you ever (x3)
No one will know
Yeah, we're all damaged
The lyrics to Love Battery's song "Damaged" address themes of pain, trust, and resilience. The opening lines, "Drive the point home / It creeps into your eyes, and then it gets into your bones," suggest that the hurts we experience can become deeply ingrained in us. However, the following lines, "Never stop believing," offer an optimistic counterpoint, reminding us to persevere in spite of our pain. The lyrics acknowledge the difficulty of trusting oneself and others after having been hurt, but ultimately assert that caring and belief are still possible.
The song title itself speaks to a sense of damage or brokenness, as do the repeated lines "Yeah, we're all damaged" at the end of each verse. The repeated refrain of "Lisa says, we gotta get outta here / Tom says, this is killin' me / Scott's gone... Scott's gone underground / And I wanna cross this wide country!" creates a sense of restlessness and desire for escape, while also alluding to the idea that damage can come from external sources or circumstances beyond one's control.
Overall, the lyrics of "Damaged" offer a nuanced exploration of the complex emotions and experiences surrounding pain and recovery.
Line by Line Meaning
Drive the point home
Emphasize the message
It creeps into your eyes, and then it gets into your bones
The negative experiences slowly penetrate deep into one's heart
Never stop believing
Keep faith alive
And cut so many times, you can't even trust yourself
Suffered heartbreaks that make one doubt their own instincts
Yeah, I really care
Sarcastic remark suggesting that the author does not care
But all things you said, I never really cared about
The author did not pay attention to promises made
If you don't say a word, no one will know it's so hard not to follow
It is hard not to give in to temptation, and it is best not to disclose those urges
Yeah, I'm not unaware
Sarcastic remark suggesting that the author is oblivious
Of what is done to you and what is done to me, too
Both parties have a shared history of pain
Lisa says, we gotta get outta here!
The character Lisa suggests that they need to leave their current situation
Tom says, this is killin' me!
Tom admits how much pain he is feeling
Scott's gone... Scott's gone underground
Scott has vanished without a trace
And I wanna cross this wide country!
The author wants to leave the state and start fresh
Yeah, we're all damaged
Everyone is hurting
Contributed by Levi W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.