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.
The Motivator
T. Rex Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't you know you're a cool motivator
Love the way you walk
Love the way you walk
I love the way your eye
It doth shine like an Egyptian ruby
Love the way it shines
Shine on
I love the clothes you wear
They're so mean they're so fine
Love the clothes you wear
Love the clothes you wear
I love the broken crown
The one you stole from the King
Love the broken crown
Love the broken crown
I love it
I love the golden cat
You know the one that you keep
In your bedroom
Love the golden cat
Love the golden cat
I love the velvet hat
You know the one that caused
A revolution
Love the velvet hat
Love the velvet hat
I love it
The Motivator by T. Rex is a song that celebrates the allure and fascination of a mysterious and fascinating person. The singer expresses his admiration for the subject's style and appearance, from the way she walks to the clothes she wears and the accessories she chooses. The reference to the Egyptian ruby and the broken crown suggests a fascination with exotic and ancient symbols of power and beauty, while the mention of the golden cat and the velvet hat highlights the subject's taste for luxury and extravagance.
The Motivator's lyrics can be interpreted as a tribute to a lover or a muse, or as a general celebration of beauty and style. The repetition of the phrases "Love the way you walk" and "Love the clothes you wear" conveys a sense of infatuation and desire, while the chorus's exhortation to "shine on" may suggest a desire for the subject to keep shining and inspiring those around her.
Overall, The Motivator is a catchy and upbeat song that showcases Marc Bolan's distinctive blend of rock, pop, and glam influences, as well as his poetic and evocative lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
I love the way you walk
I am fond of the way you walk.
Don't you know you're a cool motivator
You have a natural ability to inspire people.
Love the way you walk
I enjoy the way you walk.
I love the way your eye
I appreciate the appearance of your eye.
It doth shine like an Egyptian ruby
It has a bright and beautiful shine like that of a ruby from Egypt.
Love the way it shines
I like the brightness of it.
Shine on
Continue to shine brightly.
I love the clothes you wear
I am fond of the attire you choose to wear.
They're so mean they're so fine
They are both rough and refined in a lovely way.
Love the clothes you wear
I enjoy the clothing you wear.
I love the broken crown
I appreciate the crown even though it is broken.
The one you stole from the King
The crown was taken from the king without permission.
Love the broken crown
I enjoy the broken crown.
Love the broken crown
I am fond of the broken crown.
I love the golden cat
I appreciate the golden cat.
You know the one that you keep in your bedroom
I am aware of the location of the cat, which is in your bedroom.
Love the golden cat
I enjoy the golden cat.
Love the golden cat
I am fond of the golden cat.
I love the velvet hat
I appreciate the velvet hat.
You know the one that caused a revolution
I am aware of the hat that was influential in starting a revolution.
Love the velvet hat
I enjoy the velvet hat.
Love the velvet hat
I am fond of the velvet hat.
I love it
I really enjoy and appreciate all of these things.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MARC BOLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Music_Creativity_Science
Motivates me to reflect on why something exists at all,
and what kind of object mankind is in its star system...
Maybe something exists because the opposite is impossible,
a state of absolutely nothing isn't even a state...
And if something (immaterial or/and material) must exist
(because a state as such must exist), it can not begin to exist.
But why hasn't everything that can happen, already
happened, if something always has existed ?
.
The reason could be that the characteristic "always"
does not exist in the universe. That the universe instead just
exists, changes to a new state, exists, changes again, etc,
without any "always" or "forever" etc.
(To compare with something, a flower doesn't feel anything,
a thought doesn't smell anything. These characteristics simply
do not exist for the objects/phenomenons).
So then the universe hasn't always existed from its own point
of view, and "always" is just a characteristic in brains, an illusion
because we can store past events and imagine future events,
from our perspective.
The universe itself can't store its past, it seems to just exist
with a "now", "all the time", everywhere. And the light is the
information carrier between its objects, with a delay, for the "nows".
Imagine a small asteroid which hits the moon.
A flash of light from the moon, on its way to
the earth, then carries information about that past event from
the perspective of the moon. But it is a future event from the
perspective of the earth (it hasn't happened there yet).
So it can just be characterized as a "now" where it is (between
the moon and the earth), from the perspective of the whole universe.
.
Shine on, love the way the woman walks outside my window,
a zillion of changing atoms/molecules in a concentrated
form, moving in space. She can reduce the rate of aging
by accelerating more often, which physically slows down the
rate of change in her atoms while moving, relative to the earth (Einstein).
Btw, is that one of the reasons why most women instinctively
like men with fast/flashy cars ? :)
@peapop100
The Warrior
His spirit came his spirit has gone
But with Marc Bolan, you can still Get It On
T.rex they came and hit the scene
You should have heard, those girls scream
With his corkscrew hair and people so fair
He’d strut on the stage without worry or care
He knew just how to get into your mind
He’d bump and grind he was one of a kind
He’d caress you with his Persian glove
As he sang those words of hot Hot Love
He’d Ride A White Swan over Crimson Moon
Tickle your fancy with Venus Loon
Gave all he got, he gave it to you
Rock On, Hang Ups, and Cadilac too
All knew who was, was the Main man
With Rip Off, Slider, and Tanx in a can
Bill Legend, Steve Currie, Mickey Finn
Bumping and grinding from deep within
Satin jacket trousers, glitter under the eyes
I Love To Boogie with screams and cries
His B sides were good, as good as the A’s
Jeepster was part of the Glam Rock phase
Went to New York City he was The Groover
With Telegram Sam Marc was a mover
To some, it came as no great surprise
How this 20th Century Boy he did rise
Electric Warrior L.P. was pure bliss
Marc Bolan the Warrior we do miss.
By Peter Newell.
@Music_Creativity_Science
What is a human, in a deeper sense, walking around on a planet in a star system ? Philosophical anthropology is an incredibly interesting topic imo. In my COMMUNITY section: "The human evolution process, an essay with modern philosophical anthropology as a basis" I reflect on the modern human species and its relation to energy transformation and space exploration. My basic question is, should modern mankind still be called an animal, or is it now (soon) so different concerning its behaviour that it doesn't make sense anymore ?
An animal has a brain mainly to control its body functions, a civilized modern human is more and more developing towards a brain in focus which needs a
body to survive, air and food. This brain is constructed to not accept total randomness and luck for surviving in the solar system, it can by transforming
energy (then being able to deflect medium sized asteroids, survive in severe ice ages etc) and spreading out in the star system, willfully affect its own
probability for survival. Then it has abandoned the main principle in the animal world, randomness and luck concerning survival in the long run.
There can't, philosophically, be any greater difference than exist or not.
@user-qn7rh9fv6h
Болан раздает тепло и свою любовь самозабвенно❤️
@sandrasepulveda5478
Absolutamente de acuerdo !!!
@hansg.8557
The Motivator - Great song from a timeless classic masterpiece of an album that ELECTRIC WARRIOR was and still is.
@chrome50
Yes, a fantastic album .
@lowersaxon
To be played at maximum volume . What a song. The master himself at his peak. See you Marc!
@stevehilton-willis3065
I'm 63 years of age , they are still the greatest , The Motivator WOW , should be released TODAY , I LOVE IT .
@marcbolanish
Definitely agree - Shits on a lot crap that's out there today. Poor souls, they're definitely missin' out!
@shondra6
I was 65 onn the weekend and this made me feel 15 again lols ...
@teribell4733
What she said
@helmutkolm6535
I´m 60 . . . . T.Rex fovever