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.
Open Up
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In aworld which is made up of lies
Takes a lot of courage, takes a lot of prise
Holding onto something when your faling down inside
I have only to open my eyes
I'm running down the road, I'm running down the road
I'm running down the road, out of here
I'm living in this world, I'm kicking in this world
Takes a lot of courage, takes a lot of pride
Holding onto something when you're falling down inside
I have only to open my eyes
Tomorrow as it stands, i should rise
Like the wind, take me up in your eyes
Takes a lot of courage, takes a lot of pride
Holding onto something when you're falling down inside
I have only to open my eyes
The lyrics to "Open Up" by Red Lorry Yellow Lorry seem to be about the struggle to find meaning and truth in a world filled with lies and confusion. The singer acknowledges the difficulty of holding onto something real when everything seems to be falling apart inside. The repetition of the line "takes a lot of courage, takes a lot of pride" emphasizes the effort required to keep going in the face of this overwhelming feeling of disillusionment.
Despite the challenges, the singer seems determined to keep moving forward. The repeated lines "I'm running down the road, I'm running down the road, I'm running down the road, out of here" suggest a desire to escape from whatever troubles are weighing the singer down. And yet, there is also a sense of hopefulness in the song. The line "tomorrow as it stands, I should rise" implies that there is a possibility for a better future.
Overall, "Open Up" is a powerful song that encourages listeners to persevere in the face of adversity. It acknowledges the challenges of living in a complicated world, but also offers the possibility of hope and renewal.
Line by Line Meaning
Is it true, when they say its alright
Questioning whether the commonly accepted notion of everything being alright truly holds any weight
In a world which is made up of lies
Acknowledging that the world is filled with falsehoods that people may blindly believe
Takes a lot of courage, takes a lot of prise
Stating that it takes a significant amount of bravery and recognition to see through the deceitful nature of the world
Holding onto something when your falling down inside
Emphasizing the need to cling on to something when one feels lost or uncertain
I have only to open my eyes
Asserting that one only needs to truly see the reality of the world to make sense of it all
I'm running down the road, I'm running down the road
Running away from the uncertainties and deceit of the world
I'm running down the road, out of here
Escaping the world in order to find something that truly makes sense
I'm living in this world, I'm kicking in this world
Acknowledging that life can be difficult and one has to strive to survive
Till there's something in this world I can see
Stating that one needs to find something that makes sense in the world
Tomorrow as it stands, I should rise
Anticipating a brighter tomorrow, regardless of the current state of things
Like the wind, take me up in your eyes
Asking for guidance in order to rise above the chaos of the world
Takes a lot of courage, takes a lot of pride
Reiterating that it requires bravery and humility to face the realities of the world
Holding onto something when you're falling down inside
Emphasizing the importance of holding onto something that makes sense when one feels lost
I have only to open my eyes
Affirming that the key to understanding the world is to truly see it for what it is
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER PAUL REED, DAVID WOLFENDEN, LEON DAVID PHILLIPS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
D L
Any chance of you uploading this full release? It's been blocked for sale one discogs. The Chris Reed Unit album would be nice too ha. Big fan of the channel man.
faint hopes
1. Chris Reed : youtu.be/dtlD0d9LnjE 2. RLYL : youtu.be/OaKeubPHBCE 3. Emjoy...