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.
Life's A Gas
T. Rex Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I could have chained your heart to a star
But it really doesn't matter at all
No it really doesn't matter at all
Life's a gas
I could have built a house on the ocean
I could have placed our love in the sky
No it really doesn't matter at all
Life's a gas
I could have turned you into a priestess
I could have burned your fate in the sand
But it really doesn't matter at all
No it really doesn't matter at all
Life's a gas
But it really doesn't matter at all
No it really doesn't matter at all
Life's a gas
I hope it's going to last
But it really doesn't matter at all
No it really doesn't matter at all
Life's a gas
The lyrics to T. Rex's song "Life's A Gas" express the idea that the singer could have loved a girl with all his heart, just like he could have built a house on the ocean or turned her into a priestess, but all these things don't matter much in the grand scheme of things. Life is depicted as being ephemeral and fleeting, but also celebratory in nature. The repetition of the line "But it really doesn't matter at all" underscores this nonchalant attitude, as if to emphasize that life is to be experienced rather than worried about.
The singer's descriptions of what could have been done, such as chaining the girl's heart to a star or burning her fate in the sand, suggest that these are grandiose, almost mythical gestures that could only be performed in a fantasy world. The repetition of the chorus, "Life's a gas," reinforces the notion that existence should be enjoyed for its own sake, as a joyful and wondrous experience. The final lines express the hope that life will continue to be enjoyable and fulfilling, but that it ultimately doesn't matter because it is still just a gas.
Overall, "Life's A Gas" is a whimsical tribute to the idea that life is to be lived, not fretted over, and that even if things don't go as planned, it's still a wonder to experience.
Line by Line Meaning
I could have loved you, girl, like a planet
I had the capability to love you deeply and intensely, like the vastness and grandeur of a planet in space.
I could have chained your heart to a star
I could have bound your heart to mine with unwavering, enduring love like a star that shines in the sky indefinitely.
But it really doesn't matter at all
Despite all the 'what ifs' and possibilities, none of it really matters in the end.
No it really doesn't matter at all
Emphasizing the insignificance of all those possibilities.
Life's a gas
Life is effortless and enjoyable; things happen smoothly and we should all try to enjoy it.
I could have built a house on the ocean
I had the ability to do something almost impossible or incredibly complex such as building a house on water.
I could have placed our love in the sky
I could have elevated our love to a higher plane or made it an intrinsic part of the universe, like the everlasting sky.
I could have turned you into a priestess
I could have elevated you to a pedestal of admiration by transforming you into a respected or spiritual figure like a priestess.
I could have burned your fate in the sand
I could have etched your destiny into the sands of time permanently, so that it would be eternal and unchangeable.
But it really doesn't matter at all
Again, reinforcing the point that even with all those possibilities life carries on unbothered.
I hope it's going to last
Despite life's impermanence, I still retain a sense of hope that things may last, even if only for a moment.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MARC BOLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-ip9yu7lp1q
"Life's A Gas"
I could have loved you girl Like a planet
I could have chained your heart To a star
But it really doesn't matter at all
No it really doesn't matter at all
Life's a gas, I hope it's gonna last
I could have built a house On the ocean
I could have placed your love In the sky
I could have turned you Into a priestess
I could have burned
Your fate in the sand
@MilesBellas
B Side of Jeepster
I could have loved you, Girl, like a planet
I could have chained your heart to a star
But it really doesn't matter at all
No it really doesn't matter at all
Life's a gas
I could have built a house on the ocean
I could have placed our love in the sky
But it really doesn't matter at all
No it really doesn't matter at all
Life's a gas
I could have turned you into a priestess
I could have burned your fate in the sand
But it really doesn't matter at all
No it really doesn't matter at all, life's a gas
But it really doesn't matter at all
No it really doesn't matter at all
Life's a gas
I hope it's going to last
@janethardie9195
I bought this single on 12" vinyl when it 1st came out in tge early 70s xx❤
@winfriedrempe5947
Einer meiner Lieblingslieder von T.Rex . Wunderschön. Wehmut kommt auf. Erinnerungen an die 70er Jahre, meine Jugend-Zeit .
Meine Lieblingsgruppe. Immer noch.
Bin fast 63 Jahre alt und besitze alle Orginalen Schallplatten von T.rex.
@walterrodach3233
Ich auch
@FredMorris-pc8ed
if you like this you might like my brothers music. his name is Stu Morris
@aladinsane10
Habe alle LP's von tyranosaurus bis Dandy. Bin 66
@Kermie333
Life is so much better with a little Marc in our hearts! 💚
@chuckhunter77
There's a really great tribute album that was just released called "Angelheaded Hipster".
@Kermie333
@@chuckhunter77 Thanks for the information! I'm excited to check it out!
@jackspry9736
RIP the three members of T. Rex
Marc Bolan (September 30, 1947 – September 16, 1977), aged 29
Steve Currie (May 19, 1947 – April 28, 1981), aged 33
Mickey Finn (June 3, 1947 – January 11, 2003), aged 55
You will always be remembered as legends.
@jothegreek
did too much gas