The band took their name from an episode of The Goon Show. The band were noted for an extremely unusual two bass player line up. Bass player Alex Griffin played melody lines high up on one bass, and Mat cheslin played the regular basslines on the other. This gave the band a tense and highly driven sub-hardcore sound with distorted indie guitars and complicated Baggy drum beats. The band were also noted for their extremely young ages. The band formed while at sixth form college, and recorded their first album while still teenagers. This led to a strong teenage fanbase with a reputation for enjoying stage diving and moshing at their gigs. The band were also noted (and sometimes ridiculed) for their early image which consisted of uniformly crimped hair, short trousers and t shirts. The Neds (as their fans referred to them) were well known for their T shirts and produced over 80 different designs within three years.
The band quickly gathered a strong fanbase after being noticed by local superstars The Wonder Stuff and offered a support slot on a UK tour. A top 50 hit Kill Your Television followed. They recorded their debut album God Fodder shortly afterwards and had top ten hits with "Until You Find Out" and "Happy" in 1991. Several years of hard working touring followed, playing with, amongst others Mega City Four, Senseless Things and Jesus Jones. During this period they recorded their second album Are You Normal in 1992, which was promoted by the singles Not Sleeping Around and Intact.
The band spent the next few years on a worldwide tour before recording their final album Brainbloodvolume. The album had a more adult sound than before (because they were, after all, no longer teenagers), together with a more diverse sound including samplers and keyboards. Their record label released the album in America before the UK, so most fans bought in on import leading to a poor UK chart position when it was eventually released leading to tensions within the band and with the label. The poor chart showing may have also been to do with a changed music scene now fully in the swing of Britpop. The band had one last UK top 40 single with All I Ask of Myself Is That I Hold Together in 1995 following an appearance on The Word. The band split in 1995. Singer Jonn Penney formed a new band, Groundswell who had little success.
The band reformed with a different line up in 2000, for a show in Dudley. The show was a success and the band have done a christmas show every year since then, including a four date tour in 2004 where the band performed several new songs. In 2005 they again played a few late-December gigs, and in June of 2006 their first new single in 11 years, "Hibernation" was released reaching No 23 in the UK Indie Chart. The "NedFest" weekend gigs to coincide with this at Birmingingham Barfly and London Forum were filmed for a DVD "Neds Dont Exist".
In June 2007 the DVD was released and Neds returned to headline the Glastonbury Left Field Stage on the Friday night of the festival following some low key warm up gigs.
On 12 May 2008 the band announced that the original line-up of Jonn, Rat, Mat, Alex, and Dan would be performing live together for the first time since 1995 on 6 December 2008 at the Astoria London.
Suave And Suffocated
Ned's Atomic Dustbin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, it's mine to waste so let it go
My childhood inspection is my record collection
And sometimes I need to feel grown
You've got your head up your ass
To keep yourself covered, you trip up the past
Trip over your mother, how come?
That's bad enough
I need a kick up the ass
To stop feeling smothered
Look up at the past
Look down to discover
How come?
My childhood obsession
Is my record collection
So what makes us so squeaky clean?
If we're food for worms that's not my scene
The opening stanza of Ned's Atomic Dustbin's song "Suave And Suffocated" speaks to the theme of agency and wasted time. The lead singer declares that he only wastes his own time; it's something he controls, and he's willing to bear the consequences of it. He muses how his "childhood inspection" is his record collection, likely a metaphorical representation of his personality and the things that interest him. This collection may also represent his coping mechanisms for dealing with the world, as music can act as a haven and an escape for many people.
In the next stanza, the song taunts someone, accusing them of being blind to their own limitations and the mistakes of their past. The singer asserts that they're "covered" by having their "head up their ass," only to stumble over and trip up said past. They question the person's capabilities and label them as bad enough. Perhaps the singer is speaking to someone who arrogantly believes they're always in control, only to find themselves caught off guard by their errors.
Finally, the song ends with a reflection on life and death. The singer ponders why people strive for so-called "clean" lives when in the end, they'll all become "food for worms" anyway. The final line could imply the singer's desire to reject misguided aspirations and live life on their own terms.
Overall, "Suave And Suffocated" seems to be a reflection on different forms of control; control over one's own time, control over one's own memories and interests, control over how we perceive our past mistakes, and control over how we live our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I waste nobody's time but my own
I am responsible only for my own time, and I am not wasting anyone else's.
Well, it's mine to waste so let it go
Since the time is mine, I am free to spend it how I wish, and others should not interfere.
My childhood inspection is my record collection
The memories of my childhood are manifested in the albums I collected and listened to at that time in my life.
And sometimes I need to feel grown
At times, I require to appear mature beyond my age to feel fulfilled.
You've got your head up your ass
You are unnecessarily self-absorbed and delusional.
To keep yourself covered, you trip up the past
You shield yourself from the past and the things you did wrong, but your blindness causes more issues.
Trip over your mother, how come?
You stumble on the past events involving your mother, but why is that the case?
How come I think you're capable?
Why do I still perceive you as competent, even though you make such a mess?
That's bad enough
Your incompetence is already terrible, no need to make it worse.
I need a kick up the ass
I require something drastic to shake me out of my apathy and feeling of being overwhelmed.
To stop feeling smothered
I hope this drastic measure would relieve me of feeling suffocated.
Look up at the past
I should confront the events that transpired before and learn from them instead of avoiding them.
Look down to discover
I must look within myself to find the solutions to my problems instead of keeping my head in the sand.
How come?
Why am I still in this undesirable state, and what should I do to get out of it?
My childhood obsession
My urge to relive and cherish the things I loved during my childhood.
Is my record collection
The records and tapes that I obtained and replayed repeatedly during my childhood years.
So what makes us so squeaky clean?
What makes us better than others, free from fault and blame?
If we're food for worms that's not my scene
If our ultimate fate is to decompose and serve as food for maggots and worms, I want no part of it.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ALEXANDER THOMAS GRIFFIN, DANIEL CHARLES WORTON, GARETH JOHN PRING, JOHNATHAN PENNEY, MATTHEW RICHARD CHESLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Phillip smith
Awesome band awesome memories Awesome song awesome record
Jeff Cobb
I loved "Are You Normal?" CD. That one and 3EB debut album are some of my 90s favorites.
Steve Parker
Very Cool
Alvaskins
+Steve Parker Nothing is cool.