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.
Scenescof Dynasty
T. Rex Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My brandy tongue was like a caterpillar thing
Suzy-hung up on Joan of Arc
Cloudily gave me the key to the dark
Scraping the lice from my bed
I sussed we were teleported into his head
A wormy blood train expected our feet
But I cradled Suzy's head in my lap
And led her off the Astral plane
Sculpting her features in flesh
Her Alice eyes scan the mythical scene
And rose on the veiny snake train
And prayed to his bastille sky brain
The driver was a cancer growth cell
His words were just recorded tapes of Hell
He left us in the room of faded scrolls
In a window wall we saw a good thought chained
But knifed into a portion of his brain
Was a whitish through back to the green Amazon leach
It was interlocked between his angel eyes
Which were bleached transparent
And his marble lips were paralysed
We swum and ran knee deep in plasma
The cello stairs reduced in size
The sunken landscape eclipsing into
A pair of blue Tazmanian eyes
Scenescof then became a midget
Scratching at the bone in my knee
Then an eat without a body
Listening to my mental sea
Suzy sat behind some loose flesh
Her pirate thoughts were both young and old
Reduced to wearing blonde lot earings
She held me near she felt the cold
We ran just like young fauns
And me I fought a great worm
Sent to taste my jaguar feet
And used his skin to make my wings begin
I sussed and stole a scene from Icarus
And flew us above some uncooked meat
A plastic hook pierced through my Instep
I flew too near his Brutus heart
But Suzy hip to all the future
Played the Victorian heroin's part
With my basted leg and rusty head
And Suzy in a Hipolite dream
I brandished my breathing machette
While Scenescof prepared his Gorgon machine
It flew out from its eyelid island
It's Vulcan teeth and hydra spray
It's scale y tang claws ripping rainbows
It moved it's cave lips in worlds of movement
It makes a sound it seemed to say
Keep cool the satin sun is yours
I see your youthy aura's bright
Expell your tears and jungle fears
I'm here it's going to be alright
Then Scenescof screamed his charlatan hair
Quick silvered from black to grey
Then the Gorgon moved the lizard dial
And was transformed into Grecian dust
And from the sand was born a blacked horned storm
With a charger and a spear
As he moved his limbs
The legend shaft sliced Scenescof from ear to ear.
The lyrics of T. Rex’s song, Scenescof Dynasty, are characteristically surrealistic, and it can be challenging to provide a clear interpretation. The song seems to describe a meeting between the singer and his lover, possibly behind some sort of barrier (“the iron sling”), where the singer’s inebriation is likable to a “caterpillar thing”, which could be a reference to his brain being slow and sluggish. The singer’s lover appears to be preoccupied with Joan of Arc, who may represent a figure of rebellion and freedom. She gives the singer “the key to the dark,” which could suggest an opening of oneself to the unknown or the mysterious.
The following verses describe a journey into a dreamlike astral plane, where the couple confronts different entities, such as a “wormy blood train” and a “cancer growth cell driver.” They eventually find themselves in a room containing “faded scrolls,” and a “good thought” chained up. They then experience a series of surreal transformations, such as “Scenescof becoming a midget,” and the singer growing wings made of a worm’s skin.
The imagery of Scenescof Dynasty remains enigmatic, but it hints at themes such as the search for transcendence, the exploration of the subconscious, and the surrender to one’s imagination. The song fittingly features a psychedelic sound and gives an impression of drifting on the soundscape.
Line by Line Meaning
Meeting behind the iron sling
We met in a dark, confined space, perhaps a jail cell.
My brandy tongue was like a caterpillar thing
I was very drunk and couldn't articulate my words properly.
Suzy-hung up on Joan of Arc
Suzy was obsessed with Joan of Arc and talked about her a lot.
Cloudily gave me the key to the dark
Suzy gave me something that helped me understand the darkness of the situation we were in.
Scraping the lice from my bed
I was dealing with some sort of infestation, perhaps a metaphor for a problem in my life.
I sussed we were teleported into his head
I suddenly realized that we were in someone else's mind or imagination.
A wormy blood train expected our feet
We were faced with a disgusting, grotesque train that was made of flesh and blood.
But I cradled Suzy's head in my lap
I comforted Suzy and protected her from the horrors around us.
And fitted the stair to her gap
I helped Suzy through a difficult situation, perhaps by providing her with a way out.
And led her off the Astral plane
I helped Suzy escape from a surreal, otherworldly realm.
Sculpting her features in flesh
I was able to give Suzy a body in the surreal, disembodied realm we were in.
Her Alice eyes scan the mythical scene
Suzy was able to take in the surreal environment we were in with her wide eyes and imagination.
And rose on the veiny snake train
Suzy was able to conquer her fear and ride on the terrifying, grotesque train without losing herself.
And prayed to his bastille sky brain
Suzy prayed to a higher power, perhaps the person whose imagination we were in.
The driver was a cancer growth cell
The driver of the grotesque train was a disgusting, cancerous growth.
His words were just recorded tapes of Hell
The driver spoke in a hellish, monstrous voice.
He left us in the room of faded scrolls
The driver left us in a mysterious room full of old, unreadable scrolls.
In a window wall we saw a good thought chained
We saw a positive, uplifting idea that was unable to be realized, perhaps due to the person's own mental or emotional limitations.
But knifed into a portion of his brain
The positive idea was being suppressed or destroyed by the person's own negative thoughts or experiences.
Was a whitish through back to the green Amazon leach
There was a connection to a previous, more innocent time, represented by a leech found in the Amazon rainforest.
It was interlocked between his angel eyes
The person's positive memories were intertwined with their perception of the world through their eyes.
Which were bleached transparent
The person's eyes had lost their vitality and were no longer capable of seeing the world in a vivid, colorful way.
And his marble lips were paralysed
The person was incapable of expressing or communicating their emotions and ideas effectively, as if their lips were made of stone.
We swum and ran knee deep in plasma
We were wading through a surreal, viscous liquid that may represent blood or another bodily fluid.
The cello stairs reduced in size
The staircase we were on became smaller and harder to navigate.
The sunken landscape eclipsing into
The surreal, otherworldly environment we were in was gradually transforming in front of us.
A pair of blue Tazmanian eyes
We saw a pair of strange, menacing eyes that belonged to an unknown creature or entity.
Scenescof then became a midget
The person we were inside the mind of began to shrink or diminish in power.
Scratching at the bone in my knee
There was a persistent and painful problem in my life that I was struggling to deal with.
Then an eat without a body
There was some sort of entity that was capable of consuming or absorbing things without a physical form.
Listening to my mental sea
The entity was able to hear and comprehend my thoughts and emotions as if they were a vast ocean.
Suzy sat behind some loose flesh
Suzy was hidden and protected by something, perhaps a physical barrier or another person's body.
Her pirate thoughts were both young and old
Suzy's thoughts and ideas were both adventurous and mature at the same time.
Reduced to wearing blonde lot earings
Suzy was forced to wear cheap, gaudy jewelry despite her desire for something more classy or sophisticated.
She held me near she felt the cold
Suzy sought comfort and reassurance from me during a difficult or trying moment.
We ran just like young fauns
We moved swiftly and gracefully, like mythical forest creatures.
And me I fought a great worm
I struggled with a formidable and monstrous foe.
Sent to taste my jaguar feet
The monster was attempting to weaken or consume my strength and vitality.
And used his skin to make my wings begin
I was able to transform the monster's remains into something that would help me escape or overcome the situation I was in.
I sussed and stole a scene from Icarus
I was inspired by the myth of Icarus and was able to replicate one of his feats.
And flew us above some uncooked meat
We flew above a surreal environment that was filled with strange or revolting imagery.
A plastic hook pierced through my Instep
I experienced a sudden and sharp pain or injury, perhaps representing an emotional wound.
I flew too near his Brutus heart
I came too close to the heart of the person whose mind we were in and suffered for it.
But Suzy hip to all the future
Suzy was able to predict or anticipate future events or circumstances.
Played the Victorian heroin's part
Suzy embodied the role of a strong and courageous heroine from a past era.
With my basted leg and rusty head
I was injured and damaged, physically and emotionally.
And Suzy in a Hipolite dream
Suzy was dreaming of being someone else, perhaps a mythical character from history or literature.
I brandished my breathing machette
I armed myself with a powerful and dangerous weapon, perhaps representing my own strength or resourcefulness.
While Scenescof prepared his Gorgon machine
The person whose mind we were in was crafting a fearsome and dangerous weapon of their own.
It flew out from its eyelid island
The Gorgon machine was unleashed from its hiding place, perhaps representing the person's own bottled-up anger or aggression.
It's Vulcan teeth and hydra spray
The Gorgon machine was capable of inflicting significant damage and destruction, perhaps beyond what we could comprehend.
It's scale y tang claws ripping rainbows
The Gorgon machine was able to destroy even the most beautiful and innocent aspects of the world around us.
It moved it's cave lips in worlds of movement
The Gorgon machine seemed to speak its own language, or perhaps to have its own consciousness beyond its creator's control.
It makes a sound it seemed to say
The Gorgon machine was capable of making noises and expressions that hinted at its own power and malevolence.
Keep cool the satin sun is yours
Despite the seemingly hopeless and terrifying situation we were in, we were encouraged to stay calm and remember our own power and agency.
I see your youthy aura's bright
We were recognized and acknowledged for our youthful energy and vitality, and encouraged to hold onto that spirit.
Expell your tears and jungle fears
We were urged to let go of our fears and negative emotions and embrace our strength and courage.
I'm here it's going to be alright
We were promised that no matter what happened, we were not alone and would be able to survive.
Then Scenescof screamed his charlatan hair
The person whose mind we were in was suddenly enraged and out of control.
Quick silvered from black to grey
The person underwent a rapid transformation, perhaps from good to evil, or from sanity to madness.
Then the Gorgon moved the lizard dial
The Gorgon machine took on a life of its own and began to exert its control over the situation.
And was transformed into Grecian dust
The Gorgon machine was destroyed, perhaps representing the defeat of some sort of malevolent force or power.
And from the sand was born a blacked horned storm
From the remnants of the Gorgon machine was born a new, unpredictable and potentially dangerous force.
With a charger and a spear
The new force was equipped with powerful weapons and tools of its own.
As he moved his limbs
The new force was able to move with ease and grace despite its formidable appearance.
The legend shaft sliced Scenescof from ear to ear
The new force was able to overpower and destroy the person whose mind we were in, representing the end of their influence over the world around them.
Contributed by Cameron T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Philip Noble the 3rd
I ordered a Tyrsnasaurus Rex compilation CD from the back adverts of a music newspaper in 1994 when I was 14, still a regular player in my life till now! Brilliant music that led me to discover a lot of other great 60s underground British bands of the time! The disc has a selection of roughly 30 tracks spanning the 67-70 period. Salamanda Palaganda is my favourite then & now still. Magical song!
francen jensen
Love this version with Tooks extra percussion. Tony Visconti said Steve could play almost anything.
Mia L. Bergman
A canção mais bizarra e linda que eu já ouvi,parece cantiga de criança. Eu volto no tempo ouvindo isso
Ron Whitehouse
Perfect poet
Юрий Корешков
Есть вещи необсуждаемые и непреклонные, для меня это T. Rex и M. Bolan
D G
Unique, wow
Stäni Steinbock
Haha! Never thought of Suzy Quattro as the Suzy in this song! Any proof for that?
TonyHiscoxHISAT
nice :)
francen jensen
Steve Took was just made for this music
jonecp1
the most bada.. sorry. Thank you for uploading this.