The group released their debut single "Keen" in 1985 which immediately severed all musical links with the Undertones with its darker more edgy sound. Indeed That Petrol Emotion themselves were also far more political and outspoken than the Undertones. This statement of intent in the guise of Keen was followed by their debut album "Manic Pop Thrill", released in 1986 on Demon Records and charting at number 1 in the UK Indie Chart. It was received with rave reviews from the critics, especially by Undertones champion John Peel. Around this time That Petrol Emotion were also quickly making their name as a devastating live act of tight musicianship and intense playing. Indeed they were described by Rolling Stone magazine as "The Clash crossed with Creedence", and the New York Times described them in 1987 as "a youthful Rolling Stones" mixed with a "revved-up Television".
Their second album (and major label debut) Babble released in 1987 on Polydor broke into the UK Top 40 album chart and won universal acclaim; just some of the accolades being that it was voted as one of the albums of the year by Rolling Stone magazine critics and receiving an A- 'grade' from the legendary Robert Christgau. In the UK, the single "Big Decision" was released in 1987 which narrowly missed a place in the coveted Top 40, charting at number 42. Whether this was to do with the fact that the back sleeve contained text decrying the use of plastic bullets by the British Army in Northern Ireland remains to be seen. Either way the band unfortunately never gained a higher chart position than on this first hit. Suspiciously enough their next single, "Genius Move" (also 1987) was banned from being aired by the BBC.
On the eve of the recording sessions for their third album "End of the Millenium Psychosis Blues" (Virgin records, 1988), John O'Neill announced his imminent departure from the band. The resulting sessions were thus fraught with tension and foreboding and the album itself upon release was greeted with confusion by critics and fans alike. It was meant to emulate the eclectic mixtapes the band listened to and loved on their tourbus but this dance and sample experimentation ("Groove Check", "Here it is...Take it!", "Tension") mixed with heavy alt rock ("Under the Sky"), celtic balladeering ("Cellophane") and good old indie ("Sooner or Later", "Every Little Bit") proved too disjointed and diverse to break into the mainstream at the time. However, reappraisal of this album whilst seeing many critics and fans admitting that this diversity in style did alienate people in the contemporary scene, also sees in retrospect that That Petrol Emotion were very much before their time and trailblazers for the Britpop and Madchester indie-dance scene due to their early experiments mixing up indie with funk and dance. Indeed they were posthumously described as having perfected "the art of the scuzzed up alternative pop song" during the 80s.
After John O'Neill left the band, a re-shuffle took place in That Petrol Emotion. Drummer Ciaran McLaughlin and guitarist Raymond Gorman picked up major songwriting duties; blossoming as writers in the process whilst new bassist John Marchini joined to allow Damian O'Neill to take up the guitar alongside Gorman. This new dynamic of musicians and songsmiths led to the 1990 album Chemicrazy, again for Virgin records. "Chemicrazy" had a more alt rock style than before; hinted at on the final track of the previous album "Under the Sky". However whilst being more intense than before, "Chemicrazy" also maintained a pure pop heart, exemplified by singles "Sensitize", "Tingle" and "Hey Venus". Frustratingly for the band however the massive predicted sales for "Chemicrazy" never came.
Dropped from Virgin, That Petrol Emotion's fifth and final album "Fireproof" (1993), released on their own label, Koogat, saw Marchini leave and Belfast born Brendan Kelly take up the bass in his place. Kelly's tight and heavy playing pushed That Petrol Emotion towards their heaviest, most riff-laden album to date which, just like their first album, reached number 1 in the UK Indie Chart.
However, despite the great press and the loyal fan base they garnered over the ten years and five albums of their career, That Petrol Emotion never attained the level of commercial success or fame enjoyed by their contemporaries (e.g. My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth). As a result the band amicably split in 1994.
Still, their body of work remains to be critically acclaimed within the music press and it is widely agreed that whilst being very underrated, That Petrol Emotion greatly influenced the Britpop movement and bands such as The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Manic Street Preachers, Blur and Radiohead.
That Petrol Emotion reformed in 2008 and continue to play sporadically. Updates can be found at their official site http://www.thatpetrolemotion.com.
Creeping To The Cross
That Petrol Emotion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ah ah
With a jingle
And a jangle
And a tingle
And a tangle
You can slip and slide
To eternity
You can't walk a tight rope
Without a safety net
Can't forget your tight fist
Queuing for it's debt
With some shame and sham
And some blame and glam
With some shame and sham
And some blame and glam
Tiptoeing west
With blindfolds on
Tiptoeing west
With blindfolds on
And I'd rather be the devil than go
Creeping to the cross
With a jingle
And a jangle
And a tingle
And a tangle
You can slip and slide
You can slip and slide
To eternity
You can't walk a tight rope
Without a safety net
Can't forget your tight fist
Queuing for it's debt
Ah ah
Ah ah
And I'd rather be the devil than go
Creeping to the cross
Ah ah
Ah ah
With some shame and sham
And some blame and glam
With some shame and sham
And some blame and glam
Tiptoeing west
With blindfolds on
Tiptoeing west
With blindfolds on
And I'd rather be the devil than go
Creeping to the cross
Ah ah
Ah ah
The lyrics of That Petrol Emotion's song "Creeping to the Cross" are open to interpretation, but the themes of rebellion, resistance, and individuality are apparent. The opening lines, "With a jingle, and a jangle, and a tingle, and a tangle," suggest a chaotic and frenzied atmosphere. The following line, "You can slip and slide to eternity," could signify a willingness to give in to temptation and indulge in vices, despite the consequences.
The lyrics "you can't walk a tightrope without a safety net" illustrate the idea that taking risks is dangerous unless one is fully prepared with the necessary precautions. The following line, "can't forget your tight fist queuing for its debt," implies that people are slaves to their debts and obligations, causing them to cling to money and materialism at all costs.
The chorus, "And I'd rather be the devil than go creeping to the cross," expresses a desire to rebel against societal norms and expectations, even if it means being seen as evil or immoral. The closing lines, "With some shame and sham and some blame and glam, tiptoeing west with blindfolds on," speak to the struggle of maintaining one's individuality in a world that demands conformity.
Line by Line Meaning
With a jingle
With a joyous ring
And a jangle
And a pleasant clatter
And a tingle
And a delightful sensation
And a tangle
And a charming disarray
You can slip and slide
You can move effortlessly
You can slip and slide
You can move effortlessly
To eternity
Towards infinity
You can't walk a tight rope
You cannot risk failure
Without a safety net
Without a backup plan
Can't forget your tight fist
Don't forget your greed
Queuing for it's debt
Waiting to repay your debts
With some shame and sham
With some deception and ridicule
And some blame and glam
And some fault and extravagance
Tiptoeing west
Walking cautiously towards the setting sun
With blindfolds on
Without seeing the consequences of your actions
And I'd rather be the devil than go
I would rather be identified with evil than
Creeping to the cross
Be associated with weakness and submission
Ah ah
Ah ah
Ah ah
Ah ah
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CIARAN JOHN MCLAUGHLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cill Sleibhe
saw them in Manchester in 1987 and they played this as their encore. They all came to the front of the stage and started doing the Ah Ah, Ah Ah bit. Then one by one they went back to their instruments. Fecking brilliant!!
Bob Walshy Walsh
There at the time. Still adore them. Lyrics more relevant than ever.
Proper !
G Mar
Holy cow, was this one AWESOME band. My life is richer for having listened to them.
Mark Woodland
"And I'd rather be the devil than go creeping to the cross" What a brilliant line
Kevan Dalzell
Fantastic band, indeed!
Happy Funster
The undertones without fergal ......awesome
Béal Feirste
Incorrect....only two undertones.
小石植木屋な磨麟 麻林 真凛モルーガン
5 minutes after death, ya'll...wonder what's in store? just sayin'...peace frog. TPE is a group that I listened to lots in da' 90's.
Mark Pyskoty
LOVE!
Lizardroid
Go! Go! Go!