1) Spliff is a grindcore … Read Full Bio ↴There are two bands under the name Spliff:
1) Spliff is a grindcore band from Lixouri, Kefalonia, an island in Greece.
Spliff is:
El Crocodilo - Guitar
Crunkhead - Bass
Hydro Skunk 420 - Vocals
Sparky Red Eye - Drums and backing vocals
2) Spliff was a German New Wave ("Neue Deutsche Welle") band in the 1970s and 1980s.
Formed in April 1979, Spliff was a split-off of the Nina Hagen Band after the four male musicians claimed that Nina had become too bossy.
Three members, Manfred Praeker (b), Bernhard Potschka (g) and Herwig Mitteregger (dr) had been playing together before in German political rock band Lokomotive Kreuzberg. Reinhold Heil (key) joined for the Nina Hagen Band. On their 3 german albums all of them took turns at the lead singer part.
Spliff released four albums:
- The English album Spliff Radio Show (1980) is a rather cynical rock opera about the rise and fall of an imaginary rock star and Rock'n'Roll business in common. "The Spliff Radio Show" was co-written by Australian singer Alf Klimek ("Klimax“) who also took the lead vocals part. They were Joined by DJ Rik DeLisle and background singers Lisa Bialac und Lyma Russel
Three German albums (just Praeker, Potschka, Heil, Mitteregger):
- 85555 (1982). Driven by the neue deutsche welle hype this album has been their greatest success in Germany
- Herzlichen Glückwunsch (1982)
- Schwarz Auf Weiß (1984)
In 1985 Herwig Mitteregger left the band to focus on his solo career. After 1985 "Schwarz auf Weiß"-tour (supported by Curt Cress on drums) the band split up.
Sweet As Radio
Spliff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"Hello there and welcome to the Spliff radio show
That's Spliff, another product of the post-war baby-boom"
The record deal was pretty good
The company said "we think you could
Get a hit happening and then let's see
For every dollar you earn there's ten for me"
The record deal looked pretty unreal
Had goldleaf paper and a waxen seal
But one small clause just had me beat
Said "we own your heart, mind, soul and teeth"
"We own your heart and soul
We only want control"
They tell you life could be
Sweet as radio
Sweet as radio
Sweet as radio
Sweet as radio
The promo girls first floor were hip
Gave good advice on the launching trip
"Turn on your radio listen loud
Trust the company they need you now"
The record deal began to feel
Like a rope necktie with cuffs of steel
The guarantee was running out
With all we had they threw us out
"We own your heart and soul
We only want control"
They tell you life could be
Sweet as radio
Sweet as radio
Sweet as radio
Sweet as radio
Sweet as radio
Sweet as radio
Sweet as radio
Sweet as radio
Sweeeet
(Sweet as radio)
As radio
(Sweet as radio)
Sweeeet
(Sweet as radio)
As radio
(Sweet as radio)
The lyrics of Spliff's song "Sweet As Radio" narrate the story of a band's experience with a record deal. The band members were enticed by the promise of stardom and the prospect of a hit that would make them rich. However, they soon realized that the record company held all the power and controlled their every move. The company owned their "heart, mind, soul, and teeth," and the guarantee of success faded quickly. The promotion girls offered advice, but the band felt its freedom slip away, even as the crowds cheered louder. The song ends on a somewhat ironic note as the refrain repeats: "They tell you life could be sweet as radio."
This song highlights the dark side of the music industry and the perils that musicians can face when they sign contracts that allow others to control their creativity and futures. The lyrics are cleverly written and layered with metaphors and symbols, making them relevant not only to the music industry but also to other domains that seek to exploit people's desires and dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello there and welcome to the Spliff radio show
The artist introduces himself and greets his listeners to his radio show
That's Spliff, another product of the post-war baby-boom
The artist identifies himself as a product of the post-war baby-boom
The record deal was pretty good
The artist received a favorable record deal
The company said 'we think you could
The record company expressed confidence in the artist's potential for success
Get a hit happening and then let's see
The record company wanted the artist to create a successful hit before they invested more resources
For every dollar you earn there's ten for me'
The record company takes a large commission from the artist's earnings
The record deal looked pretty unreal
The artist was skeptical of the record deal
Had goldleaf paper and a waxen seal
The record deal looked fancy and official
But one small clause just had me beat
The artist was defeated by one clause in the record contract
Said 'we own your heart, mind, soul and teeth'
The record company claimed ownership over the artist's creative and personal expression
'We own your heart and soul
The record company wants total control over the artist's artistic expression
We only want control'
The record company wants to control the artist's career
They tell you life could be
Sweet as radio
The record company promises the artist success and fame through the radio
The promo girls first floor were hip
The artist meets attractive and trendy promotional girls on the first floor of the record company
Gave good advice on the launching trip
The promotional girls gave useful advice to the artist for marketing and launching his music
'Turn on your radio listen loud
The promotional girls suggest that the artist aggressively promote his music on the radio
Trust the company they need you now'
The promotional girls tell the artist to trust the record company to make him successful quickly
The record deal began to feel
The artist starts to question the value of the record deal
Like a rope necktie with cuffs of steel
The artist feels trapped and restricted by the record deal
The guarantee was running out
The record company's promise of success was not coming true
With all we had they threw us out
The record company dropped the artist despite their efforts
'We own your heart and soul
The record company continues to emphasize their control over the artist
We only want control'
The record company only cares about controlling the artist's career
They tell you life could be
Sweet as radio
The record company's promises of success through the radio were empty
Sweeeet
(Sweet as radio)
The artist sarcastically reflects on the false promises of the record company
As radio
(Sweet as radio)
The artist repeats the phrase 'sweet as radio' to stress how empty and false the record company's promises were
Sweeeet
(Sweet as radio)
The artist continues to express his frustration with the record company
As radio
(Sweet as radio)
The artist emphasizes how false and disappointing the record company's promises were
Contributed by Harper S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.