The use of a drum machine seems to have been a determining feature of bands coming out of Leeds, England (the Sisters of Mercy and The Three Johns are other examples).
In 1982, independent record label Red Rhino signed the band based on the strength of some of the group's demos. Their first single "Beating My Head" made a strong appearance on the influential New Musical Express (NME) independent record chart. Fagan and Smith soon departed the band, to be replaced by Dave Wolfenden and Paul Southern respectively. In 1983 and 1984, several more singles would be released by the band (including "He's Read" and "Monkeys On Juice"). In 1985, the band's debut album, Talk About The Weather, was released and reached #1 on the NME indie rock chart. The album received generally positive reviews and sold extremely well for a small label offering. The single "Hollow Eyes" obtained good sales as well, as did follow-up non-LP singles "Chance" and "Spinning Round", the latter of which is generally felt to be the Lorries's strongest song.
The band released one more album on Red Rhino (Paint Your Wagon) in 1986, a single ("Cut Down") and a four track EP ("Crawling Mantra", released as by The Lorries), before signing to Situation Two, an off-shoot of major label Beggars Banquet Records. Two albums followed, 1988's Nothing Wrong and 1989's Blow. These albums proved to be a slight change in direction for the band. The songs here were a little slower, with stronger, more conventional melodies sweetened by occasional female backing vocals. Reed's lyrics were less downbeat, almost optimistic. Overall, Blow is a warmer album than the band's previous, somewhat dour offerings; the Lorries pretty much left their specious gothic rock trappings behind for good. Neither one of the Beggars Banquet albums appeared on any mainstream pop charts. Singles, including "Only Dreaming (Wide Awake)" and "Open Up" (which upon its release was chosen by NME as the magazine’s Single of the Week), also failed to chart, and the band was subsequently dropped by the label. In 1991, the band released Blasting Off on the tiny Sparkhead label. Despite the relative strength of the song "Talking Back" (released as a single prior to the LP), the album was considered a major disappointment by fans and sold poorly. Reed broke up what was left of the band at that point.
In 2004, Reed revived the band and released four new songs on their website and then toured Europe and a DVD, "Thunder in the Black Cave" soon followed. The band recently announced they will tour again in 2009.
Hands Off Me
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Know yourself and the rest will come
You're the only one this world has seen
Love yourself
The rest is free
Hands off me!
Hands off me!
You're the only one that's true inside
You're the one who's never lied
You're the only one who knows the truth
Little lines keep showing through
There's a lot of bare, there's a lot of bare
See the world like there's no one there
There's a lot to learn, There's a lot to learn
See my face and my body burn
Hands off me!
Hands off me!
Hands off me!
Hands off me!
Hands off me!
Hands off me!
The lyrics to Red Lorry Yellow Lorry's song Hands Off Me speak of individualism, self-love, and staying true to oneself. The opening lines "You're the only one my blue-eyed son, know yourself and the rest will come" suggest that the person being addressed is unique, they possess something that no one else possesses, and by knowing themselves, everything in life will fall into place. The lyrics are urging the person to love themselves, to see the world like no one else is seeing it, and to remain truthful to themselves. In a world where people may try to force their opinions on you, it is important to stand firm, hence the constant repetition of the phrase "Hands off me!".
The lines "Little lines keep showing through, there's a lot of bare, there's a lot to learn, see my face and my body burn" could suggest the struggle and self-discovery that comes with loving oneself. The "little lines" denote faults that may have once been hidden, but that are now being exposed to the world, and there's a lot to learn from them. Seeing the face and the body burn could represent the painful process of learning to love oneself. Overall, the song's message is simple but powerful: love yourself, stay true to yourself, and let others hands off you.
Line by Line Meaning
You're the only one my blue-eyed son
You are the only one who truly matters to me, my child.
Know yourself and the rest will come
Discover who you truly are and everything else will fall into place.
You're the only one this world has seen
Out of all the people in this world, you are unique and special.
Love yourself
Have respect and admiration for who you are as a person.
The rest is free
Everything else in life will come easily once you love yourself.
Hands off me!
Leave me alone! I need to figure out who I am on my own.
You're the only one that's true inside
You are the only one who knows your true self and what you believe in.
You're the one who's never lied
You are honest with yourself and others.
You're the only one who knows the truth
You have the knowledge and wisdom to discern the truth from lies.
Little lines keep showing through
Your true self keeps shining through the cracks of what you present to others.
There's a lot of bare, there's a lot of bare
There is a lot of emptiness and vulnerability beneath the surface.
See the world like there's no one there
Observe the world as it is without worrying about what others think or say.
There's a lot to learn, There's a lot to learn
There is always more to discover and understand about yourself and the world around you.
See my face and my body burn
I am willing to face the pain and challenges of self-discovery in order to grow.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER PAUL REED, DAVID WOLFENDEN, LEON DAVID PHILLIPS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind