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.
Teenage Dream
T. Rex Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Haha
What ever happened to the teenage dream?
Surprise, surprise
The boys are home
My guardian angel's run down my telephone
Can't you hear them scream?
What ever happened to the teenage dream?
The curfew comes at the crack of night
The sad old wino aches to dissipate the fright
The jet jump jiver speeds past in his machine, but
What ever happened to the teenage dream?
A broken god from a musty world
Sweetly mouth touched him on its spur
His prison guards were very hard to clean, but
What ever happened to the teenage dream? (Oh)
(Yeah)
Do it, do it, do it to me, babe
Do it to me babe
What ever happened to the teenage dream?
The Wizard of Oz
And the bums and thieves
Ruled my girl
With Teutonic teeth
But all was lost
When her mouth turned green
What ever happened to the teenage dream?
Silver surfer
And the ragged kid
Are all sad and rusted, boy, they don't have a gift
Believe me Pope Paul, my toes are clean
What ever happened to the teenage dream?
Black is black
And white is white
Some go to heaven And some get it night
The bomb was a brute
But his winged screams
What ever happened to the teenage dream? (Yeah)
Oh
Haha (okay, yeah we'll start there)
I'm talking teenage to you woman, yeah
I'm talking to you
Ow, there you go
Play them blues to me, boy
Ay, yeah-yeah
Ride it off
The T.Rex classic “Teenage Dream” captures the essence of youthful idealism and the disappointment that inevitably comes with growing up in a world that doesn’t quite live up to expectations. The song starts off with upbeat, almost carefree guitar riff, matched by happy-sounding “yeah-yeah-yeahs” and “ho-hos” from front man Marc Bolan.
However, as Bolan laments over what has happened to his own teenage dream, the song takes a darker turn. He refers to a “curfew” that comes at the crack of night, and the “winos” who have given up on their dreams. The lines “The Wizard of Oz/And the bums and thieves/Ruled my girl/With Teutonic teeth” suggest that even the beloved childhood stories and dreams, like those of Dorothy on her journey to see the Wizard, have been corrupted and lost.
Through it all, though, Bolan maintains a sense of hope and resilience. The chorus repeats the titular question (“What ever happened to the teenage dream?”) before charging forward with the bridge’s insistent refrain of “Do it, do it, do it to me, babe” — a kind of rallying cry for anyone still holding on to the possibility of making their dreams come true. The song reminds listeners of the danger of losing hope and succumbing to disappointment, but also the importance of never really giving up on what we want to be when we grow up.
Line by Line Meaning
What ever happened to the teenage dream?
Reflecting on the loss of the idealistic and hopeful aspirations that characterized youth.
Surprise, surprise
The boys are home
My guardian angel's run down my telephone
The heats on, mister
Can't you hear them scream?
The oppressive nature of reality intrudes, with its responsibilities and dangers, and we yearn for simpler times.
The curfew comes at the crack of night
The sad old wino aches to dissipate the fright
The jet jump jiver speeds past in his machine, but
What ever happened to the teenage dream?
Despite attempts to break free from the constraints of life, a sense of disillusionment remains.
A broken god from a musty world
Sweetly mouth touched him on its spur
His prison guards were very hard to clean, but
What ever happened to the teenage dream? (Oh)
(Yeah)
We can no longer rely on divinity or saviors to fulfill our desires; our own limitations and the corrupt nature of the world persist regardless.
The Wizard of Oz
And the bums and thieves
Ruled my girl
With Teutonic teeth
But all was lost
When her mouth turned green
What ever happened to the teenage dream?
Even once-promising and innocent aspirations can become twisted and corrupted, leaving us wondering what happened to our original ideals.
Silver surfer
And the ragged kid
Are all sad and rusted, boy, they don't have a gift
Believe me Pope Paul, my toes are clean
What ever happened to the teenage dream?
Even those who seemed powerful or talented can eventually become disillusioned and lose their spark.
Black is black
And white is white
Some go to heaven
And some get it night
The bomb was a brute
But his winged screams
What ever happened to the teenage dream? (Yeah)
The universe is random and cruel, and even those who seem virtuous can suffer the worst fates.
Play them blues to me, boy
Ay, yeah-yeah
Ride it off
In spite of disillusionment and despair, we can still turn to music and other forms of expression to cope with our feelings and move forward in life.
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group
Written by: Marc Bolan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind