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)
HANDS
Swervedriver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The food's fine and the sun shines
And the people seem so relaxed
They ride motorbikes lidless
It seems like nobody's ever been anywhere
They didn't wanna be
I guess I'm not long for this world
In his little store
Where time stood still long before
Meticulous man, time on his hands
Time is his hands
He told me
You too can exist in your very own parallel time
Time ticks and how do you get your kicks?
Right now I could do with any kicks
Back home it's another dead cold night
The street lights emanate kind of surreal glows
Upon the real cold driven snow
That we all know so well
And I walk alone
But when there's a song in my head
I don't really feel alone
The busy streets are empty now
And everybody's gone home
The lyrics to Swervedriver's song Hands touch upon the themes of wanderlust, nostalgia, and the differences between places and people. The first verse expresses admiration for a particular place in the world, praising its weather, cuisine, and the disposition of its inhabitants. The singer marvels at the apparent contentment of the people who seem to have no desire to venture beyond their comfort zone. However, the final line of the verse suggests that the singer doesn't feel like they belong in this paradise and might not be around much longer.
The second verse describes a chance encounter with a man who runs a small store. The man is portrayed as being almost obsessive in his attention to detail and his preoccupation with time, which he sees as something that can be controlled and manipulated rather than a force that controls us all. He imparts his quirky philosophy to the singer, telling them that they too can carve out their own version of reality. The final line of the verse indicates that the singer is lacking something that their words of wisdom can't provide.
The final verse brings us back to the singer's home, where they find themselves alone on a cold, snowy night. They find solace in the music in their head, which provides a sense of shared experience even when the streets are empty. The lyrics create a contrast between the two settings, one warm and welcoming, the other cold and isolating. The song ends on a note of ambivalence, with the singer feeling both comforted by the music in their mind, yet still feeling alone in the world.
Overall, Hands seems to be exploring the push/pull of wanting to explore new places and experiences while also often feeling disconnected from them. The lyrics evoke the somewhat aimless feeling of travelling simply to escape one's environment but finding that internal struggles and joys remain regardless of the location.
Line by Line Meaning
I just love this part of the world
The singer is fond of the area they are currently in.
The food's fine and the sun shines
The weather is pleasant and the local cuisine is enjoyable.
And the people seem so relaxed
The locals give off an easy-going vibe.
They ride motorbikes lidless
The people ride motorcycles without helmets.
It seems like nobody's ever been anywhere
They didn't wanna be
The locals appear content with where they are and have no desire to travel.
I guess I'm not long for this world
The singer feels like they don't belong and may leave soon.
He just seems to kind of sit there all day long
In his little store
Where time stood still long before
The singer observed a man spending all day in his shop that seems dated.
Meticulous man, time on his hands
Time is his hands
He told me
The man is thorough with his work and has extra time to spare. He mentioned something to the artist.
You too can exist in your very own parallel time
Time ticks and how do you get your kicks?
The man suggests the artist can find their own pace of life. He questions how they enjoy their time.
Right now I could do with any kicks
The artist is currently bored and would welcome any form of excitement.
Back home it's another dead cold night
The street lights emanate kind of surreal glows
Upon the real cold driven snow
That we all know so well
At home, it is another typical cold and snowy night.
And I walk alone
But when there's a song in my head
I don't really feel alone
The busy streets are empty now
And everybody's gone home
The artist is walking by themselves but feels accompanied by the music in their thoughts. The streets are deserted now that everyone has gone home.
Lyrics © A SIDE MUSIC LLC D/B/A MODERN WORKS MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: ADAM FRANKLIN, ADRIAN VINES, GRAHAM BONNAR, JIMMY HARTRIDGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kunal Kotak
Finally found this! Love this track.
Kk. Taylor
Adam would make God jealous.