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.
Lasttrain
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I looked around at no one else
There's nothing left for you and me
And it's not hard for me to see
We're on the last train, we're on the last train
Last train, we're on the last train
There's someone screaming to get out
There's no escape just one long ride
So close the doors and stay inside
We're on the last train, we're on the last train
Last train, we're on the last train
Last train, we're on the last train...
The lyrics to Red Lorry Yellow Lorry's "Lasttrain" paint a bleak and haunting picture of a world devoid of hope and possibility. The opening lines, "Desert the streets they hold no wealth, I looked around at no one else," suggest a setting in a desolate and abandoned city, where there is nothing left for anyone to take or gain. The singer acknowledges this reality and sees that their only option is to board the last train out of the city, which appears to be their last chance to escape.
As the train moves, it becomes clear that there are others on board with the same idea, but there is a feeling of desperation and helplessness that lingers throughout the song. The line, "There's someone screaming to get out, But no-one really hears them shout," adds a sense of frustration and futility to the situation. As the last train leaves the city, there is no turning back, and the journey is depicted as one long ride with no hope of escape.
The repetition of the chorus, "We're on the last train," reinforces the idea that all of the passengers are together in this situation, and there is a collective sense of resignation to their fate. The final line, "Last train, we're on the last train," echoes the opening lines and bookends the song, emphasizing the finality of the situation.
Overall, "Lasttrain" is a powerful and evocative song that captures the feeling of being trapped and helpless in a world that has no room for hope or redemption.
Line by Line Meaning
Desert the streets they hold no wealth
Leaving the streets is the best option since they hold nothing valuable
I looked around at no one else
There is no need to involve others in our decision to leave
There's nothing left for you and me
We have nothing worthwhile to stay for
And it's not hard for me to see
It's clear to me that we need to move on
We're on the last train, we're on the last train
We're currently on our final journey
Last train, we're on the last train
This is the last train, there are no more chances
There's someone screaming to get out
Someone is trying to escape this situation
But no-one really hears them shout
Their cries for help are being ignored
There's no escape just one long ride
There is no way out, we're stuck on this journey
So close the doors and stay inside
We need to close ourselves off from this situation and just endure it
Last train, we're on the last train
This is the final opportunity, there are no more chances
Last train, we're on the last train
This is the last train, there are no more opportunities to escape
Last train, we're on the last train...
This is the final journey, we need to accept it
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHRISTOPHER PAUL REED, DAVID WOLFENDEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind