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.
The World's On Fire
Strawberry Alarm Clock Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is on fire tonight (tonight)
And this flame that glows (flame that glows)
Is too hot for me to fight (to fight)
Dancing flames (dancing flames)
Twisting, turning out of sight (turning out of sight)
Smoke-filled eyes (smoke-filled eyes)
Crying, "Hold me, hold me tight" (me tight)
Tears of joy
And sad, smiling faces
Oh, make the sparkle above the brightly night
The world (the world)
Is on fire tonight (tonight)
And the flame that flows (flame that flows)
Is too hot to grow so bright (so bright)
Blazing arms (blazing arms)
With a heavy appetite (appetite)
The swirling flames (swirling flames)
Blinding everyone in sight (in sight)
Sweat-filled traces
In common places
The price we pay to hear this type of fight
Fire
Fire
Fire
We're on fire tonight
The lyrics to "The World's On Fire" by Strawberry Alarm Clock create a vivid image of a chaotic and intense night. The repetition of "the world is on fire tonight" emphasizes the overwhelming feeling of being engulfed by flames. The image of "dancing flames" that are "too hot to fight" creates a sense of helplessness in the face of this fiery chaos. The smoke-filled eyes crying for someone to "hold me tight" further emphasizes the intense emotions running high during this night.
Interestingly, the lyrics also reference tears of joy and sad, smiling faces, suggesting that this intense experience is a mixed bag of emotions. The song concludes with the repeated chant of "fire," emphasizing the all-consuming nature of the flames.
Line by Line Meaning
The world (the world)
The current state of society or the human race as a whole is being referenced.
Is on fire tonight (tonight)
There is chaos and destruction happening in the present moment.
And this flame that glows (flame that glows)
The cause of the chaos is being referred to.
Is too hot for me to fight (to fight)
The situation is too intense and uncontrollable to try and change it.
Dancing flames (dancing flames)
The chaotic situation is being personified as if it were alive and moving.
Twisting, turning out of sight (turning out of sight)
The chaos is spreading and becoming unpredictable and difficult to track.
Smoke-filled eyes (smoke-filled eyes)
The pain and fear caused by the chaos is being shown through the imagery of tears and smoke-filled eyes.
Crying, "Hold me, hold me tight" (me tight)
The people affected by the chaos are crying out for comfort and reassurance.
Tears of joy
Even in the midst of chaos, there are still moments of joy and happiness.
And sad, smiling faces
People are able to find brief moments of joy, but underlying sadness still persists.
Oh, make the sparkle above the brightly night
The juxtaposition of joy and sadness is creating a beautiful, surreal scene in the midst of chaos.
And the flame that flows (flame that flows)
The cause of the chaos is again being referenced, but this time with the implication that it is spreading and becoming more intense.
Is too hot to grow so bright (so bright)
The chaos is becoming too intense to the point of self-destructing.
Blazing arms (blazing arms)
The imagery is becoming more aggressive and violent, further emphasizing the destructive nature of the chaos.
With a heavy appetite (appetite)
The chaos is consuming everything in its path and cannot be satisfied.
The swirling flames (swirling flames)
The violence and destruction are becoming more aggressive and unpredictable.
Blinding everyone in sight (in sight)
The effects of the chaos are becoming more pervasive and affecting everyone involved.
Sweat-filled traces
The physical toll of the chaos is being shown through sweat and exhaustion.
In common places
The chaos is affecting everyone, regardless of social status or background.
The price we pay to hear this type of fight
The violence and chaos is the result of societal issues and systemic problems that we can no longer ignore.
Fire
The chorus repeats the imagery of fire to emphasize the destructive nature of the chaos.
Fire
Fire
We're on fire tonight
The repetition of the chorus emphasizes that the chaos is currently happening and affecting everyone in the present moment.
Contributed by Wyatt V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Arturo
What a great guitar player and leader of this group, Ed King, later of Lynryd Skynyrd. The Alarm Clock vs. Skynryd. You cannot get much different within the classification of rock and roll. RIP Ed, you were a good man, and a true professional.
Wilson Martin
I'd argue that Randy Seol was the leader of the group, but Ed King was indeed a spectacular musician.
psicodélico
these guys were craftmen in their art. there were thousands of bands in the 60s like they are today. when you stand above the rest it means you did something right.
Mixalis Kokkinos
Yes man!
Gereniccc
A hidden gem. Easily one of my favorite songs ever made.
Matheus Coelho
minha banda psicodélica preferida, talento demais, puta merda
KHH
Wow, love the bass line ! Great opening track to the album
Mixalis Kokkinos
One of the grooviest song ever!!!Randy Seol all the credits!Greetings from Greece
Dylan did Jones
Underrated cause they were a truly brilliant band 😁
That 70's Guitarist
Ed King was their lead guitarist, long before he joined Lynyrd Skynyrd. Hearing his more experimental, pre-Skynyrd stuff is always a welcome treat!♥️ I get the same kind of kick from listening to Rev. Willy G. from his pre-ZZ Top days with the Moving Sidewalks!😁