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.
A Private Future
Love and Rockets Lyrics
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You snatched at the trees
In the starry dark green sleep
Thinking of your private future
You think at the river and set it flowing
A late fog's lifting a fast wind's rising
So you turn to reflect on your brief life
Session slip
Thinking of your private future
Cut by the scars of timeless coming back
Realize the unreachable is nothing
Cool winds wash down your hope and you slipped
Cool winds wash down your hope and you slipped
God's good to the humble
As the devil is to fools
Stop looking back in anger
Cause you can't change the rules
Believe in where you're going
But don't lose your yesterdays
To terrify to cry its true
Your life is just a game
So I need a million dollars
To sit on mountain tops
To see the stars surround you
Is to see an awful lot
I see the work of sinners
I see the work of saints
So I see the work of everyone
That's ever ever been
Sleep without reason
Your laughing masks your love
You've got so many scars
How does it feel deep in your heart?
Cause when the covers blown over
It'll crack up your skin
So now you're drowning your sorrows
In whiskey and sin
Live the life you love
In the god you trust
And don't take it all to seriously
AHHHH
AHHHH
AHHHH
AHHHH
The lyrics to Love And Rockets's song A Private Future are quite cryptic and contemplative, but also carry a sense of disillusionment and reflection. The first verse speaks of a person who is musing about their future and the choices they have made. They are described as snatching at trees, which could symbolize a desire for something tangible to hold onto in their uncertain future. The river is also mentioned as something that is set flowing by the person's thoughts, perhaps indicating the power of the mind to control aspects of their future. However, the stanza ends on a melancholic note with the mention of scars and a realization that the unreachable is nothing.
The second verse begins by describing how the person is experiencing a sense of hopelessness as their hopes are washed away by cool winds. The line "God's good to the humble, as the devil is to fools" seems to suggest that the person feels abandoned by any higher power and is left to their own devices with no clear path forward. There is a sense of inner turmoil, as indicated by the line "Your life is just a game", which suggests a lack of control or agency. The final stanza is more ambiguous, as it speaks of laughing that masks love, scars, and drowning sorrows in whiskey and sin. It could be interpreted as a cry for help or a sense of hopelessness, depending on the listener's perspective.
Line by Line Meaning
Thinking of your private future
Contemplating your own personal destiny
You snatched at the trees
Trying to grasp at something that cannot be grabbed
In the starry dark green sleep
In the midst of a peaceful, natural environment
Thinking of your private future
Continuing to ponder one's own fate
You think at the river and set it flowing
Mentally manipulating nature to align with your desires
A late fog's lifting a fast wind's rising
The changing weather conditions are symbolic of the instability of life
So you turn to reflect on your brief life
Taking a moment to contemplate one's mortality
Session slip
Momentary lapse in thought
Thinking of your private future
Continuing to worry about what is to come
Cut by the scars of timeless coming back
Haunted by unresolved issues from the past
Realize the unreachable is nothing
Acknowledging that striving for the unattainable is futile
Cool winds wash down your hope and you slipped
Having lost hope and slipping into despair
Cool winds wash down your hope and you slipped
Reinforcing the loss of hope and descent into despair
God's good to the humble
The value of humility in religious belief
As the devil is to fools
The danger of being foolish and giving into temptation
Stop looking back in anger
Advising against dwelling on negative past experiences
Cause you can't change the rules
Accepting that some things cannot be changed
Believe in where you're going
Placing faith in the path you have chosen
But don't lose your yesterdays
Not forgetting the past experiences that have shaped you
To terrify to cry its true
Acknowledging that life can be both scary and painful
Your life is just a game
Viewing life as a fleeting experience
So I need a million dollars
Humorous reference to a common desire for wealth
To sit on mountain tops
Fantasizing about a life of luxury
To see the stars surround you
Finding beauty in nature and the cosmos
Is to see an awful lot
Recognizing the immense beauty of the world
I see the work of sinners
Acknowledging the existence of evil in the world
I see the work of saints
Recognizing the deeds of those who are virtuous
So I see the work of everyone
Not passing judgement on others and seeing the value in everyone
That's ever ever been
Throughout human history
Sleep without reason
Having restless nights without a clear cause
Your laughing masks your love
Using humor to hide one's true emotions
You've got so many scars
Having experienced numerous wounds and trials in life
How does it feel deep in your heart?
Asking how these experiences have affected one emotionally
Cause when the covers blown over
Metaphor for the truth being revealed
It'll crack up your skin
The harsh reality of truth can be painful
So now you're drowning your sorrows
Using substance abuse to cope with negative emotions or experiences
In whiskey and sin
Indulging in vices that can exacerbate problems
Live the life you love
Finding happiness by pursuing one's passions
In the god you trust
Finding comfort in religious or spiritual beliefs
And don't take it all too seriously
Advising not to become too obsessed with life's challenges or successes
AHHHH
Refrain
AHHHH
Refrain
AHHHH
Refrain
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DANIEL GASTON ASH, DAVID JAY, DAVID JOHN HASKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind