Bower first surfaced in the UK power-electronics / noise scene in 1982, when his band Pure, after just one limited cassette release, evolved into Total. By 1987, Total itself had mutated into Skullflower (including guitarist Stefan Jaworzyn and drummer Stuart Dennison), whilst remaining as Bower's solo project. Skullflower differed from many of the bands around them in their preference for more traditional instruments and in employing massive volume and tenuous, near-formless structures still loosely tied to rock. Various lineups included members of Ascension, Terminal Cheesecake, Whitehouse, Total, Ramleh, Breathless, and Coil. Whilst Total began as a less rock-based and calmer, ‘isolationist’ / ‘ambient’ counterpart, the dynamic then reversed with Total's later releases often considerably noisier and more chaotic than Skullflower's. Having shut down in 1996, Bower returned Skullflower as a solo vehicle in 2003. Other projects he has currently running include Hototogisu (with Marcia Bassett), and Mirag, which sees him working material of a vaguely black-metal nature.
Total was retired in the late ‘90s when the Puff Daddy-affiliated R&B group laid exclusive claim to the name, and Bower continued on from 1999 under the new name Sunroof! If anything, more wilfully diverse and leaning towards the ecstatic, Sunroof!’s trajectory has shifted from bubbling, transcendental pulse to coruscating feedback, jerky freeform soloing to sweet-shimmering dream-haze with traces of acid-damaged British folk, and brain-blitzing high-pitched psychedelic drone. The project has included collaborators like Richard Youngs, Mattin, C. Spencer Yeh (Burning Star Core), Sunburned Hand Of The Man's John Moloney and Marc Orleans, Vibracathedral Orchestra’s Mick Flower and Neil Campbell, and Phil Todd (whose Anna Planeta project also featured on a FatCat split 12”).
Bells
Sunroof! Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The new millenium.. everything's beautiful
everything's bright -- EXCEPT in the underground
Hu-hu-huh, yo, yo, yo, EXCEPT in the underground
Anti-theft devices.. stolen cars.. mad drugs
Chancellor Avenue!(Yo yo yo YO!Pace!Whattup nigga?)
(Yo yo yo!) HUH!
Chillin on the scene with a gangsta lean, OOH
Uh, yea-yea-yea-yea-YEAH
Yea-yea-yea, yo-yo-yo, UH!
Some do clock like neighborhood watch
Jealous of the team that's makin the cream, OOH
Yea-yea-yea-yea-yeah
And it go like this
I don't be battlin average men, I rip your establishment
Semi check they're after us - 260 Madison
Avenue, New York, New York
My crew walk through y'all like MOVE IT, MOVE IT
Don't make me holla holla that your raps need improvement
Your best track get left back like stupid students!
And while I show you new kids how to do this
let me break down how I be movin units, yo
I talk about stealin you and how your label beatin you
Exploit the weakness that I see in you
Crack on your Mom Duke and talk about your vehicle
Big time FAG, not doin what you need to do, YO
I'm the unbeatable, non-stop eager to
step up to the plate nigga like a major leaguer do
See jail, get a R.O.R.
Come back home like a hardcore star!
Take over the streets, move that cardboard car
Doin two hour shows, no encores y'al!
Gat blow, rap pro, style is supernatural
Have hoes packed 'til they can't move 'em back - YO!
Who been imitatin?Who wanna be like me?
Rap all day, fuck all night WE..
.. are the debonnaire, never scared
Push it 160, mad tipsy off of Everclear
Got guns and Knicks like Marcus Camby
I hide 'em in the darkest alley
If a snitch drop dime on my crimes I'ma have to park at Rally
Run up and spark his family; sing the hook!
Sunroof top, built-in stash spot
Chillin on the scene with a gangsta lean, OOH
Yeah, yeah, huh, yo
Yo-yo-yo-yo-YO, uh!
Some do clock like neighborhood watch
Jealous of the team that's makin the cream, OOH
Huh, yeah yeah yeah
I'm the man at the show that the women come see
Strippers say, "Fuck it - we all fuck free!"
Mr. Intangible, can't touch me
Roll up on you hungry, only one deep
Slug three fools in the leg and the tummy
Y'all can't take nuttin from me, DUNNY
Silly-ass niggaz like Cole on "Martin"
I go to jail, either get paroled or get pardoned
See who the snitch get the fifth then I spark him
Next time you see him, he on a milk carton
Listen, how we Detroit like the Pistons
BURIED SIX FEET SOMEWHERE
I raise my glass in the air, drink about five beers
Come up with all these ideas, TO SPARK IT
Open up a market, rentin out apartments
Give it to a nigga when he act like he want it
Any situation, my crew down to solve it
Nine to sixteen ex-convicts
Better save comments for bullshit crews that need polish
This one here got the phonics, bitch!
Sunroof top, built-in stash spot
Chillin on the scene with a gangsta lean, OOH
Yea-yea-yea-yea-YEAH
Y'all can't fuck with Da Bricks, UHH!
Some do clock like neighborhood watch
Jealous of the team that's makin the cream, OOH
Yea-yea-yea-yea-YEAH
Pace.. WON!
