Red Lorry Yellow Lorry (commonly referred to simply as "The Lorries") is a … Read Full Bio ↴Red Lorry Yellow Lorry (commonly referred to simply as "The Lorries") is a post-punk band formed by guitarist/songwriter Chris Reed and vocalist Mark Sweeney, along with bassist Steve Smith and drummer Mick Brown (who would later join The Mission). Sweeney left the band in late 1981 and Reed permanently took over as vocalist, with Martin Fagan joining as a second guitarist. The group's sound, featuring a numbing guitar drone, powerfully throbbing drums, and Reed's cavernous vocal tones, caused the Lorries (as their fans came to call them) to be quickly lumped into the then-developing gothic rock scene by pop journalists, although the band themselves preferred to cite Killing Joke and Wire as influences.
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.

It Was Wrong
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I was wrong to bring you down, in a life you see me
In your smile I'm lost and found with the things I see today
Always on my mind in a line you sent to me
It seems wrong to turn this round with the love that I could see

Ah the memories you gave me
Make me want to cry
Ah the memories you gave me

I don't want as lies

We were wrong to bring this down in a life you see me
It seems wrong to turn this round with the thing that I can see
Always on my mind in a line you sent to me
It seems wrong to turn this round with the love that I could see

Ah the memories you gave me
Make me want to cry
Ah the memories you gave me
I don't want as lies

Always on my mind in a line you sent to me
It seems wrong to turn this round with the love that I could see

It was wrong
It was wrong

Overall Meaning

At its core, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry's song "It Was Wrong" is a song about remorse for past mistakes in a relationship. The singer acknowledges that they were wrong to bring their partner down and they are lost and found in their partner's smile. The memories that their partner gave them still make them emotional but they don't want those memories to be lies. The singer reflects on the relationship and realizes they both were wrong to let it end the way it did, but they long for the love they once had.

The lyrics of "It Was Wrong" are quite straightforward and don't have many poetic elements. The simplicity of the language adds to its emotional power, allowing the listener to connect with the song more easily. The use of repetition in the chorus with "Ah the memories you gave me, make me want to cry" drives the emotional impact of the song home.

Line by Line Meaning

I was wrong to bring you down, in a life you see me
I made a mistake by causing you to feel down while trying to show you my life.

In your smile I'm lost and found with the things I see today
By seeing the things that bring you happiness, I am able to find myself and my purpose.

Always on my mind in a line you sent to me
The words you sent to me are always on my mind, replaying in my thoughts.

It seems wrong to turn this round with the love that I could see
It feels like a mistake to change the direction of our relationship when there is so much love present.

Ah the memories you gave me Make me want to cry Ah the memories you gave me I don't want as lies
The memories you shared with me evoke strong emotions, but I don't want them to be false.

We were wrong to bring this down in a life you see me
Both of us were mistaken in causing our downfall while attempting to share our lives with each other.

Always on my mind in a line you sent to me
The message you sent continues to weigh on my mind and influence my thoughts.

It seems wrong to turn this round with the love that I could see
It feels like an error to change the course of our relationship when there is so much affection apparent.

It was wrong It was wrong
Our actions and decisions were incorrect and ultimately led to negative consequences.

Contributed by William S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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