The name comes from the bouffant wigs that are part of the band's distinctive look, worn by singers Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson. Along with Wilson and Pierson, fellow vocalist Fred Schneider, drummer (and later guitarist) Keith Strickland, and guitarist Ricky Wilson (Cindy's older brother) formed the band after a drunken night at a Chinese restaurant. They shared a passion for mixing and matching older styles with a partying, good-time public image, which set them apart from many staid 70s contemporaries.
Their sound is particularly marked by the vocals of Wilson and Pierson, with Kate singing in a slightly deeper voice, along with the generally monotone or spoken-word vocals of Schneider. Aside from their vocals, the band also had a unique New Wave sound that was a combination of 50s and 60s dance music and surf rock, and the unusual guitar-string tunings utilized by Ricky Wilson. Although a clear part of said movement, their music was more experimental than most new wave groups, indulging in all manner of odd vocal and synthesizer effects. The B-52's created a quirky dance vibe that became very popular and their tours have been successful for decades.
Website= http://theb52s.com/
Lava
The B-52's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My heart's crackin' like a Krakatoa
Ooh Krakatoa, east of Java, molten bodies, fiery lava
Fire, fire, burnin' bright
Turn on your love lava
Turn on your lava light
Fire, oh volcano, over you
Keep it burnin'
Keep it burnin' here at home
Ooh hot lava
Ooh hot lava
My love may be as high as the highest volcano
But the altitude is way too high
Well it gets so cold when you look at me that way, yeah
I just want to have that hot lava
Lovin' me away
My love's mountin'
My love's eruptin' like a red hot volcano
Fire, oh volcano, over you
I gotta lotta lava love locked up inside me
My love's a lava bomb
Knock you in the head
Knock you in the head
Kick you in the bed
(Over you) hot lava
Oooo it's so hot
Oh, It's burnin' up in here
Oh oh look out, it's about to erupt
Ooh ooh my body's burnin' like a lava from a Mauna Loa
My heart is breakin' like a Krakatoa
Hot fire, red-hot fire
Lava, oh oh oh, oh oh, hot lava
Hot lava, red-hot lava
Hot lava, red, hot lava
Oh hot lava
I'm gonna let it go
Let it flow like Pompeii or Herculaneum
Let it sizzle, let it rise
Don't let your lava love flow turn to stone
Keep it burnin'
Keep it burnin' here at home
I'm gonna jump in a crater
See ya later
Ooh hot lava
Ooh hot lava
Hot lava
Oh hot lava!
Hot lava
Red hot lava uh
Yeah
The B-52's's song Lava is about the intensity of love as compared to the heat and power of volcanic eruptions. The opening line "My body's burnin' like a lava from a Mauna Loa" introduces the metaphor of love being as hot and dangerous as lava erupting from a volcano in Hawaii. The next line, "My heart's crackin' like a Krakatoa" refers to the infamous eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, illustrating the explosive and destructive nature of love. The chorus encourages keeping the passion alive in a relationship, comparing it to the need to keep a volcano burning in order to avoid it turning to stone.
The second verse introduces the idea that the intensity of love can be too much, like the "altitude" of a high volcano. The singer desires the "hot lava lovin'" to take them away, allowing them to fulfill their desire for passion. The bridge continue the volcanic metaphor by comparing the singer's love to a "lava bomb" that can knock someone's head or kick them in the bed. The song concludes with a reference to the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, which were destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 79 AD, as the singer decides to let their love "flow" and "sizzle" like lava.
Line by Line Meaning
My body's burnin' like a lava from a Maura Loa
My body is filled with an intense passion that burns like lava that erupts from the Maura Loa volcano
My heart's crackin' like a Krakatoa
My heart is breaking apart just like the famous Krakatoa volcano erupted and broke apart
Ooh Krakatoa, east of Java, molten bodies, fiery lava
Krakatoa is known for its destructiveness and violence due to its fiery lava and molten bodies. It is located east of Java.
Fire, fire, burnin' bright
Refers to the passionate fire and intensity of love that is burning brightly within oneself
Turn on your love lava
Start expressing your love and passion just like lava that erupts from volcanoes
Turn on your lava light
Be open and express your love like a bright light that shines upon everyone
Fire, oh volcano, over you
The intense passion of love is reflected in the fiery and explosive power of a volcano
Don't let your lava love turn to stone
Keep the passion and love alive; don't let it become stagnant and lifeless
Keep it burnin'
Continue to keep the fire of love and passion alive within oneself
Keep it burnin' here at home
The love and passion should be expressed within the boundaries of one's home and not be spread too thin outside of it
My love may be as high as the highest volcano
My love is as strong and intense as the highest volcano known for its might and power
But the altitude is way too high
However, the intensity of my love is way too high and not everyone can handle it
Well it gets so cold when you look at me that way, yeah
When someone looks at me with disinterest or indifference, I feel a sudden chill in my heart
I just want to have that hot lava
I wish to experience that fiery passion and love with someone who can handle it
My love's mountin'
My love is growing and becoming more intense with time
My love's eruptin' like a red hot volcano
My love is manifesting itself in an explosive manner like a red hot volcano
I gotta lotta lava love locked up inside me
I possess a lot of passionate and intense love that I have been keeping locked up within myself
My love's a lava bomb
My love is an explosive force that can impact and change lives just like a lava bomb
Knock you in the head
The explosive force of my love can knock someone's head off and fill them with excitement and passion
Kick you in the bed
The passion of my love can be so intense that it feels like a kick in the bed, leaving someone in a state of ecstasy
(Over you) hot lava
The intense passion of love that flows over and takes over one's mind and body like hot lava
I'm gonna let it go
I am going to release all the intense love and passion that I have been bottling up
Let it flow like Pompeii or Herculaneum
I am going to let my love flow and manifest itself just like the fiery destruction seen in the ancient cities of Pompeii or Herculaneum
Let it sizzle, let it rise
I will let my love sizzle and intensify, rising within me as a fiery passion
I'm gonna jump in a crater, see ya later
I am going to jump into the heart of this intense passion and experience it fully, leaving all else behind
Ooh hot lava
The fiery passion of love is burning hot within oneself
Red hot lava uh
The heat of the passion is such that it is red hot, ready to explode
Yeah
An expression of agreement and confirmation of the passion and excitement being felt
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CINDY WILSON, CYNTHIA WILSON, FRED SCHNEIDER, KATE PIERSON, KEITH STRICKLAND, RICKY WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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