The song "Viva" by Sunroof! puts a spotlight on the harsh realities of life in the underground hip-hop scene. While acknowledging the beauty of a new millennium, the lyrics skip the surface-level excitement of new tech and instead delve into topics like anti-theft devices, stolen cars, and drugs. The song takes us to Chancellor Avenue, a notorious street in Newark, New Jersey, and describes the lifestyle of those who live there. The lyrics go on to talk about Sunroof's top and built-in stash spot, while chilling on the scene with a "gangsta lean". They also call out those who clock like the neighborhood watch, with hints of jealousy towards their success.
The lyrics in "Viva" are poetic and raw, with a delivery that feels like a mix between spoken word and traditional rap. Throughout the song, the listener is taken on a journey through the underground world of hip-hop. This includes everything from talking about stealing cars and offering up exploits of weakness to discussing haters and describing the life of a hardcore star coming home from jail. The song is dedicated to those who have to fight against the system to survive and thrive, with a strong message of never giving up.
Line by Line Meaning
Ahhh.. yes.. one life.. and what a life it is
There is only one life and it is beautiful!
The new millenium.. everything's beautiful
everything's bright -- EXCEPT in the underground
Hu-hu-huh, yo, yo, yo, EXCEPT in the underground
In the new millennium everything is beautiful and bright, except in the underground
Anti-theft devices.. stolen cars.. mad drugs
Chancellor Avenue!(Yo yo yo YO!Pace!Whattup nigga?)
(Yo yo yo!) HUH!
There are too many anti-theft devices, stolen cars and drugs. It's chaos on Chancellor Avenue.
Sunroof top, built-in stash spot
Chillin on the scene with a gangsta lean, OOH
Uh, yea-yea-yea-yea-YEAH
Yea-yea-yea, yo-yo-yo, UH!
I'm chilling with my sunroof open and built-in stash spot, looking cool with a gangsta lean
Some do clock like neighborhood watch
Jealous of the team that's makin the cream, OOH
Yea-yea-yea-yea-yeah
And it go like this
Some people are paranoid like neighborhood watch because they are jealous of the team that's making money
I don't be battlin average men, I rip your establishment
Semi check they're after us - 260 Madison
Avenue, New York, New York
My crew walk through y'all like MOVE IT, MOVE IT
Don't make me holla holla that your raps need improvement
Your best track get left back like stupid students!
And while I show you new kids how to do this
let me break down how I be movin units, yo
I talk about stealin you and how your label beatin you
Exploit the weakness that I see in you
Crack on your Mom Duke and talk about your vehicle
Big time FAG, not doin what you need to do, YO
I'm the unbeatable, non-stop eager to
step up to the plate nigga like a major leaguer do
See jail, get a R.O.R.
Come back home like a hardcore star!
Take over the streets, move that cardboard car
Doin two hour shows, no encores y'al!
Gat blow, rap pro, style is supernatural
Have hoes packed 'til they can't move 'em back - YO!
Who been imitatin?Who wanna be like me?
Rap all day, fuck all night WE..
.. are the debonnaire, never scared
Push it 160, mad tipsy off of Everclear
Got guns and Knicks like Marcus Camby
I hide 'em in the darkest alley
If a snitch drop dime on my crimes I'ma have to park at Rally
Run up and spark his family; sing the hook!
I don't battle with mediocre people, I destroy their establishment. The authorities are after us, but we move through them like a breeze. I exploit your weakness, insult your mom and show everyone how to do things the right way. In my shows, I leave my audience begging for more, but I don't bow to their demand. I lead the streets and have women drooling over me. I rap and have sex all night, and everyone imitates my style but can never be me. I'm fearless and always have a stash of guns and drugs on the ready. I never get caught, but if someone snitches, their family is in trouble.
I'm the man at the show that the women come see
Strippers say, "Fuck it - we all fuck free!"
Mr. Intangible, can't touch me
Roll up on you hungry, only one deep
Slug three fools in the leg and the tummy
Y'all can't take nuttin from me, DUNNY
Silly-ass niggaz like Cole on "Martin"
I go to jail, either get paroled or get pardoned
See who the snitch get the fifth then I spark him
Next time you see him, he on a milk carton
Listen, how we Detroit like the Pistons
BURIED SIX FEET SOMEWHERE
I raise my glass in the air, drink about five beers
Come up with all these ideas, TO SPARK IT
Open up a market, rentin out apartments
Give it to a nigga when he act like he want it
Any situation, my crew down to solve it
Nine to sixteen ex-convicts
Better save comments for bullshit crews that need polish
This one here got the phonics, bitch!
I'm the man that women come to see when I rap. I don't pay for sex, these women offer themselves to me. I'm untouchable and can kill three people with a single shot. I always win, and even if I go to jail, I either get paroled or pardoned. I get rid of snitches and bury their bodies, never to be found again. I raise a toast with my friends, brainstorm new ideas, and come up with a plan to rent apartments. If someone isn't acting right, I'll give them what they deserve. My crew is always ready to solve any problem, and we have ex-convicts with us. So shut up and listen, my crew has got the skills.
Y'all can't fuck with Da Bricks, UHH!
You can't mess with us, we're from Da Bricks!
Pace.. WON!
Pace won!
Contributed by Riley W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.