Playing With Fire (1989) expanded on the psychedelic and drone themes of the earlier albums; its second single, "Revolution" reached #1 on the UK indie charts. But soon after, a combination of personnel changes, drug problems and intra-band tension (especially between Kember and Pierce) began to break the band apart. Recurring, released in 1991, was their last proper album, though its recording reflected the split between Pierce and Kember as each recorded their own side of the album in different studios, with a cover of Mudhoney's 'When Tomorrow Hits' to separate them (Mudhoney would later return the favour with a cover of Spacemen 3's 'Revolution'). It was their most popular record, but by its release Kember and Pierce had already formed new bands, Spectrum,were self described "noise experimentation" and Spiritualized, respectively. The final conflict that contributed to the split was Pierce's decision to release a cover of The Troggs' 'Any Way That You Want Me', as the first Spiritualized single, which Kember had been wanting to cover for years.
From the outset Spacemen 3 had a very defined set of aesthetic principles. They based almost their entire sound on their own concept of minimalism—droning guitars, feedback, as few chords as possible, pounding drums—with their motto “Taking drugs to make music to take drugs to”. Their minimalism bled into their stage show as well. Sitting down to play their guitars and covered in the spinning colours of a cheap psychedelic light show, their stage “act” was very anti-performance. Another striking aspect of Spacemen 3 was their willingness to cover and share their influences. Song titles, lyrics and interviews were peppered with references to bands and artists they believed shared their “minimal is maximal” aesthetic. The Velvet Underground, the Rolling Stones, The Stooges, MC5, early Captain Beefheart, out-there jazz legend Sun Ra, Silver Apples, garage punk of the 1960s such as the 13th Floor Elevators, Red Krayola, and the Electric Prunes; the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean and other surf bands; ’80s rockabilly groups The Cramps, the Gun Club, Tav Falco; blues and gospel acts like Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, the Staple Singers and John Lee Hooker; and the production techniques of Joe Meek, Brian Wilson and Delia Derbyshire were just some of the names mentioned by the band.
Since the break-up there have been a stream of semi-legitimate albums, early demos and live recordings, many of which have been issued by the Kember-affiliated Space Age Recordings. Highlights include Dreamweapon: An Evening of Contemporary Sitar Music, a 45 minute drone piece performed in front of a live audience, Forged Prescriptions, a collection of Perfect Prescription demos and alternate versions (Kember claims in the liner notes that the alternate versions reproduce the layers of guitars they recorded but later removed because they felt they'd never be able to reproduce them live), and the band's singles compilation, which is perhaps the best introduction to the breadth of their work.
In 1998, a tribute album was released on Rocket Girl, which included tracks by Mogwai and Low. Kember’s Spectrum has toured under the banner “Songs the Spacemen Taught Us”, while Pierce routinely includes their songs in his Spiritualized set. In 2004, US journalist Erik Morse published his account of the band’s life and work, Dreamweapon: Spacemen 3 and the Birth of Spiritualized.
Members of the band went on to form Spiritualized, the Darkside and Spectrum (AKA Sonic Boom). Spiritualized carry on, to critical acclaim, though they have largely discarded the dark psychedelic edge. Sonic has also been on the road, playing gigs in London and occasional tours in the US as E.A.R. (Experimental Audio Research), which features synthesizers heavily. The Darkside split, while Rosco (AKA Sterling Roswell) went on to form the Sterling Roswell Blues Band and now is currently in The Gimps.
Big City
Spacemen 3 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bright lights
Cool, cool people
Big city
Everybody I know can be found here
Oh let the good times roll
Waves of joy
Yeah, I love you too
The lyrics to Spacemen 3's song "Big City" are deceptively simple, but they speak volumes about the allure of urban life. The repeated refrain of "Big city, bright lights, cool, cool people, big city" captures the excitement and energy of the metropolis, which draws in anyone looking for adventure or a fresh start. The singer of the song seems to be thoroughly enamored with the city, declaring "everybody I know can be found here" and exhorting listeners to "let the good times roll."
