(Edit: 2/4/2010: Love Spit Love is sadly also long gone - 13 years gone, in fact. Apparently the long-term intentions were crushed by the reality of hardly anyone knowing about them, Richard's pre-existing claim to fame notwithstanding. LSL was considerably more cerebral and introspective than The Furs. Too intelligent for the masses, perhaps, they didn't go on to release anything beyond Trysome Eatone. However, what comes around goes around. The Furs recently regrouped and went on tour in 2009. Intentions unknown as to whether Richard and Co. will be releasing any new material as The Psychedelic Furs.)
Like the band's music, their second album's title "Trysome Eatone" was an invitation both dangerous and alluring. The 12 songs included ''Fall On Tears,'' ''Hurts When I Laugh,'' ''Sweet Thing,'' ''All God's Children,'' ''Well Well Well'' and the LP's debut single and video ''Long Long Time.'' Throughout, the Love Spit Love sound was sharp and moody, blending Butler's unmistakable vocals with the shimmering guitar textures of Richard Fortus and the penetrating rhythm section of drummer Frank Ferrer and new bassist Chris Wilson.
Produced by Butler, Fortus and Ben Grosse (Filter, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Violent Femmes), Trysome Eatone aimed for the head and heart, with harmonically complex melodies, dynamic rhythms and subtly poignant lyrics.
Trysome Eatone was both a union of European and American pop styles and a powerful slice of pre-millennial melancholia and humor. On the album's first single ''Long Long Time,'' Butler waxed philosophical, while the band created a deceptively tempered groove. ''Fall On Tears'' and ''It Hurts When I Laugh'' represent a striking marriage of folk melody and foreboding lyricism, while ''More Than Money'' was a manic celebration of transistorized noise, volcanic rhythm and apocalyptic guitar. In all, Trysome Eatone took pop experimentation to heady new levels.
''I wanted to make a record that had all great songs,'' Butler said, ''Not all singles necessarily, just great songs. I also wanted the record to be varied, with lots of different moods, but make it so it all hung together.''
The album winds its way through Butler's tales and observations about life and everyday situations and confrontations, The inspiration for Butler's lyrics? ''I suppose things that I overhear people say, situations I find myself in,'' he says. ''I kind of like lyrics to be pretty simple-sounding and not impose themselves too much and not try to be clever. Kind of like nursery rhymes that sound innocent but are really pretty dark.''
''Little Fist'', a song written about people on St, Marks Place below his apartment window, opens with the lines:
I've got lipstick on my front teeth I'm full of pills but I don' t feel good yet I 'm tied up running out of good luck Eyeliner tears are running down my neck
''I think all songs are autobiographical; it's always either writing about yourself or putting yourself in someone else's shoes,'' Butler explained. ''Whatever you write about tells something about yourself, Songs can start from a title or a melody or taking words you've already written and squeezing them into a tune. Usually, it starts with the music and a melody. Then the feel of the music puts you in a certain mood; then you have to write lyrics with that mood.''
''I tend not to write love songs,'' he continued. ''They sound too much like somebody cornering you in a bar and moaning about their ex-wife - does anybody really care? But songs about love are a different thing.''
As a founding member of the Psychedelic Furs, Richard Butler has cast a long, folkloric shadow over the modern pop landscape. With Love Spit Love, he tried to tear down his own myth and replace it with a gleaming new creation.
The roots of Love Spit Love extend back to 1992. In the wake of the Psychedelic Furs' dissolution, Butler moved from his native England to New York. Seeking a new platform for his musical and lyrical visions, the singer teamed with Richard Fortus, who had impressed Butler when opening for the Furs with his former band.
Drummer Frank Ferrer was next to join the band's ranks, his authoritative rhythms providing a perfect foil for Butler's literate musings and Fortus's melodic inventions. Named after an erotic art exhibit, Love Spit Love was officially conceived.
For Love Spit Love's debut on the now-defunct Imago label, Butler's brother Tim was brought in to provide the bottom end on drums, while Chris Wilson assumed bass-playing duties just before the band's 1994-95 tour. He made his Love Spit Love recording debut on the band's second album.
On the band's self-titled 1994 debut recording, Butler and his bandmates created lush soundscapes punctuated by dissonant shards of noise and orchestration. In its effusive critique, The Trouser Press Record Guide noted that, ''Butler has never sounded better -- his nicotine-coated growl has, over the years, mellowed into a powerful, scratchy croon that shimmers on his most accessible record since the Furs' glory days.'' Elsewhere, Cover magazine claimed Love Spit Love to be ''both the best new band and the best debut album of 1994.''
