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.
When Tomorrow Hits
Spacemen 3 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Losing your way
Getting way off track
Ain't no stopping
Time from coming
When tomorrow hits
When tomorrow hits
What's easy for you
Comes so hard
What you got
Never got me far
There's no stopping
The end from coming
When tomorrow hits
When tomorrow hits
When tomorrow hits
All right
Lookout
When tomorrow hits
It'll hit you hard
When tomorrow hits
It'll hit you hard
When tomorrow hits
It'll hit you hard
When tomorrow hits
That's the lowdown
The song "When Tomorrow Hits" by Spacemen 3 is a powerful commentary on the fleeting nature of time and the inevitability of change. The opening lines, "Laying out on some early acts, Losing your way, Getting way off track" paint a picture of someone lost and unsure of their path in life. The repetition of "Ain't no stopping Time from coming" highlights the singer's sense of inevitability and helplessness in the face of change. The chorus, "When tomorrow hits, It'll hit you hard" is both a warning and a rallying cry, underscoring the urgency of the situation and urging the listener to take charge of their life before it's too late.
The second verse, "What's easy for you, Comes so hard, What you got, Never got me far" suggests that the singer is struggling to keep up with the fast-paced world around them, and feeling left behind. The repetition of "There's no stopping, The end from coming" drives home the idea that time is ticking away, and that there is no escaping the inevitable. The final chorus, with its urgent repetition of "When tomorrow hits, It'll hit you hard," underscores the sense of urgency and desperation that runs throughout the song.
Overall, "When Tomorrow Hits" is a powerful song that speaks to the universal experience of feeling lost and struggling to keep up with the pace of life. Its urgent, driving melody and powerful lyrics make it a standout track in Spacemen 3's catalogue.
Line by Line Meaning
Laying out on some early acts
Engaging in activities that don't necessarily contribute to your long-term goals
Losing your way
Getting sidetracked from your path to success
Getting way off track
Drifting too far away from the path to success
Ain't no stopping
It's impossible to halt the passage of time
Time from coming
The passage of time is inevitable
What's easy for you
Things that come naturally to you
Comes so hard
Are often difficult for others to achieve or acquire
What you got
The talents or possessions you possess
Never got me far
Didn't help you achieve the level of success you had hoped for
There's no stopping
It's impossible to halt the passage of time
The end from coming
The inevitability of death or failure
When tomorrow hits
When the future arrives
It'll hit you hard
You'll face the full consequences of your actions when the future arrives
All right
An indication that everything is satisfactory
Lookout
A warning to be aware of the consequences of future actions
That's the lowdown
That's the basic information or facts about a situation
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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