History
Early years
Their origins sprung from Oxford, United Kingdom in 1984 with the formation of a group called Shake Appeal, named after a song from one of their main influences, The Stooges. Consisting of vocalist/guitarists Adam Franklin and Jimmy Hartridge, lead vocalist Graham Franklin (Adam's brother), bassist Adi Vines, and drummer Paddy Pulzer; Shake Appeal went ahead reproducing the sounds of American garage rock of the late 60's and early 70's. The group wrote what would become Swervedriver's first classic "Son of Mustang Ford," however after a few years the band began to fall apart when both Graham and Paddy left.
The remaining three members drafted drummer Graham Bonnar, but by this time the group's sound mutated significantly under the influence of re-invented guitar music by American bands like Dinosaur Jr., and Sonic Youth. So with a new lineup and new sound came a new name, Swervedriver. Their hometown colleagues from fellow shoegazing group Ride passed their re-recorded demo of "Son of Mustang Ford" to Alan McGee of Creation Records; who, as legend has it, played the tape for the first time while cruising the inner streets of Los Angeles in a limo. The experience caused him sign the band immediately.
First album and possible breakup
Merging the whirling qualities of the shoegazer genre with heavy distorted guitars, and lyrics often featuring cars and escapism, the group debuted with a series of EPs; "Son of Mustang Ford," "Rave Down" and "Sandblasted," before issuing their full-length album debut "Raise" in 1991. Then after a U.S. tour in support of Soundgarden, Bonner left the band; the departure of Vines followed shortly afterwards. Bonner and Vines would eventually go on to form a new group called Skyscraper. Swervedriver's final release with the original lineup, 1992's "Never Lose That Feeling" EP, appeared to be the group's last.
Release of Mezcal Head
But in 1993, Swervedriver re-emerged with the core of Franklin and Hartridge along with newly recruited drummer Jez, and released their landmark album "Mezcal Head." If "Raise" was a product featuring a love of Americana, escapism and the open highway, then "Mezcal Head" was all that, but broadcast in IMAX with Dolby surround sound. Production and sound were greatly improved, and the album gave them their most successful single "Duel," hailed as one of the premier songs of the shoegazer genre. The album clearly forged a permanent link with their American fans, and made them more popular there than in their own native Britain. During this era, the fabled b-side "The Hitcher" found a release on the "Last Train to Satansville" EP. "The Hitcher" is widely considered to be a fan favorite.
Ejector Seat Reservation & Britpop
1994 found the band adding new bassist Steve George, along with extensive touring of the U.S. (supporting The Smashing Pumpkins), Japan and Europe. However by then the shoegazing genre in Britain was dead, replaced by the more mainstream Britpop movement hi-lighted by bands such as Oasis and Blur. The massive rise of Britpop caused Creation Records to drop the band just one week after the U.K. release of 1995 album "Ejector Seat Reservation." It was never released in the U.S. where they could have capitalized on the momentum of "Mezcal Head." ESR was another leap forward for the band, incorporating a wider number of influences from Elvis Costello to Bob Dylan. It saw the group grow into rebel visionaries and received the highest critical acclaim; however without any record company support it was doomed to be their poorest selling venture. This began a period of protracted record label problems for the band which fans dubbed the Swervedriver label curse.
Final years
In 1996, Swervedriver signed on with Geffen Records with a multi-record deal, and promptly began recording their fourth album. However their contract was terminated when their A&R (Artists & Repertoire) representative was fired in a corporate downsizing. Once the legal dust settled the band was awarded their own recording studio along with the finished album, however it was still a major setback. Their fourth and final album "99th Dream" was finally released in 1998 after signing on with Zero Hour Records of the U.S., and it continued the evolution that began with "Ejector Seat Reservation." Drawing less from their earlier ‘grunge' sound, the band never the less maintained their swerving, pyschedelic guitar rifts coupled with Franklin's magical lyrics and droning vocals, and was another brilliant body of work. The group continued to draw on a broader range of musical influences; for example the title track "99th Dream" was written as a prequel to Bob Dylan's song "115th Dream." Despite this album easily containing a half dozen possible hit singles, and a successful tour of the U.S., Britain and Australia; they did not break out beyond their traditional cult following. The "Wrong Treats" EP released in 1999 would become the bands last body of work as an extant group; they announced a hiatus later that year that persists to this day. Adam Franklin continues to release albums under his new band Toshack Highway.
In 2005, Castle Music released a Swervedriver anthology album titled "Juggernaut Rides" which brought together 33 songs; including many only available on rare EPs, and four that were previously unreleased..
In Late 2007 the Creation Records web site confirmed Swervedriver was reuniting for a 2008 tour.
Origins of name
How Swervedriver settled on their name has been the subject of debate among their fans for many years. During interviews whenever questioned on this topic, the band would simply respond that it was just a name; as The Beatles were just a name (in reference to that band's simple response in many early interviews). However Adam Franklin had once mentioned the band liked the connotation of a speeding driver, swerving and ultimately losing control of their car.
