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.
Call the doctor
Spacemen 3 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You'd better hurry now honey, or you're gonna be my death
You'd better throw away the spoons and all the other dirty things
Cos when the law arrives this evening, I don't think they'll wait and ring
Call the doctor pretty baby, tell him he's gotta rush and run
Cos I think I've had too much babe, tell him it ain't no fun
Tell them to back up with the wagon now I think I'm going for a ride
Tell them I did it to myself babe, and I lived a life of sin
Tell them black ain't always white babe, and without sure ain't within
"Call the Doctor" is a song by Spacemen 3, a British space rock band formed in 1982. The lyrics describe a person who is on the brink of death due to a drug overdose, and urgently needs medical attention - hence the repeated phrase, "call the doctor". The singer of the song addresses a listener, urging them to call for help before it's too late. The urgency of the situation is conveyed through the repetition of the chorus, with a sense of desperation in the second line, "you're gonna be my death". The need for immediate action is emphasized once more in the third verse, as the singer warns that the "law" is coming and there's no time to waste.
While the lyrics are straightforward and tell a simple story, they are also usharedhed in metaphorical language. The "dirty things" that need to be thrown away are most likely drug paraphernalia, but they can also represent a life of addiction or bad habits. The suggestion that "black ain't always white" and "without sure ain't within" reveals the singer's awareness of the mistakes they've made in their life. The song ends with the acknowledgement that the singer is responsible for their own predicament, and that they've lived a life of sin.
Line by Line Meaning
Call the doctor pretty baby, you know I'm near to my last breath
Asking to call the doctor because the singer is close to dying
You'd better hurry now honey, or you're gonna be my death
Urging the listener to act quickly or they will be at fault for the singer's demise
You'd better throw away the spoons and all the other dirty things
Advising the listener to dispose of any drug paraphernalia and other incriminating materials
Cos when the law arrives this evening, I don't think they'll wait and ring
Expressing concern that the police will come soon and won't hesitate to arrest the artist and the listener
Call the doctor pretty baby, tell him he's gotta rush and run
Pressing the listener to call the doctor and make him come quickly
Cos I think I've had too much babe, tell him it ain't no fun
Informing the listener and the doctor that the singer has overdosed and is no longer enjoying it
Hey there's the door now pretty baby, see who's on the other side
Pointing out the arrival of someone at the door
Tell them to back up with the wagon now I think I'm going for a ride
Instructing the listener to ask whoever is at the door to bring a wagon to take the artist away
Tell them I did it to myself babe, and I lived a life of sin
Asking the listener to convey that the artist took drugs by choice and has lived a sinful life
Tell them black ain't always white babe, and without sure ain't within
Implying that things are not always what they seem, and that just because something is absent doesn't mean it doesn't exist
Contributed by Charlie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@drewstrom75
I lived with a guy in Pittsburgh in the mid late 90s. I was a doper and he made me a mix tape called "heroin fix". I still have it somewhere and this song is on it. I just thought of it after all these years. As a 20 something year old dope addict, everything seems so dramatic and meaningful. Eventually though, the romance of it wears away and you realize ur just wasting ur life... I'm 42 now and take meds every day to ward off opiate addiction. Life can be pretty sweet when you know you're living.
@broelo
stay strong bro/sis
@revci666
Taking my Suboxone now
@etherealcatholic249
Suboxone is a Gulag,want out,asap!!!
@user-zs7df6rw5q
Guilt is horrible. However nobody deserves to live in that place. It's Okay whatever may be the consequences unless you are without food,clothes and shelter. Everybody deserves to make mistakes.
@etherealcatholic249
@@user-zs7df6rw5q Agree but sometimes guilt is your conscience talking to ya. Maybe we need to feel bad about ourselves once in a while,helps push us in a positive direction.
@saramcbride5414
This one and 'Sound of Confusion." Two of my faves ever. Like the Velvet Underground came back
@etherealcatholic249
1 of the greatest songs ever recorded.
@andrewwabik5125
Absolutely
@etherealcatholic249
@@andrewwabik5125 As an addendum,
"All I want..." by Spiritualized. Out of the 25 best recorded songs in history,easily,these 2 titles make the list.