Former Flowered Up keyboard player Tim Dorney and Andy Todd founded Republica. Saffron was born in 3 June 1968 in Ibadan, Nigeria. She was an actress at one point, performing for two years in London's Starlight Express. She also appeared in the video for the Chesney Hawkes' hit "The One and Only" and in the video for N-Joi's single "Mindflux". Saffron was also lead vocalist on N-Joi's hit "Anthem" in 1990.
Republica released the first single "Out of this World" in 1994, followed by the single "Bloke" in January 1995.
Their debut album Republica was released in July 1996 and reached #4 in the charts. The single "Ready To Go" peaked at #13 in UK Singles Chart. "Ready To Go" also became the band' signature song. The fourth single "Drop Dead Gorgeous" ranked #7 in UK Singles Chart.
In 1997 Saffron performed vocals for The Prodigy's "Fuel My Fire" from their album The Fat of the Land.
The second album, Speed Ballads, was released in 1998 and reached #37 in UK Albums Chart. Its lead single, "From Rush Hour With Love", peaked at #20 in UK Singles Chart.
Their label, Deconstruction Records, folded shortly after the release of Speed Ballads. Deconstruction's back catalogue was swallowed up by BMG, who released a Best Of album in 2002. The band went on hiatus in 2001.
Following the breakup of Republica, Saffron worked with The Cure, appearing on the track "Just Say Yes". She also collaborated with Junkie XL for his 2003 album Radio JXL: A Broadcast From the Computer Hell Cabin.
In 2008 Republica reunited at Windsor at a Contra Mundum concert and performed three songs.
In 2010 they performed a string of gigs. They also issued a remixed version of "Ready To Go" entitled "Ready To Go 2010". The track has been produced by Andy Gray and Alan Moulder.
Out of the Darkness
Republica Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Get up, alarm clock, lip gloss, what a shock!
Get dressed, front door, more stress what for?
Trapped in your world
You know you're trapped in your world
Lunch hour, fast food, telephone, more abuse
VU, headache, cigarettes, coffee break
Trapped in your world
(Come out of your darkness)
Out of the darkness, over the tower blocks
Into the light
Go into the rush hour, out of the factory
Leave it behind
(Come out of your darkness)
Turn on your TV, back to suburbia, every night
Come out of the darkness, over the offices, into the light
(Come out of your darkness)
Leave work, happy hour, too drunk by far
Bus full, Waterloo, fall asleep on the tube
Trapped in your world
You know you're trapped in your world
Vodka, lemonade, ashtrays, what a shame
Poor cow, sits alone, pubs closed, go home
Trapped in your world
You know you're trapped in your world
Out of the darkness, over the tower blocks
Into the light
Go into the rush hour, out of the factory
Leave it behind
(Come out of your darkness)
Turn on your TV, back to suburbia, every night
Come out of the darkness, over the offices, into the light
(Come out of your darkness)
Out of the darkness, over the tower blocks
Into the light
Go into the rush hour, out of the factory
Leave it behind
(Come out of your darkness)
Turn on your TV, back to suburbia, every night
Come out of the darkness, over the offices, into the light
(Come out of your darkness)
The lyrics of Republica's "Out of the Darkness" describe the mundanity and monotony of a typical workday, and the resulting feeling of being trapped in a cycle of nothingness. The song encourages the listener to break out of this pattern and into the light, emphasizing that there is life outside of the routine. The lines, "out of the darkness, over the tower blocks, into the light," serve as a metaphor for breaking free of the oppressive, mundane lifestyle and finding new experiences.
Throughout the song, there are references to the routine, such as getting up to an alarm clock, going to work, and returning home to watch TV. There is also a theme of escapism through alcohol, cigarettes, and fast food - all quick fixes to distract from the tedium of everyday life. However, these moments of escape are filled with regret, emphasizing the need to break free from the cycle altogether.
The overall message of the song is one of hope and encouragement - urging the listener to leave behind the dullness and to follow their desires, break out of the darkness, and chase the light.
Line by Line Meaning
Get up, alarm clock, lip gloss, what a shock!
Starting the day with mundane tasks but the realization hits that this routine has become monotonous and overwhelming.
Get dressed, front door, more stress what for?
The daily routine continues and leaving the house feels like just another addition to the stress.
Trapped in your world
Feeling restricted and confined in a repetitive and unfulfilling life.
You know you're trapped in your world
Awareness of the situation and inability to escape from it.
Lunch hour, fast food, telephone, more abuse
The break in the workday is invaded by unhealthy habits and negative communication.
VU, headache, cigarettes, coffee break
The attempts to cope with the stress only result in exhaustion and further issues.
Out of the darkness, over the tower blocks
Into the light
Go into the rush hour, out of the factory
Leave it behind
Escaping from the normal daily routine and finding a way out of the darkness of monotony to find a new perspective and embrace new experiences.
Turn on your TV, back to suburbia, every night
The desire to escape the mundane routine is often replaced by seeking comfort in the mundane and predictable aspects of life.
Leave work, happy hour, too drunk by far
Bus full, Waterloo, fall asleep on the tube
The sense of freedom is short-lived and replaced by dangerous and ultimately unfulfilling replacements.
Vodka, lemonade, ashtrays, what a shame
Poor cow, sits alone, pubs closed, go home
The attempts of temporary happiness are futile and ultimately result in loneliness and despair.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: TIMOTHY MICHAEL DORNEY, SAFFRON AKA SAMANTHA SPRACKLING, ANDREW TODD, JONATHAN MALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Irena Lovecraft
Time flies mercilessly, I remember when my brother & I 1st bought this album. We listened & listened to it and still all this years later after a lot a time that has passed without us listening to it, right now we're enjoying it like the very first time. It's so powerful and energetic, both of us have this big smiles on our faces, jumping like mad just like 20 something years ago. Just goes to show that once great music never loses it's divinity no matter how much time may pass. 📻📢📼💿🎧❗❕❗
Intelligent Cat
This band rocks! The singer has so much energy. Love it.
Jonathan Dolce
Fantastic track -- it's really still inspiring electronica artists even today. Just heard "Never Stop" by Condition One (out of Germany), and the backing track sounds just like the backing for Out of the Darkness! ; ))
Tony Brandt
There was a time long ago when an album had to have nothing but good songs and be listenable from beginning to end.
Jason Reah
I'm trapped in this song man.awesome tune.
Ryan Killeleagh
Love republica and absolutely love Saffron .
John Knight
This is the most '90s thing I ever heard, yeah!
guss quezada
Impossible not to compare Republica to Garbage love them both
Fran Ohmsford
Completely different bands with the only similarity being both are fronted by female vocalists!
Shirley is a much much better singer than Saffron and Garbage have reinvented themselves over and over again with each album.
Garbage's first album was Post Grunge....Republica's debut was Pure Techno Punk.
I love Republica's debut album btw but it's not the Masterpiece that Garbage's debut was!
If I was to compare Republica with any band of the same era it would not be Garbage....It would be Sleeper - Have a listen to Smart :)
Johann Johann
Music for music, no meaning other than good times.