For Avengers, San Francisco see Avengers the first wave of American Punk. Penelope Houston.
1) The Avengers was an American group from Bakersfield, California. The first incarnation came together in 1964, as a surf six-piece. Where the name came from is unknown, but the hip British TV series 'The Avengers' had started running on the BBC two years earlier. The group soon latched on to the new sound of the British Invasion and bands like The Beatles, but also American acts like Paul Revere & the Raiders and The Music Machine. Between 1965 and 1967 The Avengers released five 45s and played support slots for the likes of The Beach Boys, The Animals, The Seeds and The Music Machine. They didn't have a hit, but their song "Be a Caveman" has become legendary in garage circuits for having the sort of lyric you'd think everyone would write but never really did. Other songs that have turned up on garage compilations are "It's Hard to Hide" and its b-side "Open Your Eyes". The Avengers had unusually short hair, because they were still in school and were afraid to get suspended.
2) The Avengers were based in Wellington, New Zealand and were active from 1966 until 1969. They had a string of top ten hits on the New Zealand charts, with the most successful, "Love, Hate, Revenge", reaching #2 in August 1968. Overseas, however, they had considerably less success and they broke up after their second tour of Australia. During their career, they released two albums, Electric Recording in 1968 and Medallion in 1969, as well as a live album in 1968. In 2001, almost all of their studio material was collected on one compilation that also appeared under the name Electric Recording.
3) The Avangers from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, made 3 singles in 1968-69.
4) (See) Avengers were formed in San Francisco, in the first wave of American Punk. Penelope Houston was the lead singer, primary songwriter, and her persona was a large part of the draw for the act. The other band members were James Wilsey (bass), D. Furious (drums), and Greg Ingraham (guitar). Critic Greil Marcus once said The Avengers were, “…San Francisco’s best punk band - in their moments, they were, you knew, better than any other band playing that night anywhere in the world.”
Avengers gained much publicity when they opened for the Sex Pistols in San Francisco, for their legendary final show at Winterland. The Avengers’ 4-song EP was also produced by Steve Jones (of the Sex Pistols) in 1979 on White Noise Records.
Their discography also contains an earlier 3-song EP (on Dangerhouse Records) from 1977, a full album called “The Avengers” from 1981, a compilation of unreleased tracks and outtakes called “The Avengers Died for Your Sins” in 1999 on Lookout! Records, and a second compilation titled “The American in Me” on DBK Works (2004). Houston and Ingraham have reunited and currently perform as The Avengers with bassist Joel Reader (MXT, Pansy Division) and drummer Luis Illades (Pansy Division) touring the US and Europe.
5) The Avengers was a British cult television show, made mostly in the sixties. As the show went from black and white to colour, the tone became less serious. It is best known for the combination of John Steed (Patrick Macnee) and Emma Peel (Diana Rigg). In South Africa, the series was also turned into a radio show. The radio show was made in 1971. Donald Monat voiced Steed and Diane Appleby was Emma Peel.
Car Crash
The Avengers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the telephone.
Telling me that you're dead.
You wrecked your car, you lost your head
Said you had a car crash,
Now you're dead on the road with your head smashed.
I heard the news, it can't be true
Oh it might happed to you.
Whoa whoa whoa no no no
Why did you leave me? Why did you go?
Knew this would happen and I told you so.
But you didn't listen to what I said
Forget it baby, you lost your head.
I dreamed you had a car crash
And dead on the road with your head smashed.
Heard the news. Can't be.
How could you have done this to me?
Whoa whoa whoa no no no
Whoa whoa whoa no no no
Sittin at home all alone. I hear a voice
On the telephone.
Telling me that you're dead, man you lost your head.
Whoa whoa whoa no no no
Whoa whoa whoa no no no
The Avengers' song "Car Crash" is a poignant ballad about the shock and grief that comes with losing someone in a car accident. The opening verse sets the tone with the singer sitting alone at home when they receive a phone call about the death of a loved one. The chorus repeats the refrain "Whoa Whoa Whoa No No No," which expresses a mix of denial and sadness at the loss. The second verse adds to the storyline as the singer reveals that they had previously warned the deceased about reckless driving, but now it's too late.
The song is a commentary on the dangerous reality of car accidents, which can happen to anyone at any time. The lyrics offer a moment of reflection on the fragility of life and the pain that sudden loss can bring. The singer's disbelief and regret for not being able to do anything to prevent the accident are emotions that many can relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
Sittin at home all alone. I hear a voice
On the telephone.
The singer is at home alone and receives a call informing them of someone's death.
Telling me that you're dead.
You wrecked your car, you lost your head
The person who died was the victim of a car crash and lost control of their car.
Said you had a car crash,
Now you're dead on the road with your head smashed.
The person died as a result of a car accident and suffered fatal head injuries.
I heard the news, it can't be true
Oh it might happed to you.
The artist is in disbelief and notes that it could happen to anyone.
Why did you leave me? Why did you go?
Knew this would happen and I told you so.
The artist questions why the deceased person didn't listen to their advice on safe driving.
But you didn't listen to what I said
Forget it baby, you lost your head.
The singer is frustrated that their warnings went unheeded and resigned to the fact that the person is gone.
I dreamed you had a car crash
And dead on the road with your head smashed.
The singer had a premonition or nightmare of the person dying in a car accident with severe head injuries.
Heard the news. Can't be.
How could you have done this to me?
The artist is still struggling to come to terms with the news of the person's death and wonders how they could have been so careless.
Sittin at home all alone. I hear a voice
On the telephone.
Telling me that you're dead, man you lost your head.
The song ends where it began, with the artist still processing the news of the person's death and trying to reconcile their own feelings of grief with the senselessness of the accident.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: PENELOPE HOUSTON, GREG INGRAHAM, DANIEL O BRIEN, JAMES WILSEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind