The band originally consisted of Ed King (lead guitar), Mark Weitz (keyboards), Lee Freeman (rhythm guitar), Gary Lovetro (bass), and Randy Seol (drums). On their first and most famous single, Incense and Peppermints, lead vocals were sung by Greg Munford, a 16-year-old friend of the band.
Strawberry Alarm Clock's song reached #1 on the Billboard pop singles chart in late 1967, and it has since been included in many mutli-artist collections and also appeared in many films as an iconic tune of the swinging sixties. After that success, the band added George Bunnell (bass and rhythm guitar) before making their first LP in 1967, also titled Incense and Peppermints. Bunnell would also become their main songwriter.
Membership changes were many. which sadly foretold the band's falling fortunes. Gary Lovetro left the band before their second album, Wake Up It's Tomorrow, which was also released in 1967. Their single from that album, Tomorrow, was a minor hit and their only other top 40 appearance, reaching #23 in early 1968. Although the group followed up with more LPs in 1968 (The World in a Seashell) and 1969 (Good Morning Starshine), Strawberry Alarm Clock had begun to fall apart and their audience was mostly gone The group managed to keep performing in various forms until 1971, when Strawberry Alarm Clock finally broke up.
Strawberry Alarm Clock as a band has made two notable appearances in films, first in the 1968 Jack Nicholson movie Psych-Out, where they played several songs including Incense and Peppermints, Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow, and The Pretty Song from Psych-Out. They second' appeared in the 1970 Russ Meyer camp classic Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.
Ed King went on to join Lynyrd Skynyrd. Several members of Strawberry Alarm Clock reunited in the 80s to perform on oldies concert tours as well. Still, no additional albums came of that.
The original band lineup reunited one last time to perform an approximately one-hour set at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign, IL, on April 29, 2007. The event was part of the last day of film critic Roger Ebert's ninth annual Overlooked Film Festival and was preceded by a screening of Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. Despite being unable to speak due to recent surgery, Ebert made prepared remarks with the use of a device given to him by a U of I professor.
Small Package
Strawberry Alarm Clock Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I've got to decide if it's really for me
You just can't call and say wrap it up
Or want it at all unless you give it up
Baby, what happens when you do
Finally arrive?
How am I to know that you're
And I gotta have you, oh
Yeah
In a small town I shouldn't have been in
A small package finds me and it's really for me
You're good in some ways
But your disadvantage is
I love you too much
Baby, what happens when you do
Finally say I love you?
How am I to know that you'll
Wake me today?
Hey, hey, hey
Well, East Coast girls are hip
I really dig those styles they wear
The lyrics to Strawberry Alarm Clock's song Small Package talk about a small package that is waiting for the singer, and they need to decide if it is really meant for them. The singer wonders if the person who sent the package is even alive and what would happen if they finally arrived. They express their longing and desire for the person who sent the package, saying that they have fallen in love with them, even though they have some disadvantages. They wonder what would happen if the person finally says that they love them back and whether they are just dreaming or if it is a reality.
The song describes a sense of uncertainty and questioning that is present when we receive unexpected things in our lives, whether it be a package or a person. The lyrics reflect on the sweet and bitter moments of falling in love, where we can't really know what the outcome will be like but we can't help the feeling of being drawn towards someone. The mention of "East Coast girls" towards the end of the song adds a lighthearted tone to the overall sentimental message of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a small package waitin' for me
I received a small package that I need to evaluate if it's for me or not.
And I've got to decide if it's really for me
I need to determine if the package is relevant to me or not.
You just can't call and say wrap it up
You cannot simply request to have the package wrapped without giving it up first.
Or want it at all unless you give it up
I cannot want the package unless you surrender it to me.
Baby, what happens when you do Finally arrive?
What will occur when you eventually come?
How am I to know that you're Really alive?
How can I be certain that you are truly alive?
And I gotta have you, oh
I unquestionably need and want you.
In a small town I shouldn't have been in
I am in a small town where I do not belong.
A small package finds me and it's really for me
I received a small package that is definitely for my use.
You're good in some ways
You possess great qualities in a few regards.
But your disadvantage is I love you too much
The drawback of loving you is that I have an excessive amount of affection towards you.
Baby, what happens when you do Finally say I love you?
What occurs when you ultimately declare your love for me?
How am I to know that you'll Wake me today?
How can I be certain that you will awaken me today?
Well, East Coast girls are hip I really dig those styles they wear
Girls from the East Coast possess impeccable taste in fashion, and I appreciate the way they dress.
Contributed by Christopher A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.