Discography
Full length albums
* Raise (1991)
* Mezcal Head (1993)
* Ejector Seat Reservation (1995)
* 99th Dream (1998)
* Juggernaut Rides 1989-1998 (2005) - 2 CD set
*I Wasn't Born to Lose You(2015)
*Future Ruins(2019)
Singles/EPs
* Son of Mustang Ford (1991)
* Rave Down (1991)
* Sandblasted (1991)
* Reel To Real (1991)
* Never Lose That Feeling (1993)
* Duel (1993)
* Last Train To Satansville (1993)
* My Zephyr (1994)
* Magic Bus (1994) - from Day Tripper movie soundtrack
* Last Day on Earth (1995)
* Swervedriver / Sophia Split (1996)
* 93 Million Miles From the Sun ... and Counting (1997)
* Space Travel Rock 'n' Roll (1998)
* Wrong Treats (1999)
Girl On A Motorbike
Swervedriver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Turn right at Potzdamer Platz
To see a girl on a motorbike
Expression carved on her face
Saw a man in a cafe downtown
Who says it fucks with your head
When you're tryin' to sleep at night
With a gun across your bed
Don't wanna be down at heel
Don't wanna be down at heel
You've shown disgrace on my place
You've gotta know how it feels
Sometimes at night when it's cold outside
It would be easier and sweet
To hack a road through the jungle
Than clear a path down the street
Too many folk in the middle lane
Who don't wanna swerve 'gainst the rails
Apathy balanced with disdain
Dogs chasin' their own tails
Don't wanna be down at heel
Don't wanna be down at heel
You come breakin' down my front door
You've gotta know how it feels
Followed the girl on a motorbike
Saw her enter a bar
It's dark inside with candles burn and
To liberate her scars
She Spanish-dance on the table
With butterflies that burn
It's like an incessant fox-hunt
Too many lessons learned
"Girl On A Motorbike" by Swervedriver is a journey through a city, with the singer following a girl on a motorbike. The song opens with the instructions to take a walk through the city and turn right at Potzdamer Platz to see a girl on a motorbike, whose expression is carved on her face. The song then shifts to a man the singer saw in a cafe downtown, who says that it messes with your head to try to sleep at night with a gun across your bed. The song's lyrics touch on themes of apathy, disillusionment, and the desire to escape from the mundane aspects of everyday life.
The chorus of the song is "Don't wanna be down at heel," which has a dual meaning. It could mean that the singer does not want to be broke and destitute, or it could mean that they do not want to feel down-hearted and hopeless. The verses expound on these feelings, describing how the singer feels trapped by the people and routines around them. The singer notes how it would be easier to hack through a jungle than to make a path down the street, as too many people are content to stay in the middle lane and not take risks.
Line by Line Meaning
Take a walk through the city
Start exploring the city
Turn right at Potzdamer Platz
Take a right turn on Potzdamer Platz
To see a girl on a motorbike
Observe a girl riding a motorcycle
Expression carved on her face
She bears an emotional expression
Saw a man in a cafe downtown
Witnessed a man within a downtown cafe
Who says it fucks with your head
He alerts about the disturbances it causes to a person's mind
When you're tryin' to sleep at night
When you are trying to sleep during the night
With a gun across your bed
Having a gun beside your bed
Don't wanna be down at heel
Don't wish to be in a pitiable state
Don't wanna be down at heel
Don't desire to be in a pitiable state
You've shown disgrace on my place
You have disrespected my location
You've gotta know how it feels
Understand the feeling of being in a disadvantaged position
Sometimes at night when it's cold outside
In cold nights, sometimes
It would be easier and sweet
It would be convenient and enjoyable
To hack a road through the jungle
To make a passageway through the forest
Than clear a path down the street
Rather than removing obstacles from the path on the road
Too many folk in the middle lane
There are too many people in the center lane
Who don't wanna swerve 'gainst the rails
Those who don't wish to make a sudden move or alter their course
Apathy balanced with disdain
Feeling indifferent with a slight hint of dislike towards something
Dogs chasin' their own tails
People doing something insignificant or meaningless
Don't wanna be down at heel
Don't wish to be in a pitiable state
Don't wanna be down at heel
Don't desire to be in a pitiable state
You come breakin' down my front door
You forcefully enter my residence
You've gotta know how it feels
Understand the feeling of being intruded and violated
Followed the girl on a motorbike
Pursued the girl riding a motorcycle
Saw her enter a bar
Observed her entering a pub
It's dark inside with candles burn and
It's dimly lit inside with burning candles
To liberate her scars
To free her from her emotional wounds
She Spanish-dance on the table
She danced flamenco-style on the table
With butterflies that burn
Carrying intense emotions
It's like an incessant fox-hunt
It's like a never-ending search for something
Too many lessons learned
Too many experiences gained
Lyrics © A SIDE MUSIC LLC D/B/A MODERN WORKS MUSIC PUBLISHING, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Adam Franklin, Jeremy Hindmarsh, Jimmy Hartridge, JAMES HARTRIDGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind