Marc had played guitar since the age of 9, but started to pursue music more seriously around 1964, when he became Toby Tyler, covering songs by Bob Dylan, and Dion.
(A track recorded around this time as Mark Feld, "All At Once" has recently been discovered will be released soon.) In his teen years, Marc became known as one of the first "mods". This led him to a brief stint as a model, and he chose to leave school when he was 14 years old. He also played guitar in a band called John's Children. Marc was needed for this group as a 'Pete Townshend' figure, but after 3 months, he left the band.
Together with Steve Peregrin Took, he formed his own duo Tyrannosaurus Rex, which quickly gained a large underground following. After 3 successful albums, Steve Peregrin Took's drug habits and suggestion of doing some of his own songs was enough for Marc to kick him out of the duo. Mickey Finn quickly replaced Steve, and the new duo recorded the album A Beard Of Stars, with Marc replacing Steve's backing vocals on the tracks they already began recording.
On Marc's second album with Finn, he decided to shorten the name of the band to T. Rex, and found fame and chart succes in 1970 with Ride a White Swan.
Following that success, Marc wrote several more top 10 hits and albums, Electric Warrior(1971), The Slider (1972), Tanx(1973), Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow Or a Creamed Cage In August)(1974), Bolan's Zip-Gun(1975), Futuristic Dragon(1976) and the final album
Dandy In the Underworld(1977).
Marc Bolan tried to make it clear during his lifetime that he was NOT to be grouped in the lot called Glam Rock. In 1973, he appeared under the headline "Glam Rock Is Dead: Says Marc" - he felt he was not being treated seriously as an artist, so with Zinc Alloy onward, he moved into a Rock & Soul sound, radically different than what was the musical trend at the time. Many of Marc's fans stayed behind with the Glam movement, but Marc pursued further into less commercial music adventures, with the help of his soul-singer girlfriend, Gloria Jones. Together they had a son, Rolan Bolan, in 1975.
Tragically, Marc died in a car crash on 16 September 1977 in a purple Mini driven by Gloria Jones.
Galaxy
Marc Bolan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell me how they bang a gong
[Chorus:]
Your world, I mean your world
Your world, I mean your world
Shadow in the alley at midnight
[Chorus]
My planets like an angel with clipped wings
A river bed dump shed sweetheart
Do they have sickness in society
Do they have glitter crap gaiety
[Chorus]
The song "Galaxy" by Marc Bolan and T.Rex is a poetic exploration of other worlds and the people who inhabit them. The opening lines, "Which Galaxy are you from, Tell me how they bang a gong" could be interpreted as Bolan's desire to understand the culture and customs of inhabitants from other galaxies. Bolan was known to be interested in science fiction and often incorporated otherworldly and mystical themes into his lyrics. The chorus "Your world, I mean your world" is a reflection of Bolan's curiosity about what life may be like on other planets.
Later in the song, Bolan paints a vivid picture of a mysterious figure in the verse, "Shadow in the alley at midnight, Metal clad rocker with bent teeth." This could be interpreted as Bolan's fascination with the idea of the unknown and the strange. The chorus repeats again, this time with more emphasis, as if to further express his desire to connect with a different world.
In the final verse, Bolan describes his own world, comparing it to "an angel with clipped wings, a riverbed dump shed sweetheart." The chords in the song are simple and repetitive, adding to the hypnotic and otherworldly feeling of the song. Overall, "Galaxy" is an intriguing exploration of the unknown and a vivid expression of Bolan's interest in science fiction and the mystical.
Line by Line Meaning
Which Galaxy are you from
Please inform me of your place of origin in the universe.
Tell me how they bang a gong
Could you describe to me the method in which they create rhythmic percussion in your world?
Your world, I mean your world
I am specifically referring to your planet or place of residence.
Shadow in the alley at midnight
A dark, obscure figure lurking in a narrow pathway during the late hours of the day.
Metal clad rocker with bent teeth
A musician in heavy armor with crooked teeth.
My planets like an angel with clipped wings
My home in the universe is similar to a celestial being with its wings hindered.
A river bed dump shed sweetheart
A precious individual with humble beginnings, likened to someone discovered near a waste disposal location by a body of water.
Do they have sickness in society
Are there conditions of ill health present in your civilization?
Do they have glitter crap gaiety
Is there a celebration or festivity in your world that is characterized by excessive, superficial glamour?
Your world, I mean your world
Once more, I refer to the location where you reside.
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group
Written by: MARC BOLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind