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)
The Hitcher
Swervedriver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Always too far away to see
Controlled explosions wreck the train line
Just can't believe the coast is clear
I get this feelin'
It's such an itch, itch
You're somewhere out there in a landslide
Telephone lines down in a rainstorm
And I'm like a ship moored on dry land
I get this feelin'
It's such a bitch
You're always far out in the midrange
All around the state boundary spillage signs
Somebody burnt down all the pylons
And your my passport past these mines
I get this feelin'
I wanna hitch
Hitch a ride on your smile
Hitch a ride on your smile
Hitch a ride away from here
Hitch a ride on your smile
Hitch a ride away from here
I get this feelin'
End of the tunnel light just blinds me
While you weep like a willow tree
Send out distress signals to find me
They shine so hard so why can't we?
I get this feelin'
Wanna hitch
Hitch a ride on your smile
Hitch a ride on your smile
Hitch a ride away from here
Hitch a ride on your smile
Hitch a ride away
I get this feelin'
The lyrics of Swervedriver's song "The Hitcher" describe a longing to connect with someone who is always just out of reach. The singer expresses frustration with the distance between himself and the object of his desires, describing the feeling as an "itch" that can't be scratched. The imagery used in the song is poetic and powerful, painting a picture of a world in chaos, with controlled explosions and landslides. Despite this chaos, the singer believes that he can find a way to connect with the person he desires, pleading to "hitch a ride" with them to escape from his current reality.
The lyrics of "The Hitcher" are open to interpretation, but one possible meaning is that the song is about the struggle to find meaning and connection in a world that can seem overwhelming and chaotic. The singer is searching for something to hold onto, something that can provide him with a sense of purpose and belonging. The imagery of the song reflects this sense of dislocation, with references to trains being wrecked, telephone lines going down, and pylons being burnt. Despite these obstacles, however, the singer remains determined to find a way to connect with the person he desires, hoping to "hitch a ride" with them to a better place.
Line by Line Meaning
You're never far away from my mind
I can't stop thinking about you
Always too far away to see
You're physically far away from me
Controlled explosions wreck the train line
I feel like everything around me is falling apart
Just can't believe the coast is clear
I can't believe things are going smoothly
I get this feelin'
I have a strong intuition
It's such an itch, itch
It's a very uncomfortable feeling
You're somewhere out there in a landslide
You're dealing with a tough situation
All hope just slippin' through like sand
You feel like your hope is slipping away
Telephone lines down in a rainstorm
Communication is difficult
And I'm like a ship moored on dry land
I feel stuck and powerless
You're always far out in the midrange
You're hard to reach
All around the state boundary spillage signs
Everywhere I look, I'm reminded of how far away you are
Somebody burnt down all the pylons
Something important was destroyed
And your my passport past these mines
You're my way out of this difficult situation
I get this feelin'
My gut tells me
I wanna hitch
I want to escape with you
Hitch a ride on your smile
I want to be with you and feel happy
Hitch a ride away from here
I want to leave this place with you
End of the tunnel light just blinds me
I can see the end of the difficult situation, but it's overwhelming
While you weep like a willow tree
You're upset and vulnerable
Send out distress signals to find me
You need help and support
They shine so hard so why can't we?
We should be able to find each other easily
I get this feelin'
I have a strong intuition
Wanna hitch
I want to escape with you
Hitch a ride on your smile
I want to be with you and feel happy
Hitch a ride away from here
I want to leave this place with you
I get this feelin'
My gut tells me
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ADAM FRANKLIN, JIMMY HARTRIDGE, JEREMY HINDMARSH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
balltongue666
This song reminds me of every summer holiday I've had since 2006 where I would just drive around in my car in the blazing sunshine just to kill time. Other than that, I love Swervedriver a lot.
Christy Jia
This is my favorite Swervedriver song of all. They have loads of amazing songs, but there are feelings of the genuinely sublime found within this one.
Slow Neutron
Best rock n roll band since the 90s. How they got lumped into the 'shoegaze' genre is beyond me, but labels are for soup-cans. SWD was and is the real deal.
Cristhian R.
BEST SWERVEDRIVER SONG!
aLgaeikPond
I have nothing but love for this track, one of my favorite swervedriver songs
Green Bottleblue
Best band there ever was. I love SWD!
Bryce Stradling
this is one of my favorite songs
Benjamin Finley
Pretty sure this the greatest song ever.
Elysium9
Great song
isthiswhereitype1
its a great tune, i love it also