Over the years Pretty Maids have sold hundreds of thousands of records, but have never broken through in a major way. They have supported such well known acts as Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Alice Cooper, Saxon, Nazareth and were also featured at the 1987 German version of Monsters of Rock where Metallica headlined along with Deep Purple.
The new 2006 album "Wake Up to the Real World" shows the band back in former glory. Great hard rock/melodic rock with a metal touch to it. The album includes a cover of Deep Purple's classic gem "Perfect Strangers". Pretty Maids is currently signed to Frontiers Records.
Too Late Too Loud
Pretty Maids Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just a blue-eyed restless kid
Hangin' round the radio
In fact that was all I did
Mama said you better son
Take good care of school
Wasn't one they counted on
I was crazy like a dog on the loose
At the age of fifteen
Just another sixties' breed
No one really understood
What music meant to me
Boy you get your education
Daddy said to me
Thought I'd end up as the black sheep
Of the family
Wild as the river
I freaked down the floor
Feeding the fever
As he kicked in the door and said
Too late too late too loud
I can't take it
Too late too late too loud
Just turn it down
And then I rocked him to the ground
Yes I did
Nineteen years and travelling
Got a suitcase in my hand
No money in the bank
You see but I don't complain
Me and the boys are playing hard
Running out the line
We're out there killing time
We're just shaking out some brains
Racing the crowd
Got that rock'n roll feeling
Everyone shouts
But nobody's screaming
Too late too late too loud
I can't take it
Too late too late too loud
Now just turn it down
I can't take it
I can't take it
Too late too late too loud...
The opening lines of "Too Late Too Loud" by Pretty Maids are about the singer's youthful struggle to reconcile his love for rock and roll music with the expectations and concerns of his parents. The singer depicts himself as a restless boy with no particular academic skills, who spent most of his time absorbed in the world of music, listening to the radio and losing himself in its sounds. However, his parents and family saw this as a distraction from what they saw as more important things, like education and responsibility. Even though his father warned him to focus on his studies, he feared that his passion for music would mark him as a black sheep, separate from his family.
Moving forward in time to his late teens, the singer is now forging his way into the world and pursuing his dream of being a musician. He has left home and is traveling along with his bandmates, playing gigs and staying on the move. The rock and roll lifestyle is as tempting as ever, and they spend their days doing what they love, without much thought given to saving money or planning for the future. The song's chorus, "Too late too late too loud, I can't take it, just turn it down" hints at the friction between the singer's love for loud, exhilarating rock music and his awareness of the consequences of such a lifestyle. The conflict between the excitement of the music and the more practical aspects of life is rendered vividly by the song, as it ebbs and flows between moments of intensity and introspection.
Line by Line Meaning
Back when I was younger
Recalling a time when the singer was younger
Just a blue-eyed restless kid
Describing the singer's appearance and demeanor as a child
Hangin' round the radio
Spending time listening to the radio
In fact that was all I did
Emphasizing the artist's dedication to listening to music
Mama said you better son
Quoting the artist's mother's advice
Take good care of school
Encouraging the singer to prioritize their education
Wasn't one they counted on
Acknowledging that the singer didn't excel academically
I was crazy like a dog on the loose
Comparing the artist's behavior to that of a wild animal
At the age of fifteen
Specifying the age when the artist received advice from their father
Just another sixties' breed
Referencing the artist's generation
No one really understood
Not feeling understood by others
What music meant to me
Explaining the importance of music in the artist's life
Boy you get your education
Quoting the singer's father's advice
Daddy said to me
Attributing advice to the singer's father
Thought I'd end up as the black sheep
Anticipating disappointment from the singer's family
Of the family
Placing the artist in the context of their familial relationships
Wild as the river
Comparing the artist to a raging river
I freaked down the floor
Behaving wildly or uncontrollably
Feeding the fever
Indulging in a passion or obsession
As he kicked in the door and said
Introducing a confrontation with an unknown person
Too late too late too loud
The unknown person's complaint about the music being played
I can't take it
Expressing the unknown person's frustration with the music
Just turn it down
Requesting that the volume be lowered
And then I rocked him to the ground
Describing the artist's physical response to the unknown person's complaint
Yes I did
Affirming the singer's action
Nineteen years and travelling
Describing the singer's current age and situation
Got a suitcase in my hand
Indicating that the singer is on the move
No money in the bank
Admitting that the artist is financially unstable
You see but I don't complain
Asserting the artist's positive attitude despite their circumstances
Me and the boys are playing hard
Referencing musical collaboration with others
Running out the line
Creating or playing music with energy and intensity
We're out there killing time
Acknowledging that playing music is a way to pass the time
We're just shaking out some brains
Describing the music as a way to release energy or emotion
Racing the crowd
Performing music in front of a live audience
Got that rock'n roll feeling
Experiencing a powerful sense of excitement or joy from the music
Everyone shouts
Describing the audience's reaction to the music
But nobody's screaming
Noting that the audience is not reacting as intensely as the singer
I can't take it
Repeating the unknown person's complaint from earlier
Too late too late too loud
Reiterating the unknown person's demand
Now just turn it down
Reiterating the unknown person's request
I can't take it
Repeating the unknown person's frustration
I can't take it
Repeating the unknown person's frustration once more
Too late too late too loud...
Ending the song with the same refrain as before
Contributed by Alex Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.