But beyond the surface level celebration of city life, there is a poignant undercurrent to the lyrics. The "waves of joy" referred to in the song suggest a kind of fleeting happiness - a momentary rush of excitement that may ultimately dissipate. And even as the singer expresses love for the city and all its promise, there is a sense of loneliness or yearning in lines like "I love you too" - as if the city itself is a stand-in for the human connections that the singer may be missing. Overall, the lyrics to "Big City" are a bittersweet tribute to the urban experience - simultaneously exhilarating and ephemeral.
Line by Line Meaning
Big city
Metropolis with busy streets and towering buildings
Bright lights
Shining signs and illuminated creative endeavors
Cool, cool people
Hip and trendy folks with engaging personalities
Big city
Metropolis with busy streets and towering buildings
Everybody I know can be found here
People I am close with all frequent this place
Oh let the good times roll
Have fun and enjoy life to the fullest
Waves of joy
Experiences of happiness that come in surges
Yeah, I love you too
Affectionate response to an expression of love
Contributed by Isabelle S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
NETOMAN47
Gran ciudad, luces brillantes
Gente genial, genial, Ciudad grande
Todos los que conozco se pueden encontrar aquí
Todos los que conozco se pueden encontrar aquí
Todos los que conozco se pueden encontrar aquí
Todos los que conozco se pueden encontrar aquí
Todos los que conozco se pueden encontrar aquí
Todos los que conozco se pueden encontrar aquí
Todos los que conozco se pueden encontrar aquí
Todos los que conozco se pueden encontrar aquí
Oh, deja que pasen los buenos tiempos
Oh, deja que pasen los buenos tiempos
Oh, deja que pasen los buenos tiempos
Oh, deja que pasen los buenos tiempos
Olas de alegría
Olas de alegría
Si yo tambien te amo
Si yo tambien te amo
Si yo tambien te amo
Si yo tambien te amo
Si yo tambien te amo
Si yo tambien te amo
Si yo tambien te amo
Si yo tambien te amo
Todos los que conozco se pueden encontrar aquí
Oh, deja que pasen los buenos tiempos
Oh, deja que pasen los buenos tiempos
Oh, que los buenos tiempos ...
The Ripper
This band was the definition of Big City Eclecticisiticy (just invented a word fk it) - So unknown by the masses but adored by the minority - I loved their music- It was cool that no-one had heard of your favourite bands- Viynl Cool.......Headphones On- walking through town at night - Flying...........25 years later still listening to it with skin tingling...........
Cam Allen
Man, this was always one of my favourite S3 songs. Pete finding his groove.
Gandalf the Grape
i've only heard parts of S3's discography. three years ago i went to see Spectrum, and it was so friggin good. the last song they did was this one. it's been stuck in my head since then and only now i finally found out what song it was.
Andeez
Sounds fucking lush on acid
devin khoury
Everybooby I love can B found here
NETOMAN47
Gran ciudad, luces brillantes
Gente genial, genial, Ciudad grande
Todos los que conozco se pueden encontrar aquí
Todos los que conozco se pueden encontrar aquí
Todos los que conozco se pueden encontrar aquí
Todos los que conozco se pueden encontrar aquí
Todos los que conozco se pueden encontrar aquí
Todos los que conozco se pueden encontrar aquí
Todos los que conozco se pueden encontrar aquí
Todos los que conozco se pueden encontrar aquí
Oh, deja que pasen los buenos tiempos
Oh, deja que pasen los buenos tiempos
Oh, deja que pasen los buenos tiempos
Oh, deja que pasen los buenos tiempos
Olas de alegría
Olas de alegría
Si yo tambien te amo
Si yo tambien te amo
Si yo tambien te amo
Si yo tambien te amo
Si yo tambien te amo
Si yo tambien te amo
Si yo tambien te amo
Si yo tambien te amo
Todos los que conozco se pueden encontrar aquí
Oh, deja que pasen los buenos tiempos
Oh, deja que pasen los buenos tiempos
Oh, que los buenos tiempos ...
Troy McClure
I just came here to announce they FINALLY released it on Spotify....soo excited, this song means a lot to me
proton gradient
About time..make up for all the stuff that was taken off and not including various good stuff- because of having to make room for the endless reams of modern shite
Fernando Pont
What a life-changing song!!!!
ScoopDogg
This song can fix your life, if you only just let it! : )