The band is fronted by co-founder, DJ and producer Jamie Appleby (aka James Ash), and lead singer Natalie Bassingthwaighte. Drummer Cameron McGlinchey and guitarist Tim Henwood (of The Androids & Palace of the King) complete the live line-up of the band.
Co-founder Steve Davis and Ash's wife, Melinda Appleby, often contribute to the songwriting process but choose to stay out of the spotlight. Appleby also provided lead vocals on some pre-Bassingthwaighte materiel, including the 2002 single Give Into Me.
Ash and Davis first met in London in 1989. Before forming Rogue Traders in 2002, the duo worked together on various projects, most notably dance act Union State.
In 2003, they released their debut album as Rogue Traders, titled We Know What You're Up To. Singles Give In To Me and Stay? (the latter featuring Ash on vocals) were both minor top 100 chart tracks in Australia. However their re-working of INXS' Need You Tonight, One Of My Kind, managed to achieve considerable success, peaking at #10 in the ARIA charts and scoring them an ARIA award.
After the success of One Of My Kind, Ash and Davis decided to form a fully-fledged band and returned in 2005 with their sophomore album Here Come The Drums featuring vocalist Natalie Bassingthwaighte. Bassingthwaighte had previously risen to fame in Australia as an actress on the television show Neighbours, and her roles in critically acclaimed stage musicals such as Grease, Rent and Chicago. Davis began working solely as a songwriter for the band and hid away from the spotlight.
The band went on to have major success in Australia, becoming of the biggest pop groups in the country with a string of consecutive hit singles and tours. In 2007 they released their third album, Better In The Dark. After embarking on a sold-out tour in 2008 in support of the album, Bassingthwaighte and McGlinchey, who had met in the band and been dating for quite some time, announced they would be parting ways with the group. Bassingthwaighte went on to pursue a successful solo career and married McGlinchey in 2011.
In 2009, indie pop singer/songwriter Melinda Jackson (nicknamed Mindi, so not to be confused with Ash's wife Melinda Appleby) joined the group as their new frontwoman along with Peter Marin replacing McGlinchey on drums. They released one album, Night Of The Living Drums, but failed to meet the success of previous efforts despite receiving positive reviews and the band were subsequently dropped from the label and went on an indefinite hiatus.
In 2015, it was announced that Bassingthwaighte and McGlinchey would be returning to the band for the 10th anniversary of Here Come The Drums. The band have since been performing live at various events around Australia.
In March 2017, Bassingthwaighte revealed they were writing new music, and in early April the band hit the studio for their first recording sessions. They have since performed 3 new songs live: "To The Disco", "Love Drunk" and "We Can Move Closer".
Their first new single in 12 years, "To The Disco", was released in Feburary 2023 which interpolates "On Your Way To The Disco" from their album "Better In The Dark" with the Skatt Bros 1979 cult classic "Walk The Night". "On Your Way To The Disco" was meant to be the 4th and final single from "Better In The Dark" back in 2008, but was scrapped when Bassingthwaighte left the band.
The band have confirmed "We Can Move Closer" will be released in 2024.
Way To Go!
Rogue Traders Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hang tight, kick back, prepare yourself for the attack-
Buy low, sell high, take your pills, tell your lies
Fake your tan, wear a tie
Go to the gym you'll never die
And that's the way to go
And that's the way to go, to go
Fake it baby, they won't even know!
You can make it
'Cause everybody knows that that's the way to go
Tune in, drop out, raise your voice, never shout
Find your true love on the couch, this is what it's all about
Change your face, keep your name, keep it real don't play the game
Don't you know they're all the same, don't you know they're all the same?
Dig deep, fly low, celebrate a TV show
Raise the stakes, drop the pressure, happiness you'll never measure
Bite your tongue, pay the man, time to start your five year plan
Holiday in Vietnam, then blow a kiss to Uncle Sam
The lyrics to Rogue Traders' song "Way To Go!" speaks to the fast-paced and materialistic nature of contemporary society. The opening lyric, "drive fast, don't crash, make your money, make it last," sets the tone for the entire song, emphasizing the importance of quick success and longevity. The following lyrics, "hang tight, kick back, prepare yourself for the attack," suggest that one needs to remain vigilant and calculated to avoid failure in their pursuits.
The chorus of the song reinforces this idea, emphasizing that faking it is the key to success, as "they won't even know." The lyrics continue to poke fun at society's obsession with self-care ("go to the gym, you'll never die"), while also highlighting the idea that everyone is in it for themselves ("take your pills, tell your lies").
In the second verse, the lyrics again emphasize the importance of "keeping it real," while also suggesting that people should find their happiness on the couch through escapism ("find your true love on the couch"). The lyrics continue to poke fun at the culture of celebrity worship ("celebrate a TV show"), and the pressure to conform to societal norms ("don't you know they're all the same?").
Overall, the song seems to suggest that the path to success in society is to play the game, fake it until you make it, and always stay one step ahead.
Line by Line Meaning
Drive fast, don't crash, make your money, make it last
Put the pedal to the metal and make that cash fast, but make sure you don't get into any accidents. And when you do make money, make sure it lasts you a long time.
Hang tight, kick back, prepare yourself for the attack
Relax and take it easy, but always be ready for anything that might come your way.
Buy low, sell high, take your pills, tell your lies
Invest in things when they're cheap and sell when their value is high. Also, take any necessary medication to keep yourself going and don't be afraid to tell a few lies.
Fake your tan, wear a tie
Appearances are everything, so fake your tan and wear a tie to give the impression of success.
Go to the gym you'll never die
Exercise is important to maintain your health and ensure a long life.
And that's the way to go
All of these tips and tricks are the way to live and succeed.
Fake it baby, they won't even know!
Fake everything you need to and no one will ever find out. It's all about the image you present.
You can make it
You have what it takes to succeed.
'Cause everybody knows that that's the way to go
This lifestyle and way of thinking is so widely accepted that it's a no-brainer to join in and follow along.
Tune in, drop out, raise your voice, never shout
Stay up-to-date on the latest trends, but don't get too caught up in them. Speak up for what you believe in, but don't become obnoxious about it.
Find your true love on the couch, this is what it's all about
Love is easy to find when you're comfortable and not exerting yourself too much.
Change your face, keep your name, keep it real don't play the game
Change your appearance to appear more attractive, but don't change your identity. Stay true to yourself and don't compromise your values for success.
Don't you know they're all the same, don't you know they're all the same?
Everyone is the same, so don't try to be unique or different. Just blend in with the crowd.
Dig deep, fly low, celebrate a TV show
Work hard and keep a low profile, but make sure to celebrate when the opportunity arises. Even if it's just over a TV show.
Raise the stakes, drop the pressure, happiness you'll never measure
Take risks, but don't stress out about it. Happiness is unquantifiable, so don't worry about measuring it.
Bite your tongue, pay the man, time to start your five year plan
Don't speak out of turn, pay your dues, and have a plan for the next five years of your life.
Holiday in Vietnam, then blow a kiss to Uncle Sam
Take a vacation to Vietnam, then come back and show your patriotism for America.
Lyrics Š Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ISAAC DAVID MORAN, JAMIE GRAHAM APPLEBY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DJ Professor Dan
Rogue Traders previous single â âVoodoo Childâ â had featured Natalie Bassingthwaighte from âNeighboursâ on vocals, but they didnât want everyone to know that ANOTHER âNeighboursâ star had made a record, so they tried to disguise it by getting Natalie to wear a black wig. But the cat was out of the bag now, so they could let Natalie channel her inner evil-Izzy, who had been described in the âNeighboursâ media kit as a âmanipulative schemer, a money-hungry man-eater and home wrecker"
And for âWay To Goâ! she was a âmanipulative schemer, a money-hungry man-eater and home wrecker" who was also a sexy school teacher with a side hustle in strip teasing, or something, whilst dishing out some dishy life-lessons:
âDrive fast, don't crash, make your money, make it last
Hang tight, kick back, prepare yourself for the attack-
Buy low, sell high, take your pills, tell your lies
Fake your tan, wear a tie
Go to the gym you'll never dieâ
âNeighboursâ pop starlets had never been like this before! Kylie had done a lot of things but sheâd never made a Le Tigre record!
âWay To Goâ is a 7
Aquarml
This came out when I was 5 and I still remember ever word...
Love this song!
Phil M
This was my favourite song in 2005 and I was 11! I would listen to it on repeat when it came out. I had no money to buy the album/single, so I remember listening to the radio all day, just so I could record the song on a cassette tape when it came on 𤣠Good times!
Rachael k
i havent listen to this song in years and all the words are still in my head. i didnt have any trouble singing it again for the first time in about 5 years!!!!!!! love it love it love it!! XP
Brian Meskanen
Natalie Bassingthwaite, the only Neighbours star to break into music on her own merits. No hype, no media release, just dropped a killer album and put it out there. Kudos!
Shade Nox
Which was pretty funny because as I recall the character on the show she was playing couldn't sing at all.
Melthoid Serendipity
LOL...forgetting Kylie just for a second, I think there's another Natalie who would be highly offended by this comment
Brian Meskanen
@Melthoid Serendipity Kylie was heavily promoted as a Neighbours star, and released a bubblegum-at-best, absolutely shit house if we're being honest cover of the locomotion. Her target audience was vapid 10-16 year old girls. Natalie Bassingthwaite was the only ex-soapie star who didn't use her TV role as leverage. That includes Natalie Imbruglia. She also fronted a band with real live musicians and her target audience was adult oriented.
Melthoid Serendipity
Yes Natalie Imbruglia was who I was referring to. Very few people who bought her first album and the extraordinary cover of Torn even knew she was in Neighbours. And some respect for Kylie please. If she has a hit this decade that will be 5 decades in a row. You can count on one hand how many Aussie artists have done that
Brian Meskanen
@Melthoid Serendipity sorry, no love for Kylie's heavy produced massively hyped disposable junk music. Just because the companies push you to the top of the charts, doesn't meant you are genuinely popular or actually talented. As for Natalie, EVERYBODY knew she was in neighbours. Don't confuse your perceptions with everybody elses
Jisoo Turtle Rabbit
It's been over a decade since I heard this and some how the lyrics just flood back