The Ace of Cups came together in Haight-Ashbury right as psychedelic rock was taking off, and played a mostly original repertoire, with most of the band writing and all of them singing. Guitarist Denise Kaufman, who did more of the songwriting and lead vocals than any other member, had sung and played harmonica on an obscure 1966 garage rock single by Denise & Company; she was also the ex-girlfriend of future Rolling Stone co-founder Jann Wenner. Originally they were managed by Ambrose Hollingsworth, who’d managed Quicksilver Messenger Service in their early days before getting disabled by a car accident. Hollingsworth in turn eventually passed the reins over to Ron Polte, who’d succeeded Hollingsworth as Quicksilver’s manager.
Despite achieving a fair amount of recognition in the Bay Area (and a brief plug in a December 1967 issue of Melody Maker by Jimi Hendrix, with whom the band had played a free concert in the Golden Gate Park panhandle shortly after the Monterey Pop Festival), they never got a record deal. Why that didn’t happen isn’t entirely clear, as they had opportunities to sign with Warner Bros., Capitol, and Fantasy. Their management evidently felt the band wasn’t ready or that the offers weren’t suitable; keyboardist Marla Hunt has also said that Albert Grossman was interested in signing them, but had his offer turned down by Polte. Too, there was some reluctance in the group to tour behind records as some of them were starting families. They did appear on some records after a fashion when Kaufman’s “Flute Song” was recorded on Quicksilver Messenger Service’s Shady Grove album in 1969, and the group did some backing vocals on records by Quicksilver, Jefferson Airplane, Nick Gravenites, and Mike Bloomfield.
In the early ’70s, the band began to lose momentum as original members drifted away. The lineup changed so much that at one point three men were in the group, which came to an end around 1972. In 2003, late-’60s Ace of Cups rehearsals, demos, TV soundstages, and in-concert tapes were assembled together for the Big Beat CD compilation It’s Bad for You But Buy It!, which also includes “Boy, What’ll You Do Then,” a song from Denise & Company’s 1966 single. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
Glue
The Ace Of Cups Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You are the one
Well you can't have the glue until you buy
A model too now baby, yeah (I love glue!)
No you can't have the glue until you buy
A model too yeah baby (at Madison Avenue)
And the model is nine to five
Too many bees in one big hive
You are the one
You are the one
Have you read the society paper today now
I'm telling you just what to feel
You are the one that must find your way
I say that you have the key, yeah
You can't have the glue until you buy
A model too now baby, yeah (I love glue!)
No you can't have the glue until you buy
A model too yeah baby (I love glue!)
And the model is nine to five
Too many bees in one big hive
You are the one (yeah yeah)
You are the one that must buy
Buy it, buy it, it's bad for you but buy it.
Buy it, buy it, it's bad for you but buy it.
Hello ladies, how are you feeling today?
Are you feeling unloved, unwanted and miserable?
Is this because no one loves you?
If this is so, it's because you do not have our new improved product.
For if you'd have our product, everyone would love you.
Are you tired of being the dull drab, uninteresting self that you are?
Would you like to be transformed into the new exciting,
mystical alluring essence of your being?
If so you had better buy our product.
You'd be amazed at what our product can do for you!
Buy it, buy it, it's bad for you but buy it
You've got to
Buy it!
You buy it.
Bad!
Buy!
Why!
Better buy that!
You are the one
You are the one
Well you can't have the glue until you buy
A model too yeah, now (I love glue!)
No you can't have the glue until you buy
A model too yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah
And the model is nine to five
Too many bees in one big hive
You are the one
You are the one that must buy
The Ace of Cups' song "Glue" appears to be a criticism of consumer culture, conformity, and advertising. The lyrics suggest that people are controlled by advertising and social pressures to buy products they don't need. The first verse implies that people need to buy both the glue and the model to be accepted and fit in with society. The model represents a standard set by society that people need to conform to. The phrase "too many bees in one big hive" could indicate that society is structured hierarchically, and people are expected to follow the norms set by those in power.
The second verse suggests that people need to find their own way and not rely on external forces to tell them what to feel or think. The lines "You are the one that must find your way, I say that you have the key" imply that individuals have agency and the power to make their own decisions. However, the chorus repeats the message that people need to buy the glue and the model to be accepted, indicating that many individuals struggle to resist the pressures of society.
The third verse features a spoken word section that mimics a commercial advertisement. The commercial suggests that people are unhappy and unloved because they don't have the product being sold. The product promises to transform individuals into more exciting, alluring versions of themselves. This section highlights the absurdity of advertising and how it preys on people's insecurities and desires for acceptance and love.
Overall, "Glue" is a critique of the consumer culture and societal pressures that control people's behavior, actions, and thoughts.
Line by Line Meaning
You are the one (yeah yeah)
You're the person this message is directed to
You can't have the glue until you buy
A model too now baby, yeah (I love glue!)
No you can't have the glue until you buy
A model too yeah baby (at Madison Avenue)
And the model is nine to five
Too many bees in one big hive
You can't access the product (glue) until you also purchase a model (a lifestyle or image) associated with it, and conform to it, even if it means becoming part of a large and monotonous mass.
Have you read the society paper today now
I'm telling you just what to feel
The media is constantly telling you how to feel and what to want, so you shouldn't trust everything you read or hear.
You are the one that must find your way
I say that you have the key, yeah
No one else can determine your path in life, and you hold the power to make your own decisions.
Buy it, buy it, it's bad for you but buy it
The product is not good for you, but advertising will convince you to buy it anyway.
You are the one that must buy
The responsibility of making purchasing decisions is solely yours.
Contributed by Adrian T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.