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.
We Sell Soul
Spacemen 3 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We sell soul, if you're by her side
We sell soul, when you're near her
We sell soul, if your voice is tied
We sell soul, don't decieve her
We sell soul, tell her what you feel
We sell soul, she'll precieve you
We sell soul, if your voice is real
To ease the pain that fogs you
When you don't need her, from her stare
She says she's needing you
We sell soul
We sell soul, as you love her
We sell soul, she loves only you
We sell soul, as you lift her
We sell soul, she believes in you
We sell soul, from beside her
We sell soul, keep behind her eyes
We sell soul, they're behind you
We sell soul, as the thought applies
If you want to rise
You must place someone where you are standing
Everything she learns is on her face
Your strength is all she's demanding
We sell soul
We sell soul, can you need her
We sell soul, keep your promises
We sell soul
We sell soul, can you free her
We sell soul, give her all your kisses
We sell soul, as you warm her
We sell soul, never disapoint her
We sell soul, as you hold her
We sell soul, do all that you told her
Everytime you need her, she is there
To ease the pain that fogs you
When you don't need her, from her stare
She says she's needing you
We sell soul
The song "We Sell Soul" by Spacemen 3 is a melancholic yet hopeful tribute to love and the importance of being genuine in one's feelings and actions towards their beloved. The lyrics emphasize the idea that genuine love is a reciprocal phenomenon that requires openness, honesty, and vulnerability from both sides. Furthermore, the song's title is a clever twist on the phrase "we sell our soul", implying that the act of giving one's heart to another person is no less significant than the traditional notion of selling one's soul.
The first verse sets the tone for the rest of the song, with the repeated phrase "we sell soul" highlighting the central theme of the lyrics. The lyrics then go on to describe the importance of being truthful and sincere with one's partner, and the rewards that come with doing so. The line "if your voice is real" suggests that the authenticity of one's emotions is paramount, and that pretending to feel something that one does not is ultimately self-defeating. The chorus repeats the phrase "every time you need her, she is there", acknowledging the comfort and support that true love can provide.
The second verse expands on the idea of reciprocity in love, with the lyrics emphasizing the importance of mutual trust and understanding. The line "your strength is all she's demanding" suggests that the singer's partner is not seeking material or superficial things from him, but rather his emotional strength and support. The bridge of the song contains the most optimistic lyrics, with the singer urging the listener to "place someone where you are standing" if they want to "rise". This line suggests that by giving love, one can create positive change in their own life and the lives of others.
Line by Line Meaning
We sell soul, can you see her
Do you notice her presence? We are willing to give up everything for her.
We sell soul, if you're by her side
We sell our soul to be with her, even if it means sacrificing everything else.
We sell soul, when you're near her
Being close to her is worth everything, even our own souls.
We sell soul, if your voice is tied
Our devotion to her is so strong that we would even give up our voices if it meant being with her.
We sell soul, don't deceive her
We want to be honest with her and not betray her trust, even if it means risking everything.
We sell soul, tell her what you feel
We are willing to express our true feelings to her, even if it means being vulnerable and risking rejection.
We sell soul, she'll perceive you
If we are honest with her, she will understand us and accept us for who we are.
We sell soul, if your voice is real
If we speak from our true selves, she will listen and respond to us.
Every time you need her, she is there
To ease the pain that fogs you
She is always there for us, even in our darkest moments, to offer comfort and solace.
When you don't need her, from her stare
She says she's needing you
Even when we don't think we need her, she still desires us and wants our love and attention.
We sell soul, as you love her
Our love for her is all-consuming and we would do anything for her.
We sell soul, she loves only you
Her love is exclusive and devoted only to us.
We sell soul, as you lift her
We want to elevate her and make her feel valued and appreciated.
We sell soul, she believes in you
She has faith in us and trusts us completely.
We sell soul, from beside her
We want to be close to her, next to her, and supporting her in everything she does.
We sell soul, keep behind her eyes
We want to be in her thoughts and always on her mind.
We sell soul, they're behind you
We are always present, even when we are not physically there.
We sell soul, as the thought applies
If you want to rise
You must place someone where you are standing
We believe in the power of lifting up others, because if we want to succeed, we must help others succeed along the way.
Everything she learns is on her face
Your strength is all she's demanding
She is always looking to us for guidance and support, and our strength and resilience is what she needs from us.
We sell soul, can you need her
We sell soul, keep your promises
We want to be there for her when she needs us, and we will stay true to our word and not let her down.
We sell soul, can you free her
We sell soul, give her all your kisses
We want her to feel unrestrained and loved, and we will shower her with affection and attention.
We sell soul, as you warm her
We sell soul, never disappoint her
We want to make her feel comfortable and cared for, and we will do everything we can to avoid letting her down.
We sell soul, as you hold her
We sell soul, do all that you told her
We want to embrace her and show her our love, and we will follow through on our promises and commitments.
Writer(s): Spacemen 3
Contributed by Arianna V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.