Building on the debut disc's momentum, Trysome Eatone painted with broad musical strokes. Recorded in New York, Detroit and Los Angeles, Trysome Eatone is the kind of album that yields fresh surprises with each listen. Yet for all its lyrical insight, the record never reveals too much. Richard Butler remains an enigma, and as the singer himself crooned on ''Long Long Time'':
If I seem to make no sense I make no sense sometimes
It was a perfect lyric from a man who's always known how to engage his fans in a deep mystery.
Love spit love was perhaps most famous for their song "How Soon Is Now?", a cover of The Smiths. The song was used as the theme of the long-running TV show Charmed, and was also used in The Craft soundtrack.
Seventeen
Love Spit Love Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
said silence is the wrong word
i'm gonna keep the names
that i use for myself to myself
what will it be tomorrow?
i want to watch the world
from the edge of my seat
when it burns
seventeen can't be wrong
seventeen cannot see
i can't believe
it's been so long
seventeen follow me
i want to walk the outside
they're burning down the houses
i'm gonna keep my eyes
on the ground
when i walk where i walk
i can't believe
it's been so long
can't believe i can't see
seventeen can't be wrong
seventeen fall on me
never stop never mind
can't get good times
summer day sunshine
feels like anodyne
phone jams gridlock
standing at the bus stop
ten'o clock tick-tock
look at what the world's got
please her please me
gonna make a big scene
here comes faith comes
banging on a tin drum
don't try you can't fail
can't win you can't play
ten'o clock tick-tock
look at what the world's got
The song Seventeen by Love Spit Love explores themes of youth, rebellion, and the search for meaning in a world that can be confusing and full of chaos. The lyrics reflect the desire to escape from the monotony of everyday life and to find something more meaningful, even if it means taking risks and breaking rules. The opening lines, "Wake up demonstrations, said silence is the wrong word," suggest a desire for action and a rejection of complacency. The singer wants to keep the names that he uses for himself to himself, suggesting a need for privacy and a desire to maintain a sense of individuality in a world that can be stifling.
The mention of a "summer sun" and the question of what tomorrow will bring suggests a longing for change and a sense of optimism that things can get better. The line "I want to watch the world from the edge of my seat when it burns" suggests a fascination with chaos and a desire to be a part of something bigger than oneself.
The chorus of the song, "Seventeen can't be wrong, seventeen cannot see, I can't believe it's been so long, seventeen follow me," captures the rebellious spirit of youth and the idea that youth is a time for exploration and discovering one's place in the world. The line "they're burning down the houses" may suggest a desire to break with tradition and to reject the status quo in favor of something new and exciting.
Line by Line Meaning
wake up demonstrations
Become aware through active participation
said silence is the wrong word
Stated that remaining quiet is not the correct action
i'm gonna keep the names
I will retain the identities I have created for myself
that i use for myself to myself
And not share them with anyone else
a summer sun is shining
The sun in the summertime is illuminating
what will it be tomorrow?
Wondering about what the future holds
i want to watch the world
I desire to observe the world
from the edge of my seat
Without fully engaging or taking any actions
when it burns
During times of crisis
seventeen can't be wrong
Inexperienced age cannot be incorrect
seventeen cannot see
Being young causes a lack of perspective
i can't believe
I am astonished
it's been so long
That time has passed slowly
seventeen follow me
I am determined to lead despite my youth
i want to walk the outside
I wish to explore beyond my regular surroundings
they're burning down the houses
The world is in turmoil
i'm gonna keep my eyes
I will remain vigilant
on the ground
By remaining grounded in reality
when i walk where i walk
When I am free to move about
i can't believe
I remain astonished
it's been so long
The length of time that has passed seems unreal
can't believe i can't see
I am still unable to perceive
seventeen can't be wrong
Being young is right in its own way
seventeen fall on me
I desire to be forever youthful
never stop never mind
There is no need to be concerned with stopping
can't get good times
Some moments are impossible to recreate
summer day sunshine
Bright and warm summer weather
feels like anodyne
Has a therapeutic or soothing quality
phone jams gridlock
The communication system is at a standstill
standing at the bus stop
Waiting stop for transportation
ten'o clock tick-tock
Shows the progression of time
look at what the world's got
Consider the state of the world
please her please me
Taking actions to make others happy
gonna make a big scene
Planning to create a spectacle
here comes faith comes
Hope is on the horizon
banging on a tin drum
Persistent, unrelenting actions
don't try you can't fail
If no action is taken then failure is certain
can't win you can't play
If one doesn't put forth an effort then one cannot succeed
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICHARD LOFTHOUSE BUTLER, RICHARD P. FORTUS, TIMOTHY BUTLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind