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.
Walking With Jesus
Spacemen 3 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
ain't comin' to me no wayYou've found Heaven
on Earth, gonna burn for your sin"But I think I'll be
in good company down there with all my friendsWell I
got around to thinking 'bout what Jesus said to meCos
if Heaven's like this, then that's the place for
meLong, long time between now and my deathAnd I gotta
have my fun so I've chosen what's bestWell,
confusionThe sound of loveSo listen sweet Lord,
forgive me my sin‘Cos I can't stand this life without
all of these thingsKnow I done wrong, but I've Heaven
on EarthKnow I done wrong, but I could have done me
worseWell, here it comesHere comes the
soundThe sound of confusionWell, here it
comesHere comes the soundThe sound of
loveHere it comesHere it comesHere it
comesThe sound of loveThe sound of loveThe sound
of loveJesus please meet me at the centre of the
earthCos these wings are gonna fail me and I could have
done me worseYeah I could have done me worseYeah I
could have done me worse...
The lyrics to Spacemen 3's song "Walking With Jesus" are open to interpretation, but they can be seen as a reflection on the struggle between earthly pleasure and spiritual enlightenment. The singer of the song walks with Jesus, but is told that they won't reach heaven because they have found happiness on earth, despite their sins. The singer then considers their options, realizing that heaven may not be desirable if it means giving up their pleasures. They ask for forgiveness, but ultimately choose their earthly vices.
The repetition of "here it comes, the sound" throughout the song can be interpreted as a representation of the dichotomy between good and bad. The sound of confusion and love are juxtaposed and express the confusion felt by the singer in trying to balance their earthly desires with the search for higher meaning. The repetition of "here it comes" further emphasizes the constant temptation and struggle they face.
Overall, "Walking With Jesus" is a song that examines the complexities of human desire and the search for spiritual fulfillment. It acknowledges the difficulty in reconciling these opposing forces, and ultimately suggests that it is up to the individual to decide what is right for them.
Line by Line Meaning
I walked with Jesus and he would say
I had an imaginary conversation with Jesus
"Oh you poor child, you ain't comin' to me no way"
Jesus refused to accept me as his follower because I had found happiness on Earth
"You've found Heaven on Earth, gonna burn for your sin"
Jesus told me that my worldly pleasures would lead me to hell
"But I think I'll be in good company down there with all my friends"
I don't mind going to hell because I will be with my loved ones
Well I got around to thinking 'bout what Jesus said to me
I reflected on my conversation with Jesus
"Cos if Heaven's like this, then that's the place for me"
If Heaven is devoid of pleasures, then I don't want to go there
"Long, long time between now and my death, And I gotta have my fun so I've chosen what's best"
I have a lot of time left to live and I want to enjoy it to the fullest
Here comes the sound, The sound of confusion, The sound of love
The music I hear represents the chaos of life and the love that I seek
"So listen sweet Lord, forgive me my sin, 'Cos I can't stand this life without all of these things"
I ask for Jesus' forgiveness because I cannot live without worldly pleasures
"Know I done wrong, but I've Heaven on Earth, Know I done wrong, but I could have done me worse"
I know I have sinned, but I have also found happiness on Earth and it could have been worse
Jesus please meet me at the centre of the earth, Cos these wings are gonna fail me and I could have done me worse, Yeah I could have done me worse, Yeah I could have done me worse...
I ask Jesus to meet me in the underworld because I fear I won't go to Heaven. I admit to my mistakes but also acknowledge that things could have been worse.
Contributed by Aaron W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@paumoli9506
I walked with Jesus and he would say
"Oh you poor child, you ain't comin' to me no way
You've found Heaven on Earth, gonna burn for your sin"
But I think I'll be in good company down there with all my friends
Well I got around to thinking 'bout what Jesus said to me
Cos if Heaven's like this, then that's the place for me
Long, long time between now and my death
And I gotta have my fun so I've chosen what's best
Well, here it comes
Here comes the sound
The sound of confusion
The sound of love
So listen sweet Lord, forgive me my sin
'Cos I can't stand this life without all of these things
Know I done wrong, but I've Heaven on Earth
Know I done wrong, but I could have done me worse
Well, here it comes
Here comes the sound
The sound of confusion
Well, here it comes
Here comes the sound
The sound of love
Here it comes
Here it comes
Here it comes
The sound of love
The sound of love
The sound of love
Jesus please meet me at the centre of the earth
Cos these wings are gonna fail me and I could have done me worse
Yeah I could have done me worse
Yeah I could have done me worse...
@AlinaLeeArts
LYRICS:
I walked with Jesus and he would say "Oh you poor child, you ain't comin' to me no way. You've found Heaven on Earth, gonna burn for your sin" But I.. think I'll be in good company down there with all my friends.
Well I got around to thinking 'bout what Jesus said to me 'cause if Heaven's like this, then that's the place for me. Long, long time between now and my death and I gotta have my fun so I've chosen what's best.
Well, here it comes
Here comes the sound
The sound of confusion
The sound of love
So listen sweet Lord, forgive me my sin 'cause I can't stand this life without all of these things. Know I done wrong, but I've Heaven on Earth. Know I done wrong, but I could have done me worse.
Well, here it comes
Here comes the sound
The sound of confusion
Well, here it comes
Here comes the sound
The sound of love
Here it comes
Here it comes
Here it comes
The sound of love
The sound of love
The sound of love
Jesus please meet me at the centre of the earth 'cause these wings are gonna fail me and I could have done me worse. Yeah, I could have done me worse.
@j.wilcox3547
Doesn't matter how old I am, or how many times I've listened to this song. It's as close to perfection as I've ever heard.
@tragmadat
same , time is gone here
@AquaticAbomination
Spacemen 3 is timeless
@jimihendrix6969
Great music is great music.
30 years of satisfaction.
And counting.
A-men.
@amazonjunglespirit
Back in the 90s, I loved pulling bongs while coming down from an all-night LSD trip, listening to Spacemen 3, or Spiritualized - Jay Spaceman's future group. They were so awesome! In the 90s, we were tripping balls at Spiritualized concerts in Toronto. Those were the days! Pure Phase. Lazer Guided Melodies. Ladies & Gentlemen, We are Floating in Space. Thank you to Jay Spaceman and everyone involved in creating such distinct and dynamic spaced-out music. Still loving it.
@stupot7281
Ya ...Lay back in the Sun .....Let it Flow ..some of these tunes rock ! ...90`s were bang on for these guys .
@jimihendrix6969
Feel the same.
@twoforever1
A hymn, a future traditional. A classic of faith, delusion, earthly high's and heavenly delights. A sound of love. No politics, no religion. Self judgment. Spiritual freedom.
@fleshprobe105
Amen to that
@nosnad71
The Perfect Prescription - possibly one of the finest albums ever.