Lovebugs is a rock band from Switzerland. They are platinum selling artists… Read Full Bio ↴Lovebugs is a rock band from Switzerland. They are platinum selling artists in their home country and have three number one records under their belt.

Their official biography reads as follows: Our story begins – as many of these stories do – with a TDK 60 minute cassette. It's back in 1992 and Kurt Cobain with Smells Like Teen Spirit is playing himself into the nirvana of rock'n'roll and hitting us in the gut. Wow! At roughly the same time, Adrian packs in his drummer job with The Bash — freeing his hands to do the old Fender Strat thing and, in fact, record on to that TDK 60. He calls his one-man band "Lovebugs", enters the cassette for a Band Contest in Basle ... and ends up being invited to take part in the final round.

So he finds Sebastian on bass and Julie on drums – more for their charming personalities than for instrumental virtuosity. And then it all happens pretty dammed quick. First gig, the final, victory, thank you!

Adrian and Sebastian then record their first album Fluff in all of five days in league with 17-year-old temp drummer Simon who has been a permanent fixture since then, irreplaceable actually, because not only is he an amazing drummer but also an amazing cook. We play a few gigs and Adrian wants to pack it in again. Making music is OK, he says, but being the frontman is a pain. Well, we persuade him to stay on and, before long, we have played countless gigs in small clubs. And, between all that, recorded our second album: Tart.

The third album appears in 1996: Lovebugs. Recorded in London, produced by George Shilling and Tony Harris. We storm the Top 40 and our single Fantastic is what you might call our minor breakthrough on the Swiss music wallpaper scene. We sign major recording contacts in Germany, feel pretty fantastic, immortal at least. Just the right mood for getting on to the TourBus for a few months.

Thomas also gets on: live, we need extra guitar; he needs a good band. And the tours go on — with Marc Owen, Republica, Vivid and Ocean Color Scene. We become addicted to life on tour. We hang on to Thomas because, apart from making the right noises with the guitar, he's cool with studio buttons and, in the morning, he looks so grotty.

In 1999, BMG/RCA prescribe us a recording producer who – from the very start – we don't hit it off with. The proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back. After a really vicious battle with the record company (all that small-print crap) we record an album under the name of The Symbol. No, not really, we sign a deal with Warner Music Switzerland and, at long last, in 2000, bring out Transatlantic Flight. All that turbulence seems to have paid off. The album sells in 13 countries and represents now our ultimate breakthrough. The concerts are sold out. We shoot a video in LA and give loads of interviews from Moscow through Niederbipp to Helsinki …

While Sebastian publishes his glam rock project Fucking Beautiful, we work on our fifth studio album Awaydays. Wanting to go new places, we record the album in the rehearsal room (with Thomas as producer) and bring in a string orchestra. Adrian starts to think of packing it in again but eventually gives up smoking instead. At about the same time, Awaydays gets to the number one spot in the Swiss charts and Sebastian announces his departure from the band. We play one last tour with him and wonder about how things should continue.

Come autumn 2002, we retreat to the heel of the Italian boot – Apulia – to work on 13 Songs With A View. There are now five of us and we're searching for a new Lovebugs sound. Bass player Florian is more than a mere substitute for emigrant Sebastian: he brings a new earthy edge to the band and raises the average IQ by 35%. The same tidal wave also dumps Stefan on board MS Lovebugs. In an official capacity, that is. For almost three years, he's been pounding away on the keyboards for us — both on stage and in the studio. 13 Songs With A View is, in a word, a bitch, and gives us a really hard time. Yup, the search for our joint roots is difficult, taking 13 long months in the studio. An eternal labyrinth. But also a welding torch for the new line-up. The result is rawer and harder than previous albums. A true milestone, we reckon. Whereas the Swiss radio stations reckon that our sound is too noisy. TV gets cold feet as well and even drops us from a programme at literally the last second. They are worried that our music might hit the viewers in the gut (hmm, sounds familiar). Whatever. A short time later, to kick off our tour, we play Letzigrund Stadium with the legendary Stones to a crowd of 40,000 before, at long last, setting off on an extended club and festival tour again.

December 2003. We've done some 1,000 gigs (I think) and recorded seven albums. Tired? No way! But where can we now sail to without going round in circles? One thing is clear: we need a producer who will accompany us, give us feedback and be in on the songs as they emerge so that we don't drift into studio quicksands again. Someone who can stand up to the Lovebugs steamroller. Adrian has the shocking idea of having a go with that swine Chris von Rohr. In fact, the chemistry works at the very first meeting and soon we have a veritable swimming pool full of creativity — not to mention a genuine friendship.

Together we work on the eighth CD. It's to be an unplugged album, recorded live and featuring the best from 11 years of Lovebugs. Old hits are re-arranged, stripped down to the bare essentials. We want it to be intimate and direct. After nine months of preparation, we perform Naked (!) on stage in Basle ... and, well, it's one of our best concerts ever. Included on the album version are five new songs, some really moving moments and acres of goose pimples.

For six months or so, the subsequent Naked Tour takes us though old theatre prosceniums and cinema halls. Backed by mood and guest musicians, we play unplugged into the summer. It's during the festival season of 2005 that – in parallel and in secret – we start plugging our cables in at the rehearsal room again. We hunger for electricity and sounds but first Adrian has to have on operation on his respiratory system while the rest of us send postcards from our holiday resorts. Each taking a creative breather, so to speak.

In autumn 2005 – by which time we're up to our knees in new material – a Taiwanese record company calls up suddenly and invites us to hold a series of interviews and concerts in Asia. We leave the freshly served Creative Soup on the counter and fly "naked" to the land of the permanent sushi enthusiasts where we (a) score something of a success and (b) get to know something about chopsticks, isolation and sleeping tablets. Then, in the middle of a snowstorm and an infinitely long winter, we eventually realise where we are going and who we wish to take along with us. Things are going to be epic and huge and also deep enough to drown in, a unified whole indeed. So, after a three-year absence from the studio, In Every Waking Moment will not be a stroll through the park, more like an intense midnight ramble J

To read the map and shine the torch, we hire Roman Camenzind. The man who never sleeps and who always has a good idea just when one is needed.

In February and March of 2006, we record In Every Waking Moment at locomotive speed and, only one week after Switzerland gets kicked out of the last 16 of the Football World Cup, a Lovebugs CD soars to Number One on the Swiss album charts … again.

Discography
IN EVERY WAKING MOMENT (2006)
NAKED (2005)
13 SONGS WITH A VIEW (2003)
AWAYDAYS (2001)
TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT (2000)
LIVE VIA SATELLITE (1999)
LOVEBUGS intl. version (1998)
LOVEBUGS (1996)
TART (1995)
FLUFF (1994)

Group Members
Adrian Sieber: vocals, guitar
Thomas Rechberger: guitar, vocals
Stefan Wagner: piano, synthesizers, vocals
Florian Senn: bass
Simon Ramseier: drums

Website
http://www.lovebugs.com

Land Ho!
Lovebugs Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

We're nothing but a ship of fools
Basking in our days of glory
We're drifting on the open sea
Uncertain why the wind won't blow

We've passed so many sinking friendships
So sure, that wouldn't be our fate
How come, we didn't see this coming?

Way oh way oh
From stern to bow, we're singing land ho!
The boat is leaking but we won't let go
We'll keep on rowing while we're running low

We're just a bunch of lazy bones
Never worried about our future
We're floating on some idle stream
Still hoping for a gentle breeze

We've seen the bravest men go under
So sure, that wouldn't be our end
How come, we didn't see this coming?

Way oh way oh
From stern to bow, we're singing land ho!
The boat is leaking but we won't let go
We'll keep on rowing thought we're running low

Way oh way oh
Keep singing land ho!
Way oh way oh
Keep singing land ho!

We're more or less worriless
But drifting blind and rudderless
We must confess we're one big mess

Way oh way oh
Way oh way oh

How come, we didn't see this coming?

Way oh way oh
From stern to bow, we're singing land ho!

The boat is leaking but we won't let go
We'll keep on rowing thought we're running low

Overall Meaning

Lovebugs's song "Land Ho!" is a reflection on the human condition of being lost, uncertain, and adrift in life. The lyrics compare life to a ship on the open sea, aimlessly drifting without a clear sense of direction or purpose. The first two stanzas set up the metaphor of the ship and paint a picture of a group of people who have achieved some measure of success in their lives, but who are also aware that they are vulnerable and could suffer a catastrophic setback at any time. They have seen others fail before them, but have not taken steps to avoid a similar fate.

The chorus, with its repeated refrain of "way oh way oh," is a rallying cry for the group to persevere in the face of adversity. The ship may be leaking and they may be low on resources, but they will not give up. The last two stanzas acknowledge the group's shortcomings and lack of direction, but also suggest that they still have hope for the future. The final repetition of the chorus is a call to action, a reminder that they must keep moving forward and striving for a better life.

Overall, "Land Ho!" is a powerful and emotional song that captures the existential angst of modern life. It speaks to anyone who has ever felt lost or uncertain, and offers a message of hope to those who are struggling to find their way.

Line by Line Meaning

We're nothing but a ship of fools
We are a group of foolish people, lacking direction and purpose.

Basking in our days of glory
We are enjoying the good times without fully realizing the consequences of our actions.

We're drifting on the open sea
We are aimlessly wandering without a clear destination.

Uncertain why the wind won't blow
We don't understand why things aren't going our way, despite our lack of effort and direction.

We've passed so many sinking friendships
We have witnessed many of our relationships deteriorate, but thought we were immune to the same fate.

So sure, that wouldn't be our fate
We were confident that our relationships would not fall apart like others have.

How come, we didn't see this coming?
We are questioning why we failed to recognize the warning signs of our failing relationships.

From stern to bow, we're singing land ho!
We are eagerly anticipating reaching our destination.

The boat is leaking but we won't let go
Even though we are faced with obstacles, we are determined to persevere and not give up.

We'll keep on rowing while we're running low
We will continue to put in effort even when we are running low on resources or motivation.

We're just a bunch of lazy bones
We are unmotivated and lack the drive to achieve our goals.

Never worried about our future
We are complacent and not concerned about what the future may hold.

We're floating on some idle stream
We are passively going through life, without taking action or making any real progress.

Still hoping for a gentle breeze
We are waiting for some stroke of luck or good fortune to come our way, rather than actively seeking out opportunities.

We've seen the bravest men go under
We have witnessed strong and capable people fail, but still think we are above suffering the same fate.

So sure, that wouldn't be our end
We were confident that we are too strong to fail like others have.

We're more or less worriless
We are not overly concerned about our problems or shortcomings.

But drifting blind and rudderless
We are directionless and without a clear plan or strategy.

We must confess we're one big mess
We acknowledge that we are not in a good state, both individually and collectively.

Way oh way oh
A repeating and catchy chorus to emphasize the desire to reach our destination and overcome obstacles.

Keep singing land ho!
We encourage ourselves to continue striving towards our goal.

Writer(s): Harold Adamson, Victor Young

Contributed by Alaina I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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