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.
Hot Rod Mama
Marc Bolan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blown out my mind, I can't keep up the pace
I'm selling all my midnight, still broke and living on the ground
My gone little mama cut out without a sound
With my greased-up levis,
Baseball boots above my head
If it wasn't such a tragedy
She took my ice-cream mustang
And my purple coloured dodeville
She even took my panpipes and my elixir of life pill
The song 'Hot Rod Mamma' by Marc Bolan is a song about a man who is in love with a woman, described as a 'hot rod mamma', who moves like a motorcycle devil in a race. The man is infatuated with her and his mind is blown out, making it tough for him to keep up the pace. Unfortunately, his little mama cuts out without a sound, and he's still broke and living on the ground. He's selling all his midnight to keep afloat, and it seems that he's pretty unhappy about it all. He's so miserable that he says that if it wasn't such a tragedy, he might be wishing he was dead.
The lyrics are quite straightforward, with the man singing about how much he loves his hot rod mamma, but she has left him with nothing. There's a sense of desperation in his voice, with him selling all he has to stay alive. The woman is described as wild and free, moving like a motorcycle devil. She's taken everything from the man, including his car, home and even his elixir of life pill. The lyrics showcase the power of love and how it can turn individuals into wild and desperate creatures.
Line by Line Meaning
Hot rod mama moving like a motor cycle devil in a race
The woman he's with is driving fast and recklessly, making it hard for him to keep up.
Blown out my mind, I can't keep up the pace
He can't handle the lifestyle and pace she's living at, causing him to feel overwhelmed.
I'm selling all my midnight, still broke and living on the ground
He's selling all his possessions but still struggling financially, living in poverty.
My gone little mama cut out without a sound
She left him without saying anything, leaving him confused and alone.
With my greased-up levis,
He's wearing slick, greased-up jeans.
Baseball boots above my head
He has his baseball boots hanging over his head, possibly as a form of decoration or to keep them clean.
If it wasn't such a tragedy
If it wasn't so sad or disastrous.
I might wish I was dead
He would prefer to die than continue living in such a depressing situation.
She took my ice-cream mustang
She took his fancy car, a symbol of his status and wealth.
And my purple coloured dodeville
She also took his other car, possibly another fancy or expensive one.
She even took my panpipes and my elixir of life pill
She took his music instruments and the pill he believes keeps him healthy and alive, showing she left him with nothing.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BOLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind