By the time their third record, "Regular Urban Survivors" was released in 1996, Briptop was firmly established in the mainstream, but perhaps surprisingly Terrorvision thrived. Single "Perseverance" charted at number five (It's awesome "Whales and Dolphins" hook proving irresistable to daytime radio and indie dancefloors alike) and the album was a commercial and critical hit. In many ways a bigger, widescreen sequel to HTMFAIP (with a couple of songs suspiciously close to re-makes - Bad Actress = Middleman, Celebrity Hitlist = Discotheque Wreck...) the cover featured the band larking around as spoof filmstars and was ostensibly a soundtrack to a fictional film - an idea reflected in songs such as "Didn't Bleed Red" (sci-fi) and "Dog Chewed the Handle" (An implausible murder mystery) The band still got in a few digs in at the Briptop elite, with "Superchronic" taking a few swipes at Oasis.
The odd man out, though, of Terrorvision albums is without doubt 1998's "Shaving Peaches", a curiously restrained record which in hindsight sounds like an ill-founded attempt to gain a mainstream audience which in truth they probably already had. Basically, TV forgot how to rock. Despite the album selling poorly, it ironically spawned their biggest hit, "Tequila". Admittedly it was a Mint Royale remix of the track which reached number 2, but in truth it didn't differ that much from the original, adding only an irresistably immediate speed-mariachi tempo. The band took this in their stride - where other, cooler bands would have turned their nose up at such psuedo-success, Terrorvison cheekily just learned to play the remix live instead.
Dropped from major label EMI after "Shaving Peaches", Terrorvision finally returned in 2001 with the independently released "Good To Go". Probably knowing it would be their final record, it is very much a return to 'classic' Terrorvision and in many ways a return to form. Whilst the record lacks some of their prime period sparkle, the choruses are undeniably huge and the album brims with the band's trademark good time party vibes. "Friends And Family", in particular went down a storm at festivals, with its joyously profane "Party Over Here, Fuck You Over There!" refrain.
Terrorvision played their 'final' gig in October 2001, in their hometown of Bradford - a riotous celebration of all things TV which was eventually released as a double live album, "Take The Money And Run".
Since Terrorvision split there have been a number of side projects including Tony Wright's Laika Dog, Leigh Marklew's Malibu Stacey and Mark Yates's Blunderbuss and Boomville. Tony Wright has also released two solo albums and one country album with Ryan Hamilton, and tours with Milton "Milly" Evans performing acoustic versions of Terrorvision songs as well as his own material.
Ultimately Terrorvision were a wonderful oddity - despite coming from a undeniably Heavy Metal background, the band took the genre, (Which, lets not forget, was in terminal decline during the mid 90s) stripped away the po-faced seriousness, and fashioned a rock party band from the ashes. Often dismissed as a novelty act, TV in truth simply loved what they did, and never once considered being too cool to show it. Mark Yates's urgent, exciting guitars anchored the band musically, but it's Tony Wright's hyper-go-go vocals which truly make the band, delighting in rolling his Yorkshire vowels around wordplay which lyrically is sometimes closer to rap than rock. They never hid behind the too-common pretence of disliking success - Terrorvision celebrated every foray into the mainstream and were never afraid to show it. At the same time, they surely gave a generation of Britpop kids a taste what rock delights could await them - witness the bands cover versions of Iggy Pop's "The Passenger", Cheap Trick's "Surrender", Free's "Wishing Well" or perhaps most bizzarely, their lounge-blues version of Iron Maiden's "Take Your Daughter To the Slaughter". They even dabbled with Paul Oakenfold remixes and their very own handbag-house-rock foray, B-side "Too Stoned To Dance". All hail Terrorvision then, Bradford' finest (and most proud) musical export.
While they have never returned to music full-time, Terrorvision have reformed numerous times since their initial split. The first time was for a 'one week only' tour in 2005, for which a live album and DVD were recorded, followed by a performance at Scarborough Castle later that year.
In 2007, the band announced that they were reforming again for a small number of gigs, this time without bassist and founding member Leigh Marklew. Danny Lambert, member of Mark Yates' band Blunderbuss, stood in for Leigh. The following year Leigh returned to the band and the original lineup performed on several short tours and festival appearances over the next few years, including a tour celebrating the 15th anniversary of "How To Make Friends and Influence People", for which two live albums were made available - one recorded from the Manchester show, and one from the London show.
In 2010, drummer and founding member Ian "Shutty" Shuttleworth retired from the band and was replaced by Cameron Greenwood. Terrorvision announced that they were working on a new album, their first new music since 2001. The album, "Super Delux", was released in February 2011. The band continued to tour and make festival appearances, performing at Download Festival in 2012, their highest profile gig in some time.
The band went on hiatus from 2013-2016, returning for a one-off 'Alternative Valentines' show on the 14th of February. Later that year they embarked on a UK tour supporting Thunder, and announced a headline tour at the end of the year for the 20th anniversary of "Regular Urban Survivors". A live album was released, recorded at the Manchester Ritz, as well as a behind-the-scenes DVD film, "Wired Up and Scary".
Since 2016 the band have continued to perform on an annual basis, including a novel triple-headline tour in 2018 with Reef and The Wildhearts called "Britrock Must Be Destroyed", where the order of the bands would rotate from one gig to the next, and a 25th anniversary tour for "How To Make Friends and Influence People" in 2019.
Also in 2019, Terrorvision released their first new material since "Super Delux" eight years prior - the Christmas single "Our Christmas Song", as well as a pre-order exclusive download track "By My Side". The band have indicated their intention to release more new music during 2020, though whether this takes the form of an album, EP or individual tracks is currently unknown.
When I Die
Terrorvision Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Out on a limb with nowhere to go,
I was told it would be one less thing on my mind,
Not to worry about, all the paying out,
The piles of bills and final demands,
They'd all be sorted when I die.
If all else fails failed and part of me just died,
And nothing ever changes, forever stuck on my tune,
Baby I was born to lose,
Then my luck came in, I got a lucky win,
Hundreds of thousands and thousands of friends,
Had no more worries for a time,
Didn't care about if I was paying out,
Its there to enjoy, have it on me,
Can't take it with you when you die.
I was back on happy trails, I didn't have to try,
The wind was in my sails, I was so happy I could cry,
Cos "nothing changes" changed, I felt like time was on my side,
I was happy and I really felt alive,
When I'm falling, I'm tumbling down,
I'm crawling around on the ground,
I've been wondering, wondering why,
Wondering why life's so up and down,
A sense of irony sweeping over me,
Back in the jug again ain't that swell,
Incurable nothing I could buy,
Don't want no policy, to totally cover me,
No hidden small print to sell my soul to hell,
No parting gesture to say goodbye,
Well you can stick your bonds and bails where the sun don't shine,
I'm not going to be pleasant,you can think what you like,
Cos if it ever changes it goes from bad to worse,
I might as well face it man I'm cursed.
When I'm falling, I'm tumbling down,
I'm crawling around on the ground,
I've been wondering, wondering why,
Wondering why life's so up and down,
When I'm falling, I'm tumbling down,
I'm crawling around on the ground,
I've been wondering, wondering why,
Wondering why life's so up and down,
The verses of "When I Die" by Terrorvision reflect the ups and downs that life throws at individuals. The opening lines describe a situation where the singer is in dire straits - without money, hopeless, and aimless. They were told not to worry about their mounting debts and problems because they would be resolved once they died. This feeling of hopelessness is conveyed through the lyrics "I was going off the rails, no matter how I tried, if all else fails failed and part of me just died, and nothing ever changes, forever stuck on my tune, baby, I was born to lose." However, things take a turn for the better when the singer unexpectedly becomes rich and popular, gaining "Hundreds of thousands and thousands of friends." They no longer care about their worries and problems because they now have the means to live without fear of the future.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the whims and caprices of life, how sudden changes in fortune can rock an individual's world. The ironic tone of the lines "back in the jug again, ain't that swell, incurable nothing I could buy" suggests a sense of resignation or acceptance of one's fate. The latter half of the song is the singer's rejecting conventional societal beliefs about securing one's future through bonds, policies, or other financial instruments. The final lines state that their luck never changed, and they were ultimately doomed to a life full of ups and downs.
Line by Line Meaning
Yes I've been without, been down and out,
I have experienced difficult times with nothing and no one to lean on.
Out on a limb with nowhere to go,
I was in a precarious position and didn't have a clear path forward.
I was told it would be one less thing on my mind,
Supposedly, death would bring a sense of relief from the worries and burdens of life.
Not to worry about, all the paying out,
I should not be stressed about financial responsibilities and debts.
The piles of bills and final demands,
The overwhelming stack of unpaid bills and collection notices.
They'd all be sorted when I die.
Death would magically solve and settle all monetary issues.
I was going off the rails, no matter how I tried,
I was losing control, despite my best efforts to stay on track.
If all else fails failed and part of me just died,
When everything else went wrong, it felt like a part of me also died.
And nothing ever changes, forever stuck on my tune,
My life pattern seemed unchangeable, like a never-ending loop of misery.
Baby I was born to lose,
I felt like no matter what I did, I was destined to fail.
Then my luck came in, I got a lucky win,
Suddenly, things turned around for me and I had a stroke of luck.
Hundreds of thousands and thousands of friends,
I became popular and well-liked, with lots of people around me.
Had no more worries for a time,
For a while, I was free from my worries and could enjoy life.
Didn't care about if I was paying out,
I didn't worry about spending money or paying bills because I had enough to spare.
Its there to enjoy, have it on me,
I didn't mind spending money to have fun and enjoy myself.
Can't take it with you when you die.
I realized that none of my money or possessions would come with me when I die.
I was back on happy trails, I didn't have to try,
I was back to feeling content and happy without having to put in much effort.
The wind was in my sails, I was so happy I could cry,
I was filled with joy and felt like I could accomplish anything.
Cos "nothing changes" changed, I felt like time was on my side,
My life situation shifted from feeling stuck to feeling like anything was possible and time was on my side.
I was happy and I really felt alive,
I felt genuinely happy and alive, not just going through the motions.
When I'm falling, I'm tumbling down,
When things in my life take a turn for the worse, I feel like I'm tumbling out of control.
I'm crawling around on the ground,
I feel weak and helpless, like I'm crawling instead of standing up tall.
I've been wondering, wondering why,
I keep questioning why life has to be so difficult and unpredictable.
Wondering why life's so up and down,
I can't understand why my life seems to alternate between good and bad times.
A sense of irony sweeping over me,
I feel a paradoxical sense of humor or coincidence taking over me.
Back in the jug again ain't that swell,
I feel imprisoned or trapped in my old habits or problems, and it's not a pleasant feeling.
Incurable nothing I could buy,
There's no material item or solution that could cure my problems or improve my situation.
Don't want no policy, to totally cover me,
I don't want an insurance policy to fully protect or shelter me from life's uncertainties.
No hidden small print to sell my soul to hell,
I don't want to take any risks or make any deals that could harm my soul or well-being in the long run.
No parting gesture to say goodbye,
I don't want to make any dramatic or extreme choices that would be irreversible, like saying goodbye to life altogether.
Well you can stick your bonds and bails where the sun don't shine,
I don't care about any financial investments or securities that others may perceive as valuable.
I'm not going to be pleasant,you can think what you like,
I don't care if others judge me or perceive me negatively because of my choices or actions.
Cos if it ever changes it goes from bad to worse,
I believe that my life situation could only get worse if it changed and I'm resigned to this idea.
I might as well face it man I'm cursed.
I feel like I'm doomed or fated to always encounter difficulties or misfortunes in life.
Contributed by Nathaniel K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.