In 1988 the members of Teeze, Luis Rivera (vocals), Gregg Malack (guitar), Rex Eisen (guitar), Dave Weakley (bass) and Mike Natalini (drums), finally got their long awaited signing with a major record label. However they had to change their name due to a Canadian rock band named Teaze and an R&B group known as Tease. Despite protests, they finally gave in and became known as Roughhouse.
Max Norman produced the debut album, and the band was set to make waves. Yet surprisingly their management didn't want to record a support video for the album, and after much fighting management finally relented and a video for "Tonite" was shot some two months after the album's release. Lack of radio promotion and a decent touring slot led to the album sinking without a trace. Roughhouse would headline a club tour, but by 1991 the band had fallen apart.
The band reunited for some shows in 1992/93, but it wouldn't be until 2002 when the band once again hit the stage. They still continue to tour off and on, and there are future plans to re-release both the hard to find Roughhouse and Teeze albums.
Racin'
Roughhouse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You got know reason to be alive,
White rock, eight ball,
I need a line just to give you a call.
Black money from the kids at school,
You sell to me and you'd be a fool,
Cool dudes, sharp clothes,
A fancy car and a burning nose.
[Chorus]
Oooh, I feel the sensation
Tonight I'm gonna be racin'
One time, too much,
I blew my mind right out of touch,
Work hard, real fast,
I need a line to make it last,
Try to catch me but you never can,
I'm not real, I'm the chemical man,
No sleep, skin and bones,
No food, no color tones.
Got lots of money-no job,
You got know reason to be alive,
White rock, eight ball,
I need a line just to give you a call.
Black money from the kids at school,
You sell to me and you'd be a fool,
Cool dudes, sharp clothes,
A fancy car and a burning nose.
The lyrics of Roughhouse's "Racin'" capture the destructive spiral of drug addiction. The song is told from the perspective of someone who has plenty of money but no real purpose in life. They turn to drugs as a way to fill the void and escape reality. The lyrics mention white rock and eight ball, which are slang terms for crack cocaine and crystal meth, respectively. The singer needs a line just to make a phone call, indicating their dependence on the drug to function.
The second verse of the song continues the theme of addiction and consequences. The singer has blown their mind out of touch and needs drugs to keep up the pace of their fast-paced lifestyle. They cannot be caught, and they feel invincible. However, the drug use is taking its toll on their body, with no sleep, skin and bones, and no color tones.
Overall, the song's chorus expresses the rush and excitement of the drug use, with the singer feeling the sensation and being ready to race.
Line by Line Meaning
Got lots of money-no job,
I have plenty of money without being employed.
You got know reason to be alive,
You don't seem to have a purpose in your life.
White rock, eight ball,
Referring to types of cocaine that the singer is using.
I need a line just to give you a call.
I need cocaine to even make a phone call.
Black money from the kids at school,
The artist is selling drugs to school children for cash.
You sell to me and you'd be a fool,
I am convincing someone to sell me drugs.
Cool dudes, sharp clothes,
The singer admires those who have an impeccable sense of style.
A fancy car and a burning nose.
The artist has an expensive car along with a drug addiction.
[Chorus] Oooh, I feel the sensation Tonight I'm gonna be racin'
The artist is experiencing the high feeling and intends to go out driving.
One time, too much,
At one point, the artist did too much drugs.
I blew my mind right out of touch,
The singer has done so many drugs that they don't feel like themselves anymore.
Work hard, real fast,
The artist works hard while using drugs as an energy booster.
I need a line to make it last,
The singer needs cocaine to prolong the high while working.
Try to catch me but you never can,
People have tried stopping the singer's drug use, but they can never succeed.
I'm not real, I'm the chemical man,
The singer's personality is now dominated by the chemicals they consume.
No sleep, skin and bones,
The artist is losing a lot of weight due to lack of sleep and proper nutrition.
No food, no color tones.
The artist is malnourished and has lost any healthy complexion.
Contributed by Aaron T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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