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.
Mary Anne
Spacemen 3 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pretty babe, I understand
You say it's time to grab it blind
Cheering crowds they screw my mind
Just one time, I tell you now
Do your thing girl and do it loud
The desert sand, the secret plan
Lord's own knowledge is in your hand
Be yourself, don't hesitate
Mary Anne, hold my hand
Pretty babe, I understand
You say it's time to grab it blind
Cheering crowds they screw my mind
Just one time, that's all I ask
To do my thing, girl, and do it fast
The desert sand, the secret plan
Lord's own knowledge is in your hand
Grab a hold and ride that freight
Be yourself, don't hesitate
Mary Anne, hold my hand
Pretty babe, I understand
You say it's time to grab it blind
Cheering crowds they screw my mind
Just one time, I tell you now
Do your thing girl and do it loud
The desert sand, the secret plan
Lord's own knowledge is in your hand
Grab a hold and ride that freight
Be yourself, don't hesitate
The opening lines of "Mary Anne" are a plea from the singer to the titular character asking her to hold his hand, indicating that he needs some form of comfort or support from her. The following lines suggest that Mary Anne is encouraging him to take a risk or leap of faith ("grab it blind"), despite the fact that he is being affected by the opinions of those watching on ("cheering crowds they screw my mind"). The chorus repeats, with the singer exhorting Mary Anne to help him to "do his thing" and "be himself."
The verses and chorus allude to themes of self-discovery and taking risks, with Mary Anne acting as a kind of guide or muse for the singer. The desert imagery in the song's lyrics adds a sense of vastness and possibility, suggesting that the singer is seeking something beyond their current reality.
Line by Line Meaning
Mary Anne, hold my hand
Asking for the emotional support of Mary Anne
Pretty babe, I understand
Acknowledging Mary Anne's beauty and expressing empathy towards her
You say it's time to grab it blind
Mary Anne is encouraging the singer to take risks and jump into the unknown
Cheering crowds they screw my mind
The artist is feeling overwhelmed and disoriented by the attention he's receiving
Just one time, that's all I ask
The artist is urging Mary Anne to give him one chance to prove himself
To do my thing, girl, and do it fast
The singer wants to act quickly and passionately
The desert sand, the secret plan
Referring to a mysterious and potentially dangerous mission
Lord's own knowledge is in your hand
Mary Anne is being entrusted with a great responsibility and power
Grab a hold and ride that freight
The artist is urging Mary Anne to take control and lead the way
Be yourself, don't hesitate
Encouraging Mary Anne to be true to herself and act confidently
Contributed by Matthew A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Manuel Branco
Mary Anne, hold my hand
Pretty babe, I understand
You say it’s time to grab it blind
Cheering crowds they screw my mind
Just one time, I tell you now
Do your thing girl and do it loud
The desert sand, the secret plan
Lord’s own knowledge is in your hand
Grab a hold and ride that freight
Be yourself, don’t hesitate
Mary Anne, hold my hand
Pretty babe, I understand
You say it’s time to grab it blind
Cheering crowds they screw my mind
Just one time, that’s all I ask
To do my thing, girl, and do it fast
The desert sand, the secret plan
Lord’s own knowledge is in your hand
Grab a hold and ride that freight
Be yourself, don’t hesitate
Mary Anne, hold my hand
Pretty babe, I understand
You say it’s time to grab it blind
Cheering crowds they screw my mind
Just one time, I tell you now
Do your thing girl and do it loud
The desert sand, the secret plan
Lord’s own knowledge is in your hand
Grab a hold and ride that freight
Be yourself, don’t hesitate
Manuel Branco
Mary Anne, hold my hand
Pretty babe, I understand
You say it’s time to grab it blind
Cheering crowds they screw my mind
Just one time, I tell you now
Do your thing girl and do it loud
The desert sand, the secret plan
Lord’s own knowledge is in your hand
Grab a hold and ride that freight
Be yourself, don’t hesitate
Mary Anne, hold my hand
Pretty babe, I understand
You say it’s time to grab it blind
Cheering crowds they screw my mind
Just one time, that’s all I ask
To do my thing, girl, and do it fast
The desert sand, the secret plan
Lord’s own knowledge is in your hand
Grab a hold and ride that freight
Be yourself, don’t hesitate
Mary Anne, hold my hand
Pretty babe, I understand
You say it’s time to grab it blind
Cheering crowds they screw my mind
Just one time, I tell you now
Do your thing girl and do it loud
The desert sand, the secret plan
Lord’s own knowledge is in your hand
Grab a hold and ride that freight
Be yourself, don’t hesitate
Jason Burt
Who cares if its a cover its bloody awsome. Had the privilege of seeing them live.
charles richardson
such an amazing band....easily one of the 2 or 3 most important bands of the 80s, if important means launching a generation of neo-psych bands that are still being inspired today
Vanilla
Next to whom?
Joshua Dowling
Wait a minute. What ? Of the 80's ? I've never heard of these guys.
Janus Witchrider
So bloody groovy!
It's like Lou Reed, Hawkwind and The Stooges are jammin' up above!
Sue Sutton
I just discovered this band tonight and I found them similar to Hawkwind myself- and yes I can feel a little touch of the stooges as well
tim casey
Wow, just discovered these? Great band! Probably one of thee most iconic british bands of the last thirty years!! ✌
T Lysergicaciddiethylamide
nice SumS up
Matt Gibbons
Jesus and Mary chain joined the party