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)
Sci-Flyer
Swervedriver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They said they'd be here today
They like to oscillate
They say it's great
They want to rollercoaster ride
And drive into the depths of the dark night
They love the bright lights
And the lay-by's too
They said they knew
Just call me bucket rider
I don't have a penny to my name
And no coal to stoke my fire
But it's a nice neck of the woods all the same
This is where they came down
To our planet, checkin' on our climate
And our women too
And as the leaves blew up
They said they knew
Below the apes above the angels
Below the apes above the angels
Below the apes above the angels
They said Is this who you love?
And I said Yeah
But she only has two arms and one smile
That's alright that's enough for me by a mile
The opening lines of Swervedriver's song "Sci-Flyer" set the scene for a surreal encounter with extraterrestrial friends. The singer is excited to meet these friends who like to oscillate and rollercoaster ride. The reference to oscillation could be a nod to physics and the way that particles oscillate, or it could suggest a sense of motion sickness from the quick movements. The friends want to experience everything the planet has to offer, including the bright lights and lay-bys. As the leaves blow up to the heavens, the friends express their knowledge of the world.
Then the singer of the song introduces themselves as "bucket rider." This person doesn't have any money or fuel to feed their fire, but they still enjoy being in this neck of the woods. The friends who have landed on Earth are interested in checking out the planet's climate and women. As the leaves continue to blow, the friends express their understanding of the world.
The chorus of "Sci-Flyer" contains the memorable line "below the apes above the angels." This could be interpreted in a few ways, but it seems to suggest that humans exist somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. The friends ask if the singer truly loves the person they're with, and the answer is affirmative, despite her having only two arms and one smile.
Overall, the lyrics of "Sci-Flyer" seem to explore themes of connection and exploration, as well as the limitations of human understanding. The extraterrestrial friends seem to offer a new perspective on the world, and the singer is happy to share their experiences with them.
Line by Line Meaning
Let's go and meet our friends
We should head to our destination to find our friends.
They said they'd be here today
Our friends told us that they would be present here today.
They like to oscillate
Our friends enjoy moving back and forth in a regular rhythm.
They say it's great
Our friends believe that their actions make them feel good.
They want to rollercoaster ride
Our friends desire to enjoy the thrill of a rollercoaster ride.
And drive into the depths of the dark night
Our friends want to continue to venture out into the darkness of the night.
They love the bright lights
Our friends adore the beauty of bright lights.
And the lay-by's too
Our friends are also fond of stopping by resting places on their way.
And as the leaves blew up to the heavens
While the leaves were blown into the sky,
They said they knew
our friends were certain about something.
Just call me bucket rider
I am ready to ride anything without a concern for its condition.
I don't have a penny to my name
I am broke, and I have no money.
And no coal to stoke my fire
I do not have the resources to fuel my energy.
But it's a nice neck of the woods all the same
Even though I am going through difficulties, I still appreciate the good things around me.
This is where they came down
This planet is where our friends landed.
To our planet, checkin' on our climate
Our friends came to inspect the weather conditions on Earth.
And our women too
They also have an interest in Earth's women.
Below the apes above the angels
Referring to the hierarchical structure of organisms with humans between the animals and the divine beings.
Below the apes above the angels
This line is reiterated twice for emphasis.
Below the apes above the angels
This line is reiterated for the third time, underlining its importance.
They said Is this who you love?
Our visitors questioned us regarding our love interests.
And I said Yeah
I answered their inquiry affirmatively.
But she only has two arms and one smile
Describing the physical attributes of my love interest.
That's alright that's enough for me by a mile
Her looks are enough, and I am satisfied with them.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GRAHAM BONNAR, ADAM FRANKLIN, JIMMY HARTRIDGE, ADRIAN VINES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind