T.Rex was a primary force in glam rock, thanks to the creative direction of guitarist/vocalist Marc Bolan (born Mark Feld). Bolan created a deliberately trashy form of rock and roll that was proud of its own disposability, which stood in contrast to the low-key whimsical poetry of the earlier duo. T.Rex's music borrowed the underlying sexuality of early rock & roll, adding dirty, simple grooves and fat distorted guitars, as well as an overarching folky/hippie spirituality that always came through the clearest on ballads. While most of his peers concentrated on making cohesive albums, Bolan kept the idea of a three-minute pop single alive in the early 1970s. In Britain, he became a superstar, sparking a period of "T.Rextacy" among the pop audience with a series of Top Ten hits, including four number one singles. Over in America, the group only had one major hit -- the Top Ten "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" -- before disappearing from the charts in 1973. T.Rex's popularity in the U.K. didn't begin to waver until 1975, and they retained a devoted following until Marc Bolan's death in 1977. Over the next three decades, Bolan has emerged as a cult figure and the music of T.Rex has proved quite influential on hard rock, punk, new wave, and alternative rock.
Following a career as a teenage model, Marc Bolan began performing music professionally in 1965, releasing his first single, "The Wizard," on Decca Records. Bolan joined the psychedelic folk-rock combo John's Children in 1967, appearing on three unsuccessful singles before the group disbanded later that year. Following the breakup, he formed the folk duo Tyrannosaurus Rex with percussionist Steve Peregrine Took. The duo landed a record deal with a subsidiary of EMI in February 1968, recording their debut album with producer Tony Visconti. "Debora," the group's first single, peaked at number 34 in May of that year, and their debut album, "My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair...But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brow", reached number 15 shortly afterward. The duo released their second album, "Prophets, Seers & Sages, the Angels of the Ages", in November of 1968.
By this time, Tyrannosaurus Rex was building a sizable underground following, which helped Bolan's book of poetry, The Warlock of Love, enter the British best-seller charts. In the summer of 1969, the duo released their third album, "Unicorn", as well as the single "King of the Rumbling Spires," the first Tyrannosaurus Rex song to feature an electric guitar. Following an unsuccessful American tour that fall, Took left or as is often stated by people close to the band, was sacked. He was replaced by Mickey Finn, previously linked to the band Haphash and the coloured coat.(There are a few more artists using the name Mickey Finn, though that is where the connection ends)! The new duo's first single did not chart, yet their first album, 1970's "A Beard of Stars", reached number 21.
The turning point in Bolan's career came in October of 1970, when he shortened the group's name to T.Rex and released "Ride a White Swan," a fuzz-drenched single driven by a rolling backbeat. "Ride a White Swan" became a major hit in the U.K., climbing all the way to number two. The band's next album, T.Rex, peaked at number 13 and stayed on the charts for six months. Encouraged by the results, Bolan expanded T.Rex to a full band, adding bassist Steve Currie and drummer Bill Legend (born Bill Fifield). The new lineup recorded "Hot Love," which spent six weeks at number one in early 1971. That summer, T.Rex released "Get It On" (retitled "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" in the U.S.), which became their second straight U.K. number one; the single would go on to be their biggest international hit, reaching number ten in the U.S. in 1972. "Electric Warrior", the first album recorded by the full band, was released in the fall of 1971; it was number one for six weeks in Britain and cracked America's Top 40.
By now, "T.Rextacy" was in full swing in England, as the band had captured the imaginations of both teenagers and the media with its sequined, heavily made-up appearance; the image of Marc Bolan in a top hat, feather boa, and platform shoes, performing "Get It On" on the BBC became as famous as his music. At the beginning of 1972, T.Rex signed with EMI, setting up a distribution deal for Bolan's own T.Rex Wax Co. record label. "Telegram Sam," the group's first EMI single, became their third number one single.
"Metal Guru" also hit number one, spending four weeks at the top of the chart. The Slider, released in the summer of 1972, shot to number one upon its release, allegedly selling 100,000 copies in four days; the album was also T.Rex's most successful American release, reaching number 17. Appearing in the spring of 1973, Tanx was another Top Five hit for T.Rex; the singles "20th Century Boy" and "The Groover" soon followed it to the upper ranks of the charts. However, those singles would prove to be the band's last two Top Ten hits. In the summer of 1973, rhythm guitarist Jack Green joined the band, as did three backup vocalists, including the American soul singer Gloria Jones; Jones would soon become Bolan's girlfriend. At the beginning of 1974, drummer Bill Legend left the group and was replaced by Davy Lutton, as Jones became the group's keyboardist.
In early 1974, the single "Teenage Dream" was the first record to be released under the name Marc Bolan and T.Rex. The following album, Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow, was the last Bolan recorded with Tony Visconti. Throughout the year, T.Rex's popularity rapidly declined -- by the time "Zip Gun Boogie" was released in November, it could only reach number 41. Finn and Green left the group at the end of the year, while keyboardist Dino Dines joined. The decline of T.Rex's popularity was confirmed when 1975's Bolan's "Zip Gun" failed to chart. Bolan took the rest of the year off, returning in the spring of 1976 with "Futuristic Dragon", which peaked at number 50. Released in the summer of 1976, "I Love to Boogie," a disco-flavored three-chord thumper, became Bolan's last Top 20 hit.
Bolan released "Dandy in the Underworld" in the spring of 1977; it was a modest hit, peaking at number 26. While "The Soul of My Suit" reached number 42 on the charts, T.Rex's next two singles failed to chart. Sensing it was time for a change of direction, Bolan began expanding his horizons in August. In addition to contributing a weekly column for Record Mirror, he hosted his own variety television show, Marc. Featuring guest appearances by artists like David Bowie and Generation X, Marc helped restore Bolan's hip image. Signing with RCA Records, the guitarist formed a new band with bassist Herbie Flowers and drummer Tony Newman, yet he never was able to record with the group. While driving home from a London club with Bolan, Gloria Jones lost control of her car, smashing into a tree. Marc Bolan, riding in the passenger's seat of the car, was killed instantly.
While T.Rex's music was intended to be disposable, it has proven surprisingly influential over the years. Hard rock and heavy metal bands borrowed the group's image, as well as the pounding insistence of their guitars. Punk bands may have discarded the high heels, feather boas, and top hats, yet they adhered to the simple three-chord structures and pop aesthetics that made the band popular, as they still are today 30 years after Marc's death.
Ain'T That A Shame
T. Rex Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stay away too long and I can't do without you
Every chance you get you seem to hurt me more and more
But each hurt makes my love stronger than before
I know flowers go through rain
But how can love go through pain
Ain't that peculiar
Ain't that peculiar baby
Peculiar as can be
You tell me lies that should be obvious to me
I've been so much in love with you baby til I don't want to see
That things you do and say are designed to make me blue
It's a doggone shame my love for you makes all
Your lies seem true
But if the truth makes love last longer
Why do lies make my love stronger
Ain't that peculiar
Peculiar as can be
Ain't that peculiar baby
A peculiar-arity
I cried so much just like a child that's lost its home
Maybe baby you think these tears I cry are tears of joy
A child can cry so much until you do everything they say
But unlike a child my tears don't help me to get my way
I know love can last through years
But how can love last through tears
Now ain't that peculiar baby
A peculiar-arity
Ain't it peculiar baby
Peculiar as can be
Said I don't understand it baby
It's so strange sometimes
The song "Ain't That A Shame" by T. Rex is a ballad about a person who is madly in love with someone who consistently hurts them. The chorus questions the peculiar nature of this intense emotion, which seems to grow stronger despite the pain. The singer describes how every time they are hurt, their love for the other person intensifies. They compare their feelings to those of flowers enduring rain, wondering how love can withstand so much pain.
The verses continue to explore this theme of a love that endures despite lies and tears. The singer acknowledges that they have been lied to and hurt by their beloved, but they are unable to see these actions as anything but a reflection of their deep love. They describe crying so much they feel like a lost child, and wonder why tears don't help them get their way like they do with a child. Despite this confusion and frustration, they still feel a powerful, unexplainable bond with the one who hurts them.
Line by Line Meaning
Honey you do me wrong but still I'm crazy about you
I know you hurt me, but I love you anyways.
Stay away too long and I can't do without you
I miss you when you're gone and can't imagine life without you.
Every chance you get you seem to hurt me more and more
You hurt me repeatedly, and I can't understand why.
But each hurt makes my love stronger than before
My love for you becomes stronger despite the pain you cause me.
I know flowers go through rain
I understand that things can be tough in a relationship.
But how can love go through pain
But how can love endure constant pain and hurt?
Ain't that peculiar
Isn't it strange?
A peculiar-arity
Something that is unique and odd.
You tell me lies that should be obvious to me
You lie to me even when it's clear you're not being truthful.
I've been so much in love with you baby til I don't want to see
I'm in love with you so much that I often overlook your negative actions.
That things you do and say are designed to make me blue
You intentionally do things that make me sad and upset.
It's a doggone shame my love for you makes all
It's unfortunate that my love for you blinds me from seeing the truth.
Your lies seem true
Your lies appear to be true because of my love for you.
But if the truth makes love last longer
If truth is what makes relationships last, then why does my love for you get stronger with your lies?
Why do lies make my love stronger
I don't understand why my love for you gets stronger despite your constant lies.
I cried so much just like a child that's lost its home
I'm crying so much because I feel lost and alone without you.
Maybe baby you think these tears I cry are tears of joy
You may misinterpret my tears as tears of happiness, when in fact they're tears of sadness.
A child can cry so much until you do everything they say
A child can cry so much that they get what they want, but that's not the case for me.
But unlike a child my tears don't help me to get my way
My tears aren't a tactic to manipulate you into doing what I want.
I know love can last through years
I know relationships can endure the test of time.
But how can love last through tears
But how can a relationship last when there are constant tears and heartache?
Now ain't that peculiar baby
Isn't that weird?
A peculiar-arity
Something that is unique and odd.
Ain't it peculiar baby
Isn't it strange?
Peculiar as can be
It's extremely weird and unusual.
Said I don't understand it baby
I just can't comprehend it.
It's so strange sometimes
It's really bizarre and puzzling at times.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: WARREN MOORE, SMOKEY ROBINSON, WILLIAM ROBINSON JR., ROBERT ROGERS, MARVIN TARPLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Marc Hartley
Great instrumental.....I also love the version with lyrics! great stuff! Delf and Kaz x
Harley Brown
Ever get that feeling that this theme should be played every time you walk into room? I was born September 26th 1976 and I just feel like this song is a part of me.and this song just resonates off of me when I appear. >:)
erik mullins
September 25 1976. This song always plays in my head.
sabini1888
Harley Brown I was born September 26 1979, I love Bolan.
Carol Runham
Beautiful
Scott Caramanis
Hell ya the version with lyrics was called "Bolans zip gun" not from the album tho...fucking brilliant!!!
Alfi Moffat
I was born 79 was brought up with this music when my son was he could tell you everything bout Marc when and how he died etc my Dad went to a concert one year when I was about 2 I think he managed to get Marc's tambourine and I burst it think he still in a bad mood about it 36yrs later. oops
slider28
Lyrics??? I didnt know there was one! Can you upload it??
slider28
Isnt that the lyrics to Dragon's Ear?
Charles Wagner
Is all the crowd yelling in the background MIXED in? or is this taken from a live show?