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.

Jipp
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I need you like a hole in the head.
When you're near my blood runs wild and I see red
On going situations start to grip
And all my life, you won't stop giving me your jipp

Jipp oh jipp
Yeah jipp oh jipp
Up my street I see your regulations stick

I see the people as they tick

They just try to live from day to day
And all their lives you won't stop giving them your jipp

Jipp oh jipp
Jipp yeah jipp...

Overall Meaning

The song "Jipp" by Red Lorry Yellow Lorry is an intense and emotional song that appears to be about a toxic relationship that the singer cannot escape from. The lyrics, "I need you like a hole in the head" suggest that the other person is causing more harm than good, and the singer feels trapped and unable to leave. When the other person is nearby, the singer's emotions run wild and they see red, indicating that they are feeling angry and frustrated.

The phrase "On going situations start to grip" suggests that there are ongoing problems and issues within the relationship that the singer is finding it difficult to deal with. Despite this, the other person won't stop giving them their "jipp", a term that appears to refer to a negative or toxic influence that is causing the singer harm. The repetition of the phrase "Jipp oh jipp" and "Jipp yeah jipp" throughout the song reinforces the idea that this negative influence is constant and ever-present.

The final verse of the song shifts slightly in focus, looking at the wider world beyond the relationship. The singer observes that people are just trying to live their lives day by day, but that the same negative influence is affecting them too. The phrase "I see your regulations stick" suggests that this is something systemic or institutional that is having a wider impact, rather than just a personal issue. The song ends on the refrain of "Jipp oh jipp", suggesting that this ubiquitous negativity is something that the singer can't escape.

Line by Line Meaning

I need you like a hole in the head.
I don't need you at all

When you're near my blood runs wild and I see red
Your presence makes me very angry

On going situations start to grip
Stressful situations begin to take hold

And all my life, you won't stop giving me your jipp
You constantly give me a hard time and make my life difficult

Jipp oh jipp
Repeating the word jipp

Yeah jipp oh jipp
Continuing to repeat the word jipp

Up my street I see your regulations stick
I see your rules and restrictions in my daily life

I see the people as they tick
I observe people going about their daily lives

They just try to live from day to day
People are just trying to get by

And all their lives you won't stop giving them your jipp
You constantly make their lives difficult

Jipp oh jipp
Repeating the word jipp