Despite the band's German origin and progressive rock stylings, they are not usually classified as krautrock.
The British-born John Lawton (Uriah Heep 1977-1979) was vocalist for a group called Stonewall. Peter Hecht, Dieter Horns, Peter Hesslein, and Joachim Reitenbach were members of a band called the German Bonds. The five joined together to record an album under the band name of Asterix in 1970, then changed their name to Lucifer's Friend and continued under that name. Another group called the Pink Mice was a side project by some of the members in 1971 minus Lawton.
The early albums were released on the Vertigo Records label in Europe, but in the United States those albums were released on a series of small independent record labels (Billingsgate, Janus, Passport), often a year or more after their release in Europe. Thus, despite airplay in some markets and a cult following, the band's albums were hard to find and commercial success eluded them. The band was finally signed to Elektra Records in the late 1970s who released three albums with a more commercial pop oriented sound, but by then interest in the band had waned; those albums were even less successful than the earlier ones.
Lucifer's Friend was known for changing musical styles and influences on each album. The self-titled 1970 debut had dark lyrics and a stripped-down guitar and organ style heavily influenced by Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. That album is still sought after by fans of early heavy metal music. The second album, Where the Groupies Killed the Blues, took an entirely different direction; it was a very experimental album of progressive and psychedelic rock, mostly composed by John O'Brien Docker. On the third album, I'm Just a Rock & Roll Singer, they changed direction again, this time in the straightforward rock style popularized by such groups as Grand Funk Railroad, and gritty "life on the road" themes in the lyrics. Banquet featured extended, multi-layered jazz fusion compositions and a 30-piece backup band, alternating with some shorter tracks reminiscent of Chicago and Traffic. Those first four albums are all concept albums of a sort and along with the self-titled Asterix album are the most sought after today.
Mind Exploding established a holding pattern and tried to combine the jazz of Banquet with the garage-rock of Rock & Roll Singer, but was not as well received as the earlier albums. Vocalist John Lawton left in 1976 to join Uriah Heep, but returned for the 1981 album Mean Machine. On the two albums without Lawton they moved to a more commercial sound, on 1978's Good Time Warrior and 1980's Sneak Me In.
John Lawton's 1980 solo album on RCA, Heartbeat, was a Lucifer's Friend album in everything but name, with the lineup from Sneak Me In performing as backup musicians on that project. Lawton's official return, Mean Machine, found the band returning to heavy metal, this time in the vein of Foreigner and Bad Company. The band officially broke up in 1982 but briefly reformed in the early 1990s to release a new CD, Sumo Grip.
Ride In The Sky
Lucifer's Friend Lyrics
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Seeing things I shouldn't see
New eyes I got to find
Mars, Venus and stars shaking
Their heads at me
No more todays, tonight I'll be riding the sky
Hey world look out I'm coming
Mars, Venus and stars shaking
Their heads at me
No more todays, tonight I'll be riding the sky
Tonight ride the sky, tonight ride the sky
The smile on his face turn me to stone
The words that he spoke
Wouldn't leave me alone
Mars, Venus and stars
Shaking their heads at me
No more todays tonight I'll be riding the sky
Tonight ride the sky, tonight ride the sky,
Tonight ride the sky
Tonight ride the sky
The song "Ride in the Sky" by Lucifer's Friend portrays a character who is leaving behind the mundane reality of the world and is embarking on a new journey. The lyrics describe this character as traveling through the dark world, letting go of the light behind, and seeking new eyes to see the things that were untouched before. The celestial bodies such as Mars, Venus, and stars are shaking their heads at him, which speaks to the idea that this journey may not be an easy one, and that he may face many challenges. Despite all of this, the character is excited to be taking this path, for tonight he will be riding the sky, leaving behind all of his worries.
The lyrics have several interpretations, but one way to look at it could be that the character is experiencing an existential crisis and is trying to find meaning and purpose in his life. He may be questioning the mundanity of his existence and is seeking adventure and excitement. The character seems to have a certain disillusionment with the world, and this journey is his way of finding meaning and happiness. The song ends with the character smiling, which could suggest that he has found what he was seeking, and now he can ride the sky, free and unencumbered.
Line by Line Meaning
Traveling this dark world, leaving light behind
I am moving through a gloomy world, leaving happiness behind me.
Seeing things I shouldn't see
I am encountering things that are beyond my understanding and should not be witnessed.
New eyes I got to find
I need to find a fresh perspective to face the unknown things I am seeing.
Mars, Venus and stars shaking their heads at me
Even the celestial beings are disapprovingly reacting to my journey.
No more todays, tonight I'll be riding the sky
I am leaving behind my past and embracing the moment to embrace my expedition and ride through the sky tonight.
Hey world look out I'm coming
I am boldly entering the world with adventure.
Friends pass me by and you saw me humming
As I journey, I am passing by friends and acquaintances while humming and enjoying life’s simple pleasures.
The smile on his face turn me to stone
The smile on his face paralyzed me in fear.
The words that he spoke wouldn't leave me alone
I cannot stop thinking about the ominous words spoken to me by the person with the eerie smile.
Mars, Venus and stars shaking their heads at me
Even the celestial beings are disapprovingly reacting to my journey.
No more todays tonight I'll be riding the sky
I am leaving behind my past and embracing the moment to embrace my expedition and ride through the sky tonight.
Tonight ride the sky, tonight ride the sky
I will float in the sky tonight and embrace the freedom that comes with it.
Tonight ride the sky
Tonight is the moment where I can explore the skies and all its wonders.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN LAWTON, PETER HESSLEIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind