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.
Ballroom of Mars
T. Rex Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Be primed for dancing
You're gonna trip and glide
All on the trembling plane
Your diamond hands
Will be stacked with roses
And wind and cars
And people of the past
I'll call you thing
Just when the moon sings
And place your face in stone
Upon the hill of stars
And gripped in the arms
Of the changeless madman
We'll dance our lives away
In the ballrooms of Mars
You talk about day
I'm talking 'bout night time
When the monsters call out
The names of men
Bob Dylan knows
And I bet Alan Freed did
There are things in night
That are better not to behold
You dance
With your lizard leather boots on
And pull the strings
That change the faces of men
You diamond browed hag
You're a glitter-gaunt gangster
John Lennon knows your name
And I've seen his
Ballrooms of Mars is a mesmerizing song by T. Rex that has left fans bewildered about its meaning for over four decades. The song, which was released in 1972, speaks to the theme of life's unpredictability and the illogical nature of the universe, which is beautifully composed in surreal images. According to the song, the listener will "look fine, be primed for dancing, trip and glide all on the trembling plane" while adorned in "diamond hands stacked with roses, wind, and cars, and people of the past." These lyrics suggest that life is a dance, and the universe will offer us everything we want if we can accomplish the impossible.
The second verse of the song, "You talk about day, I'm talking 'bout nighttime, when the monsters call out the names of men," speaks to the fact that the darkness can be too much to bear sometimes, and it's best to stay away from it. The references to Bob Dylan and Alan Freed suggest that people who deal with the darkness can overcome evil spirits. The hauntingly beautiful ballad concludes with the declaration that the listener will "dance their lives away in the Ballrooms of Mars." The song is saying that life is like a never-ending dance, and one should keep moving, keep dancing, keep living.
Line by Line Meaning
You gonna look fine
You will look exquisite and elegant
Be primed for dancing
Get ready to dance to your heart's content
You're gonna trip and glide
You will move gracefully like a bird
All on the trembling plane
In the unstable and unpredictable world
Your diamond hands
Your hands will be adorned with precious gems
Will be stacked with roses
You will hold a bouquet of roses in your hands
And wind and cars
You will feel the wind blow and hear the sound of cars
And people of the past
You will see the ghosts of people who have lived in the past
I'll call you thing
I will give you a name that suits you
Just when the moon sings
At the time when the moon is at its brightest and most beautiful
And place your face in stone
I will immortalize your likeness in a sculpture
Upon the hill of stars
On a high mountaintop that overlooks the stars
And gripped in the arms
Held tightly in the embrace
Of the changeless madman
Of the eccentric and unchanging person
We'll dance our lives away
We will dance until our lives are over
In the ballrooms of Mars
In the otherworldly dance halls on the planet Mars
You talk about day
You may speak of the daylight hours
I'm talking 'bout night time
But I am referring to the dark hours of the night
When the monsters call out
When the creatures of the night make their presence known
The names of men
And they speak the names of those who are awake
Bob Dylan knows
Bob Dylan is aware
And I bet Alan Freed did
And I'm sure Alan Freed knew too
There are things in night
There are things that happen at night
That are better not to behold
That are better left unseen and unheard
You dance
You move in rhythm to the music
With your lizard leather boots on
While wearing your boots made from reptile skin
And pull the strings
And exert control over others
That change the faces of men
Whose actions have the power to alter the course of lives
You diamond browed hag
You are a tough and fearless individual
You're a glitter-gaunt gangster
You are a flashy and glamorous criminal
John Lennon knows your name
John Lennon is familiar with who you are
And I've seen his
And I have witnessed this sight myself
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group
Written by: MARC BOLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@luisortiz2301
Lyrics
You gonna look fine
Be primed for dancing
You're gonna trip and glide
All on the trembling plane
Your diamond hands
Will be stacked with roses
And wind and cars
And people of the past
I'll call you thing
Just when the moon sings
And place your face in stone
Upon the hill of stars
And gripped in the arms
Of the changeless madman
We'll dance our lives away
In the Ballrooms of Mars
You talk about day
I'm talking 'bout night time
When the monsters call out
The names of men
Bob Dylan knows
And I bet Alan Freed did
There are things in night
That are better not to behold
You dance
With your lizard leather boots on
And pull the strings
That change the faces of men
You diamond browed hag
You're a glitter-gaunt gangster
John Lennon knows your name
And I've seen his
@TheAce24
This whole album was superb.
@Juno58
Imho their best!
@LemursManLemurs1
@@Juno58agreed
@losbrakoneros8681
Почему был?,ты сменила пол?
@grzegorzg1761
I lost my father 2 years ago, he showed me T rex when i was a kid. Now I am 38 years old and listening to this music I cry like a little boy, I miss you so much...
@Resplencemelodi
I wish you both peace. Sorry to here that man :(
@robindutt7169
My Dear Sir...I cry too. For other and related reasons. Bolan put it so universally succinctly. All luck to you, Grzegorz...
@TheOlim01
respect..
@JayOhBreezy
He’s listening with ya my friend.
@gregorysyson5914
I feel that all to much