The Amboy Dukes released a number of albums with Mainstream Records. Having run their course with Mainstream Records, they signed with Polydor Records around 1970. At this time Amboy Dukes song titles would display such period flavor as "Why Is a Carrot More Orange Than an Orange" and "The Inexhaustible Quest for the Cosmic Cabbage"; the latter number was a multi-part epic that incorporated both Béla Bartók and The Beach Boys.
The band quickly grew tired of Polydor Records and signed with Frank Zappa's DisCreet (Warner Brothers) label. They released two more albums and then broke up.
While the other Amboy Dukes receded into obscurity, Nugent, as the "Motor City Madman", became a very successful and quite visible solo musician, hunter, and political controversialist.
The disparity in career outcomes has led to differing recollections among the former Dukes about what happened during the band's lifetime. Nugent claims to have been the leader of the band, and at times the "babysitter" for the rest of the band, and that when he took a few months off the band fell apart. And despite the apparent drug references of many of their songs, Nugent fervently denies significant drug use.
The other members of the band, such as Steve Farmer, viewed the band differently. They say guitarist Farmer and singer Drake were the main songwriters and the de facto leaders of the Amboy Dukes; Nugent was not the "leadman". In an interview , Farmer deprecated Nugent's creative role in the Amboy Dukes, and mentioned some rather embarrassing personal details about Nugent. From Farmer's point of view, Nugent was the one who needed babysitting - he was a spoiled brat and none too intelligent. Farmer did emphasize that Nugent was the only member not involved in drug activity and promiscuous sex with groupies, so on that matter everyone is in agreement.
Journey to the Center of the Mind
The Amboy Dukes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come with us and find
The pleasures of a journey to the center of the mind
[Chorus:]
Come along if you care
Come along if you dare
Take a ride to the land inside of your mind
Beyond the seas of thought
Beyond the realm of what
Across the streams of hopes and dreams where things are really not
[Chorus]
But please realise
You'll probably be surprised
For it's the land unknown to man
Where fantasy is fact
So if you can, please understand
You might not come back
[Chorus]
How happy life could be
If all of mankind
Would take the time to journey to the center of the mind
Would take the time to journey to the center of the mind
Center of the mind (The mind, the mind)
The Amboy Dukes's song "Journey to the Center of the Mind" is an invitation to take a psychedelic journey within the mind, as a way to escape mundane reality and enter a world of fantasy that becomes real. The song's opening lines, "Leave your cares behind, come with us and find the pleasures of a journey to the center of the mind," invites the listener to join in on this surreal journey. The invitation in the lyrics encourages the listener to relinquish the weight of their worries, and embark on a journey that will take them through lands of hopes, dreams, and beyond.
The chorus reiterates the invitation by daring and caring towards everyone who desires to take the ride into the land inside of their mind. The lyrics describe this as a journey beyond the seas of thought, beyond the realm of what, and across the streams of hopes and dreams where things are not how they appear in reality. The land inside of the mind is described as unknown to man, and a place where fantasy becomes a fact, therefore, one might not come back.
The lyrics in the final stanza of the song suggest that if all of mankind would take the time to journey to the center of the mind, how happy life could be. The song paints an idealistic picture, encouraging people to peel back the layers of reality, and take a journey towards their unconscious to explore their innermost desires and expand their consciousness.
Line by Line Meaning
Leave your cares behind
Forget your worries and join us on this journey
Come with us and find
Join us and discover
The pleasures of a journey to the center of the mind
Experience the joys of exploring your innermost thoughts and dreams
[Chorus:]
Repeating the chorus
Come along if you care
If you're interested, join us
Come along if you dare
If you're brave enough, come with us
Take a ride to the land inside of your mind
Explore the depths of your consciousness
Beyond the seas of thought
Beyond the limits of rational thinking
Beyond the realm of what
Beyond what we know to be true
Across the streams of hopes and dreams where things are really not
Through the ambiguous and undefined territory of our desires and aspirations
[Chorus]
Repeating the chorus
But please realize
It's important to understand
You'll probably be surprised
You may encounter unexpected things
For it's the land unknown to man
This is an uncharted territory for humanity
Where fantasy is fact
Where imagination becomes reality
So if you can, please understand
It's important to comprehend
You might not come back
You may not return to your previous state of mind
[Chorus]
Repeating the chorus
How happy life could be
Life could be so much better
If all of mankind
If everyone
Would take the time to journey to the center of the mind
Would explore their innermost selves
Would take the time to journey to the center of the mind
Would discover their deepest desires and dreams
Center of the mind (The mind, the mind)
Repeating the phrase 'center of the mind'
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVEN O FARMER, TED NUGENT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@claire-ug1pb
The bassist is my grandmas brother
@renee8545
That's nice...
The Rythm Guitar - Steve Farmer, was my next door neighbor!♥️
Sadly he passed April 7 2020🙏 R.I.P Steve
@brendalogan1801
They kick ass!
@stevenday9687
Then he'd be your great uncle
@stevenday9687
@@renee8545 every year we are losing some of the greatest rockers to ever walk this Earth. Most recently, David Crosby
@joanjordan9543
Wow
@scottwilliams8334
I had a 64 Falcon with a 289 and a Hurst 4 speed and a 8 track that tried to give the pipes a run for the money This was one song that did.
@user-xx2hj7xb6b
I drove a '61 Ford Falcon. It always broke down. By June of '68 I was driving a new '68 blue Chevy Nova. A much better car.
@no-ng6lo
"Good to see you Jefe."
"It's good to be back."
"How does it feel?"
"Groovy."
@1000000man1
Smash cut to title
And the way the title changes colour to the beat of the song. It's like even the editor is having fun.