According to the Searchin' For Shakes database there are four garage groups… Read Full Bio ↴According to the Searchin' For Shakes database there are four garage groups called The Aardvarks.
1) One of the three US groups of this name were from Muskegon and released a few singles in the 60's. Probably their most well-known is the blazing garage-psych tune "I'm Higher Than I'm Down", included on many comps (most notably Pebbles Vol 11).
2) In the mid-80's, a London group called The Aardvarks formed. They released a few singles and one album. The A-side of their first 7" "You're My Loving Way"was compiled on "The Children of Nuggets" box in 2005. Inspired by the best in 60s sounds (Mod, garage, pop-art, psychedelia, freakbeat), London's The Aardvarks were formed in Ealing, West London, as part of the scene which eventually reared Kula Shaker. For many years, they were one of the most popular bands on the Mod and 60's Revival circuit, issuing a string of acclaimed 45s on labels such as Screaming Apple and Detour. The Aardvarks’ 12-year lifespan is remembered on the 'Sinker, Line and Hook - The Anthology 1987-1999' compilation on Cherry Red Records, built around their 1995 album for Delerium, Bargain, plus an equal number of choice tracks from elsewhere. The ‘Varks tasted brief fame in the 90's, appearing on the James Whale TV Show and even supporting Bonnie Tyler!

Merry Go Round
The Aardvarks Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Living in blind superstition
Fearing malignant unknown
Former believe old tradition
Faces behind the mask
Tribute to natures renewal
Wishing for better times
It used to make sense to our fathers
But what is it's sense today

Repulse the frost
Dispell your sorrow
Welcome the spring
Drink untill you smile

Merry-go-round, merry-go-round
Merry-go-round, merry going round

It's time that I put on my make up
I won't be myself for tonight
I tell the clown in me to wake up
If he won't I drink to smile

Repulse the frost
Dispell your sorrow

Welcome the spring
Drink until you smile

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Aardvarks's song Merry Go Round reflect on the idea of being stuck in a cyclical pattern of living in fear and blind superstitions. The first few lines talk about how people fear what they don't understand and how they cling onto old traditions without questioning their sense in the modern world. The song tries to convey the message of breaking free from these patterns and embracing nature's renewal. It talks about wishing for better times and how it's important to dispel sorrow and welcome happiness.

The chorus of the song, "Merry-go-round, merry-go-round, merry-go-round, merry going round" represents the idea of being stuck in a pattern like a merry-go-round. It highlights how people get accustomed to living in this way without even realizing it. The second half of the song switches to a more personal tone. The singer talks about how it's time to put on some make-up and become someone else for a night. The song suggests that sometimes, it's easier to drink and forget the sorrows of our lives.

Overall, the song takes a negative view of living in a cyclical pattern and highlights the importance of breaking free from it. It suggests that sometimes, we might need to pretend to be someone else or forget our troubles for a while to be happy.

Line by Line Meaning

Living in blind superstition
Existing in a state of ignorance, believing in irrational ideas without evidence

Fearing malignant unknown
Being afraid of harmful things that are unknown

Former believe old tradition
Previously adhering to old customs and practices

Faces behind the mask
Hidden identities that are not revealed

Tribute to natures renewal
Honoring the rejuvenation of nature

Wishing for better times
Hoping for more favorable circumstances

It used to make sense to our fathers
In the past, the meaning was clear to older generations

But what is it's sense today
However, its significance is unclear in present times

Repulse the frost
Rejecting the coldness and negativity

Dispell your sorrow
Banishing feelings of sadness and grief

Welcome the spring
Embracing the arrival of new beginnings