The Idle Race were a rock group from Birmingham, England in the late 1960s.… Read Full Bio ↴The Idle Race were a rock group from Birmingham, England in the late 1960s. They are best known for the material released while Jeff Lynne was a member.

Rhythm guitarist Dave Pritchard, bass guitarist Greg Masters and drummer Roger Spencer were the core of a band initally known as Billy King and the Nightriders, then later known as Mike Sheridan and the Nightriders and briefly as just The Nightriders.

In 1966 they advertised for a new guitarist/vocalist, Jeff Lynne applied and joined the band. After releasing one single they changed their name to Idle Race. Under Jeff Lynne's leadership they released two albums that sold poorly, despite support from John Peel and Kenny Everett.

In 1970, Jeff Lynne decided to join The Move so he and Roy Wood could work on what would eventually become Electric Light Orchestra

The remaining members of The Idle Race recruited 2 new members and released one further album. After Greg Masters left the group they became The Steve Gibbons Band.

We Want It All
The Idle Race Lyrics

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We want it all
We want it all
We want it all

Dividing up the wheels of love
You rogue, you're travelling fast
Did ya ever smell the thunder?

We want it all
We want it all

Several thousand faces
Watchin' waitin' for the stars,
Satisfy our hunger

We want it all
We want it all

Give a little
Take a little
Break a little bread
Share it with your brother

We want it all
We want it all
We want it all

Show it to your mother,
Give some to your brother,
Give it to the man, yeah

Dividing up the wheels of love
You rogue, you're travelling fast
Did ya ever smell the thunder?

We want it all
We want it all
We want it all
We want it all

We want it all
We want it all
We want it all
We want it all

We want it all
We want it all
We want it all
We want it all

We want it all
We want it all
We want it all
We want it all

We want it all
We want it all
We want it all
We want it all

We want it all
We want it all

We want it all
We want it all

Overall Meaning

The Idle Race's song "We Want It All" seems to reflect the insatiable human desire for success and all that comes with it. The repetition of the phrase "We want it all" emphasizes this desire and creates a sense of longing. The first verse speaks of "dividing up the wheels of love," which can be interpreted as the idea that love, like success, can be divided and shared. The use of the word "rogue" to describe the person traveling fast may suggest a willingness to take risks in pursuit of what one desires, even if it means breaking the rules. The line "did ya ever smell the thunder?" could signify the thrill and excitement of the chase.

The second verse speaks of thousands of people watching and waiting for the stars. It could be interpreted as the idea that success and fame are highly sought after in today's society, and people are willing to do almost anything to achieve them. The line "satisfy our hunger" echoes this idea and portrays the desire for success as a basic human need.

The final verse encourages sharing and giving back to others. The lines "give a little, take a little, break a little bread, share it with your brother" promote cooperation and the importance of not only achieving success but also using that success to help others. The repetition of the phrase "we want it all" throughout the song indicates that this desire is ongoing and never fully satisfied.

We Want It AllThe Idle Race Lyrics

We Want It All
The Idle Race Lyrics