Playing lead guitar and bass, respectively, Rundgren and Van Osten were joined by drummer Thom Mooney (formerly of the Munchkins) and lead vocalist/keyboardist Stewkey (born Robert Antoni). Nazz had their first gig in July 1967, landing an opening slot at a Doors concert. By September, the group received some financial support from the local record store Bartoff & Warfield, who also put them in touch with John Kurland, a record promoter who was looking for a guitar pop band. Kurland took a shine to Nazz and signed on as their manager. Throughout the fall, they practiced in their new home base of Great Neck, New York. Kurland and his associate, Michael Friedman, prevented the band from gigging regularly, believing that a lack of performances would increase demand for the group. The managers were convinced that Nazz could be marketed as a sharp, stylish boy band for the teenybopper audience, and helped the quartet members to refashion themselves in that mode.
With a wardrobe of clothes and an album's worth of material ready, Kurland and Friedman had Nazz sign with SGC Records -- an offshoot of Atlantic Records and Columbia-Screen Gems -- in the summer of 1968. Their debut album, Nazz, appeared in October, supported by the single "Hello It's Me." Although the song would later become a major hit for Rundgren as a solo artist, the dirgey original version barely scraped the national charts, largely due to mismanagement. The managers wanted that Nazz played only large halls, which was virtually impossible for an unknown, unproven band with a newly released debut album. As a result, most of the group's publicity was limited to glamour shots and puff pieces in teen mags. Ironically, many of the articles emphasized the band's "electrifying" live performances.
"Hello It's Me" managed to reach number 71 on the charts, and the record -- particularly the Nazz's self-production of "Open My Eyes" and "Hello It's Me" -- attracted some good notices. Taking this as a cue, Nazz headed to England to cut their second album, but they became embroiled in work visa problems. Undaunted, they returned to America and began work on an ambitious self-produced double album named Fungo Bat. By the time it was released in April 1969, it was trimmed to a single album and titled Nazz Nazz. Although the project's scale was diminished, the music remained dizzyingly diverse, as the record ran the gamut from psychedelic rockers to pop ballads. One problem emerged, however. In the process of editing, much of Rundgren's newer, Laura Nyro-influenced material -- which he had sung himself -- was left on the shelves. Neither the management nor his bandmates gave Rundgren much encouragement to sing, nor was his new introspective direction warmly received by his colleagues. Faced with a no-win situation, Rundgren left the group not long after their summer 1969 tour; by that time, Van Osten had already departed the band.
Stewkey took control of the Nazz, erased Rundgren's vocals from the album sitting in the vaults, and replaced them with his own. The result was released as Nazz III in 1970, but it stiffed. Mooney departed the group, later to play with such bands as the Curtis Brothers, Tattoo, and Paris. Stewkey joined Fuse, an Anglophile power pop group featuring future Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen. Mooney also played with Fuse, but left before Cheap Trick bassist Tom Petersson joined and the group became Sick Man of Europe.
Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Kicks
Nazz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But when you wake up in the mornin' the world still gets you uptight
Well, here's nothin' that you ain't tried To fill the emptiness inside
But when you come back down, girl
Still ain't feelin' right
(And don't it seem like)
Kicks just keep gettin' harder to find
And all your kicks ain't bringin' you peace of mind
(You just need help, girl)
Before you find out it's too late, girl
You better get straight
No, but not with kicks
You just need help, girl
Well you think you're gonna find yourself a little piece of paradise
But it ain't happened yet, so girl, you better think twice
Don't you see no matter what you do
You'll never run away from you
And if you keep on runnin'
You'll have to pay the price
(And don't it seem like)
Kicks just keep gettin' harder to find
(Oh, you don't need kicks, girl)
And all your kicks ain't bringin' you peace of mind
(You just need help, girl)
Before you find out it's too late, girl
You better get straight
No, you don't need kicks
To help you face the world each day
That road goes nowhere
I'm gonna help you find yourself another way
(And don't it seem like)
Kicks just keep gettin' harder to find
(Oh, you don't need kicks, girl)
And all your kicks ain't bringin' you peace of mind
(You just need help, girl)
Before you find out it's too late, girl
You better get straight
(And don't it seem like)
Kicks just keep gettin' harder to find
(Oh, you don't need kicks, girl)
And all your kicks ain't bringin' you peace of mind
(You just need help, girl)
Before you find out it's too late, girl
You better get straight
The song "Kicks" by Nazz is a classic rock piece about a girl's search for happiness and peace of mind. The lyrics describe how the girl has tried everything to fill the emptiness inside but nothing seems to work. She believed she had all the answers while on a magic carpet ride the night before, but it fades when she wakes up in the morning. No matter what she does, the girl is unable to escape from her own issues, and the only solution is to "get straight." The song emphasizes the idea that kicks do not bring peace of mind, but rather it is only a temporary solution.
The line "kicks just keep getting harder to find" is a metaphor for the fact that as we grow older, we find it more challenging to find things that genuinely make us happy. The songwriters advise the girl that she doesn't need kicks to face the world each day because relying on them long-term will lead her nowhere. Eventually, she will have to face her problems and pay the price.
Overall, the song is a warning to people about the dangers of relying on temporary solutions to bring happiness, and that the only real way to find peace of mind is by dealing with the underlying issues.
Line by Line Meaning
Girl, you thought you found the answer on that magic carpet ride last night
You believed that you had found the solution to your problems on a magical journey
But when you wake up in the mornin' the world still gets you uptight
However, when you wake up, you still feel anxious about the world around you
Well, here's nothin' that you ain't tried To fill the emptiness inside
You have attempted everything possible to get rid of your inner emptiness
But when you come back down, girl Still ain't feelin' right
Despite trying everything, you still feel discontented
(And don't it seem like) Kicks just keep gettin' harder to find
It appears that it is becoming more difficult to find temporary solutions to your problems
(Oh, you don't need kicks, girl) And all your kicks ain't bringin' you peace of mind
These temporary solutions are not bringing you any peace of mind
(You just need help, girl) Before you find out it's too late, girl You better get straight
You require assistance before it is too late for you to handle your problems
No, but not with kicks You just need help, girl
Temporary solutions are not enough; you require assistance
Well you think you're gonna find yourself a little piece of paradise But it ain't happened yet, so girl, you better think twice
You thought that you could achieve happiness but it has not happened yet, so you need to reconsider
Don't you see no matter what you do You'll never run away from you
No matter what you attempt, you will never be able to run away from yourself
And if you keep on runnin' You'll have to pay the price
If you continue to run away from your problems, you will have to face the consequences
(And don't it seem like) Kicks just keep gettin' harder to find
It appears that it is becoming more difficult to find temporary solutions to your problems
(Oh, you don't need kicks, girl) And all your kicks ain't bringin' you peace of mind
These temporary solutions are not bringing you any peace of mind
(You just need help, girl) Before you find out it's too late, girl You better get straight
You require assistance before it is too late for you to handle your problems
No, you don't need kicks To help you face the world each day
Temporary solutions will not assist you in dealing with the world on a daily basis
That road goes nowhere I'm gonna help you find yourself another way
This temporary solution will not lead you anywhere; I will assist you in finding a better way
(And don't it seem like) Kicks just keep gettin' harder to find
It appears that it is becoming more difficult to find temporary solutions to your problems
(Oh, you don't need kicks, girl) And all your kicks ain't bringin' you peace of mind
These temporary solutions are not bringing you any peace of mind
(You just need help, girl) Before you find out it's too late, girl You better get straight
You require assistance before it is too late for you to handle your problems
(And don't it seem like) Kicks just keep gettin' harder to find
It appears that it is becoming more difficult to find temporary solutions to your problems
(Oh, you don't need kicks, girl) And all your kicks ain't bringin' you peace of mind
These temporary solutions are not bringing you any peace of mind
(You just need help, girl) Before you find out it's too late, girl You better get straight
You require assistance before it is too late for you to handle your problems
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BARRY MANN, CYNTHIA WEIL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind