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.
Traffic
Ned's Atomic Dustbin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's where I shat it, lost in all the traffic
Rule by my thumb, hear it deaf, say it dumb
It leads me, leads me
I wanted to try, must have got too tired
I wanted to, want to be kind, just had no time
Now I've taken more than a reasonable quota
Blame everyone, we are sick to succumb
And it grieves me, grieves me
Don't make me drive, shrink wrap the planet
That's where I shat it, lost in all the traffic
Rule by my thumb, hear it deaf, say it dumb
It leads me, leads me
I wanted to want to be kind, I wanted to try
In Ned's Atomic Dustbin's song "Traffic", the lyrics speak to the frustrations of modern life, particularly the struggle to navigate through the chaos of traffic. The line "Don't make me drive, shrink the world and wrap it" expresses a desire to escape the pressures of being behind the wheel, and encapsulates a feeling of being overwhelmed and trapped. The phrase "That's where I shat it" may be interpreted as a metaphor for losing control, either literally, as in losing control of one's bladder due to the stress of traffic, or metaphorically, as in losing control of one's emotions.
The lines "Rule by my thumb, hear it deaf, say it dumb" suggest a sense of powerlessness and futility in the face of the rigid systems that govern modern life. The phrase "It leads me, leads me" implies that one is being forced along a predetermined path, without any agency or ability to dictate one's own decisions. The chorus is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the feeling of being trapped and powerless, and underscoring the urgency of the singer's desire for change.
In the second verse, the lyrics shift from a general frustration with modern life to a more personal lament. The lines "I wanted to try, must have got too tired / I wanted to, want to be kind, just had no time" express a sense of regret and longing for a better way of living. The singer feels that they have taken more than their fair share, and yet still harbor a sense of guilt, as implied in "Not that I owe you, not that I owe you". The final lines "Blame everyone, we are sick to succumb / And it grieves me, grieves me" suggest a resignation to the fact that individual agency is limited, and that one can only watch as the world spirals out of control.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't make me drive, shrink the world and wrap it
I don't want to drive anymore, please make the world smaller and more contained.
That's where I shat it, lost in all the traffic
Whenever I'm in traffic, I feel helpless and lost, like I've lost control of my life.
Rule by my thumb, hear it deaf, say it dumb
I govern my life instinctively and stubbornly, even if it means ignoring good advice and making foolish decisions.
It leads me, leads me
My behavior is driven by my impulses and habits, and they shape my life and my future.
I wanted to try, must have got too tired
I had good intentions, but ultimately lacked the energy and motivation to follow through.
I wanted to, want to be kind, just had no time
I genuinely want to be a good person and do good deeds, but my busy schedule and preoccupation with my own problems often get in the way.
Now I've taken more than a reasonable quota
I've taken more than my fair share of resources or attention, and it's starting to weigh on me.
Not that I owe you, not that I owe you
I don't feel obligated to anyone, but I still feel guilty or burdened by my actions.
Blame everyone, we are sick to succumb
We tend to blame others for our problems or failures, when in reality we are all influenced by external forces beyond our control.
And it grieves me, grieves me
I'm saddened by the fact that we are so easily influenced and controlled by societal pressures and norms.
Don't make me drive, shrink wrap the planet
I'm tired of the endless, frustrating cycle of driving in traffic, and I wish we could create a more efficient and sustainable way of living and commuting.
That's where I shat it, lost in all the traffic
The chaos and frustration of traffic makes me feel helpless and out of control, as if I'm just another cog in a broken system.
Rule by my thumb, hear it deaf, say it dumb
I rely too much on my own impulses and instincts, and don't listen enough to others' advice or input.
It leads me, leads me
My inherent biases and habits often dictate my behavior and choices, even if they're not always the best ones.
I wanted to want to be kind, I wanted to try
I aspire to be a better person, but it's challenging to actually put that desire into action.
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
@sycamoreleaves74
Big shout out to everyone listening in 2018!
@nathanpierce6841
very good song
@MrPhope
It sure does baggies!
@rosannanavarro88
ned's atomic rocks! Long live 2 bass!!!
@baggies5468
Stourbridge Rocks!!!
@akhttkn
Mervyn "Muff" Winwood & Dire Straits sound by ned's atomic dustbin