Born in Buffalo, Cowley moved to San Francisco in 1971, beginning an intensive study of the synthesizer. Working at the City Disco, as a light technician, he met Sylvester (originally of the Cockettes gay Theatre group) who was there performing. They began to collaborate, and Cowley's aggressive synthesizer style became associated with Sylvester. Their club-dancing fan base responded enthusiastically to hits like "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)", "Dance (Disco Heat)", and their most successful single, "Do You Wanna Funk".
Cowley's own hits included "Menergy" in 1981, a frank celebration of the gay club sex scene, and "Megatron Man". In 1982, Patrick Cowley became the DJ at the "Menergy" parties at The EndUp in San Francisco. He also wrote and produced the dance single "Right on Target" for San Francisco artist Paul Parker, which reached #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. Cowley also did a 15+ minute long remix of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love", which is now a collector's item. His final album, Mind Warp, was composed as he felt the increasing effects of HIV infection, and its songs reflect his increasing detachment from conventional reality as the disease progressed. Cowley's released work to-date includes six LP full length albums (ranging from Hi-NRG to trance inducing long-form ambient/krautrock synth exploration pieces) and a dozen singles and EPs. Groups including the Pet Shop Boys and New Order cite Cowley's style as a major influence.
Patrick died from complications of AIDS on November 12, 1982, an early victim of the disease.
Lift Off
Patrick Cowley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Take a trip to another dimension
Leave your troubles far behind
Make your move to a mind extension
Far beyond of space and time (space and time)
Lift-off, lift-off
Take a trip to another dimension
Leave your troubles far behind
Make your move to a mind extension
Far beyond of space and time (space and time)
Lift-off, lift-off
Lift-off, lift-off
It's a place of your own invention
Take a break on the daily bright
Leave the world to spend the night on action
Don't trust the voice, see the center of your mind
Lift-off, lift-off
Lift-off, lift-off
Lift-off, lift-off
Lift-off, lift-off
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one
Take a trip to another dimension
Leave your troubles far behind
Make your move to a mind extension
Far beyond of space and time (space and time)
Lift-off, lift-off
Lift-off, lift-off
Lift, lift, lift-off
Lift, lift, lift-off
Lift, lift, lift-off
Lift, lift, lift-off
Lift, lift, lift-off
The lyrics to Patrick Cowley's song "Lift Off" suggest embarking on an adventurous journey to an alternate reality where one can escape their current problems and explore the unknown. The countdown at the beginning of the song foreshadows this journey, signaling the launch towards a new destination. The idea of a mind extension implies that this is not a physical journey but rather a mental one, where one can expand their consciousness beyond the limits of space and time.
By taking a break from the daily routine and trusting the center of one's mind, a place of their own invention awaits. This suggests that the outer world can be distracting and unfulfilling, and a place of inner peace and discovery can be achieved through exploring one's consciousness. The repetition of "lift-off" throughout the song emphasizes the feeling of soaring into the unknown and discovering a new territory.
Overall, the song seems to be oozing with optimism and hope, offering a dreamy escape from mundane reality.
Line by Line Meaning
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one
Countdown to takeoff, preparing to depart from reality.
Take a trip to another dimension
Escape from the ordinary and explore a new reality.
Leave your troubles far behind
Forget your problems and worries, and immerse yourself in the adventure.
Make your move to a mind extension
Expand your consciousness and experience something new.
Far beyond of space and time (space and time)
Travel beyond the physical realm of existence and explore the limitless possibilities of the unknown.
Lift-off, lift-off
Prepare for takeoff and leave the physical world behind.
It's a place of your own invention
Create your own reality and explore the depths of your imagination.
Take a break on the daily bright
Escape from the monotony of everyday life and experience something new and exciting.
Leave the world to spend the night on action
Forget about the real world and immerse yourself in the action of this new reality.
Don't trust the voice, see the center of your mind
Disconnect from the outside world and trust your own thoughts and intuition to guide you on this journey.
Lift, lift, lift-off
It's time to launch and explore this new reality with excitement and curiosity.
Lift, lift, lift-off
Reaffirming the readiness to venture and soar towards the unknown.
Lift, lift, lift-off
With each repetition of this phrase, the excitement and anticipation for departure increases.
Lift, lift, lift-off
Emphasizing the emotion of departure, leaving everything behind and diving into the unknown.
Lift, lift, lift-off
Repeating the phrase to mentally prepare for launch and embrace the thrill of the journey.
Contributed by Kaitlyn E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sonia Dolores Sandoval Ramirez
Esto es música jóvenes de hoy! La puerta a la entrada de la música electrónica...40 años atrás....Patrick todo un genio¡ mis respetos ! Desde manzanillo
Israel Montaño
El si sabia (Patrick Cowley) como hacer música par tus oídos..!!
alfred.g
This song almost teleports me back to the 80s. Was incredibly fortunate to see Patrick live on stage.
Ruben Salerno
Patrick cowley eterno genio
Cheshorcat Beats
Love it!
Sasa Jankovic
Literally countdown for another dimension of music perfectionism !
Sasa Jankovic
Lift off is the masterpiece
Chris Page
Remember buying this not long after his death, such a shame he was taken before his time - like so many others.
ernesto lopez
I remember, the music was great... I livin again de 80'
Sasa Jankovic
We are all living in those times again !