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)
Last Train To Satansville
Swervedriver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Said a stranger on a train
I fixed him with an ice cold stare
And said "I've been havin' those dreams again"
In one dream there's this girl I know
And we dance every wakin' breath
And in the other they've thrown me in a cell
And they're tryin' me for her death
I'm only young and young in love,
As I hold that girl today
But I'm old and tired and in the cell
And I've nigh on withered away
why'see my babe has gone away too long
I'm chokin' back the tears
Disheveled star in a burnt out bar
I'm talkin' in my drink
She promised me the world and more
How could she do this to me?
And now mine's tumblin' down around
But at least my eyes can see
And those stars in the sky are for me
So as this fagged-out tinsel town
Waves so-long to the sun
I lay here calmly on my bed,
And the trigger of my gun
Should that no good woman show up,
Dancin' from a dream
I'll squeeze it twice,
And not think twice,
And relish every scream......
The lyrics of "Last Train to Satansville" by Swervedriver are open for interpretation, but one of the possible meanings is that the singer is going through a crisis in his love life, and he's struggling to come to terms with the conflicting emotions he feels. The song starts with a stranger commenting on the singer's appearance and inquiring about his well-being. The singer responds with a cold attitude and reveals that he's been having recurring dreams that disturb him.
The first dream involves a girl he knows whom he often dances with, and the second one involves him being arrested and charged for her murder. The lyrics hint at the possibility that the girl may have been the cause of his troubles, or he might feel responsible for her fate. The singer reflects on his youth and how he used to hold the girl he loved, but now he's old and locked up, withering away.
The second part of the song reveals that the singer's girlfriend has left him, breaking her promises to him. He's now alone in a bar, drowning his sorrows and resenting her for abandoning him. The lyrics suggest that the singer has a gun, and if the woman were to appear before him, he would harm her. The last line of the song implies that the singer is ready to seek revenge, and he's not thinking twice about his actions.
Overall, the song depicts a man who's lost his love and is contemplating drastic measures to ease his pain. The lyrics convey a sense of hopelessness and despair - the singer's dreams haunt him, his present reality is bleak, and he has no way out.
Line by Line Meaning
"You look like you've been losin' sleep"
Said a stranger on a train
A stranger on a train comments on my appearance
I fixed him with an ice cold stare
And said "I've been havin' those dreams again"
I responded to the stranger with a cold stare and shared that I've been having unsettling dreams
In one dream there's this girl I know
And we dance every wakin' breath
In one dream, I dance with a girl I know every waking moment
And in the other they've thrown me in a cell
And they're tryin' me for her death
In the other dream, I'm locked up and on trial for the death of the same girl from the first dream
I'm only young and young in love,
As I hold that girl today
In the first dream I'm young and in love as I hold the girl
But I'm old and tired and in the cell
And I've nigh on withered away
In juxtaposition, in the other dream I'm old, tired, and withered away in a cell
why'see my babe has gone away too long
I'm chokin' back the tears
My lover has left me and it's been too long. I try to hold back tears
Disheveled star in a burnt out bar
I'm talkin' in my drink
I'm a disheveled star, drinking and talking to myself in a burnt-out bar
She promised me the world and more
How could she do this to me?
My lover promised me everything but left me regardless. I cannot comprehend why
And now mine's tumblin' down around
But at least my eyes can see
And those stars in the sky are for me
Everything is falling apart around me, but at least I can see the stars in the sky
So as this fagged-out tinsel town
Waves so-long to the sun
The town is saying goodbye to the sun, marking the end of another day
I lay here calmly on my bed,
And the trigger of my gun
I lay still in my bed with a gun at my side
Should that no good woman show up,
Dancin' from a dream
If my no-good lover appears, dancing from my dream
I'll squeeze it twice,
And not think twice,
And relish every scream......
I will fire the gun, not having a second thought, and enjoy the sound of every scream
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ADAM FRANKLIN, JIMMY HARTRIDGE, JAMES HARTRIDGE, JEREMY HINDMARSH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheVagabondGadite
"You look like you've been losin' sleep"
Said a stranger on a train
I fixed him with an ice cold stare
And said "I've been havin' those dreams again"
In one dream there's this girl I know
And we dance every wakin' breath
And in the other they've thrown me in a cell
And they're tryin' me for her death
I'm only young and young in love,
As I hold that girl today
But I'm old and tired and in the cell
And I've nigh on withered away
why'see my babe has gone away too long
I'm chokin' back the tears
Disheveled star in a burnt out bar
I'm talkin' in my drink
She promised me the world and more
How could she do this to me?
And now mine's tumblin' down around
But at least my eyes can see
And those stars in the sky are for me
So as this fagged-out tinsel town
Waves so-long to the sun
I lay here calmly on my bed,
And the trigger of my gun
Should that no good woman show up,
Dancin' from a dream
I'll squeeze it twice,
And not think twice,
And relish every scream......
@shaunjedju
#2023 and this song still sounds awesome
@LoveMyZJ
Road Rash was my introduction to awesome music like this, I will be forever grateful. Sometimes I think I spent more time just sitting in the menu listening to the music than actually playing the game.
@randyh.7782
Mezcal Head is a masterpiece of an album. Road Rash on 3do brought Swervedriver to my attention, and I've been fans of them ever since.
@rasundesilva6088
burnout paradise was my introduction
@randyh.7782
@@rasundesilva6088 After playing the 3do version of Road Rash, I actually went out and bought their album "Mezcal Head". I have a title I give to albums, that I consider to be a masterpiece. It's a "No-Skip-A-Track Album".
@plaztik767
Same bro.. 👍🏻
@baddhart
Who n' the Fuck gives this glorious beast a thumbs down???
@Madsupervilian
It's definitely a good song, very epic. It should be played every once in a while on the alternative rock stations that nostalgically play bands like nirvana these days
@AdaptiveApeHybrid
BUT THIS IS BETTER THAN GRUNGE
@NoMoreLullabies
if they cared about music, they might haha