Beginning in 1987 in London, England, Bill Drummond (alias King Boy D) and Jimmy Cauty (alias Rockman Rock) released hip hop-inspired and sample-heavy records as The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu and, on one occasion (the British number one hit single "Doctorin' the Tardis"), as The Timelords. As The KLF, Drummond and Cauty pioneered the genres "stadium house" (rave music with a pop-rock production and sampled crowd noise) and "ambient house". The KLF released a series of international top-ten hits on their own KLF Communications record label, and became the highest internationally selling UK band of 1991. The duo also published a book, The Manual, and worked on a road movie called The White Room.
From the outset, they adopted the philosophy espoused by esoteric novels The Illuminatus! Trilogy, gaining notoriety for various anarchic situationist manifestations, including the defacement of billboard adverts, the posting of prominent cryptic advertisements in NME magazine and the mainstream press, and highly distinctive and unusual performances on Top of the Pops. Their most notorious performance was at the February 1992 Brit Awards, where they horrified the formal audience with a hardcore thrash version of "3 A.M. Eternal" (performed with the justifiably named Extreme Noise Terror) that also included Drummond spraying the crowd with blanks from an automatic rifle and the post-performance announcement, "The KLF have left the music industry." Topping their already extreme actions, Cauty and Drummond delivered the carcass of a dead sheep -- plus eight gallons of blood -- to the lobby of the hotel after-party. In May 1992 the duo deleted their entire back catalogue.
With The KLF's profits, Drummond and Cauty established the K Foundation and sought to subvert the art world, staging an alternative art award for the worst artist of the year and burning a million pounds sterling. Although Drummond and Cauty remained true to their word of May 1992—the KLF Communications catalogue remains deleted—they have released a small number of new tracks since then, as the K Foundation, The One World Orchestra and most recently, in 1997, as 2K. Cauty has provided remixing services for bands as diverse as Hawkwind and Placebo, under the name Scourge of the Earth.
The KLF catalogue remained absent from digital platforms until January 1, 2021, when an 8-track compilation of their 7" hit singles 1988-1991 - Solid State Logik 1 was released on streaming platforms, marking the 1st installment of a series called Samplecity Thru Trancentral.
10.What time is Love
The KLF Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rap is weak so I teach and I reach
A positive vibe, a way of life is how I'm livin'
So get hype to the rhythm
KLF is the crew, ya hear yeah
Design a rhyme I just won't fear
Back to react, enough is enough
What time is love?
What time is love?
What time is love?
What time is love?
I wanna see you sweat
I wanna see you sweat
I wanna see you sweat
Take the chance to advance you might hallucinate
Exaggerate I devastate we had to pass the pyramid blaster
The jam's a hit it's what you've been after
I'll make you shake to, break you, take two
Right in the path, with what they call the Mu Mu
KLF, boy we call rough, bring the break
What time is love?
W-what time is love? Love, love, love, love
What time is love?
I wanna see you sweat
I wanna see you sweat
Okay Houston
We'll give you a countdown
Four, three, two, one, fire
I wanna see you
The final chapter, prophetic, poetic
When I'm done, this calls for anesthetic
Get to, step to, let an MC
Come in effect with Kingboy D
A wanna be, gonna be, old time sucker
You know the time, I never stutter
A feat, a dream, a yes seem bright
Yeah, pass the mic
What time is love?
What time is love?
What time is love?
What time is love?
I wanna see you sweat
I wanna see you sweat
I wanna see you sweat
I wanna see you sweat
I wanna see you sweat
I wanna see you sweat
I wanna see you
I wanna see you
I wanna see you sweat
I wanna see you sweat
I wanna see you sweat
The lyrics of The KLF's song "What Time is Love?" are a call to action, an invitation to dance and let go. The song is dominated by a positive and energetic vibe, which reflects the band's intention to create a joyful and uplifting experience for their audience. The lyrics are delivered with a rap-like flow, accompanied by a simple yet catchy beat.
The verses start with the singer expressing their disdain for "flowless" rap and their intention to teach their listeners something new. The second verse contains several surrealistic and nonsensical lines, such as "Take the chance to advance, you might hallucinate, exaggerate, I devastate, we had to pass the pyramid blaster." These lines seem to be included for their sound and rhythm rather than their meaning.
The chorus, which repeats the question "what time is love?" four times, serves as a rallying cry for the audience to let go of their worries and engage with the music fully. The phrase "I wanna see you sweat" that follows the chorus is another way to encourage the audience to get lost in the rhythm of the song.
The final verses feature an introduction of another rapper, Kingboy D, who offers a more aggressive and confrontational style. The song ends with a repeated chorus and the final phrase "I wanna see you" repeated several times, emphasizing the song's central message of enjoying oneself and letting go.
Overall, "What Time Is Love?" is a catchy and upbeat song that reflects the KLF's desire to spread positive vibes through their music.
Line by Line Meaning
The lyrics are flow, yo for the words I speak
I'm spitting rhymes with a good flow, and I put a lot of thought into the lyrics I write.
Rap is weak so I teach and I reach
I think a lot of rap is not very original, so I try to bring something new to the table and inspire others.
A positive vibe, a way of life is how I'm livin'
I try to live my life in a positive way, and I want to spread that vibe to others through my music.
So get hype to the rhythm
Let's get pumped up and dance to the beat!
KLF is the crew, ya hear yeah
We're the KLF, and we're here to make some noise!
Design a rhyme I just won't fear
I'm not afraid to take risks with my rhymes and try new things.
Back to react, enough is enough
It's time to take action and make a change.
Let me ask you a question
What time is love?
I'm posing a deep philosophical question about what love really means and when it exists.
I wanna see you sweat
I want to see you get really into the music and dance your heart out.
Take the chance to advance you might hallucinate
Sometimes taking risks and pushing yourself can make you feel like you're in a dream.
Exaggerate I devastate we had to pass the pyramid blaster
We're taking things to the next level and blowing your mind with our music.
The jam's a hit it's what you've been after
Our music is exactly what you've been searching for.
I'll make you shake to, break you, take two
Our music will make you dance so hard you'll feel like you're breaking apart - but in a good way!
Right in the path, with what they call the Mu Mu
We're blazing our own trail and doing things our own way with our music.
KLF, boy we call rough, bring the break
We're tough and we're bringing the beats that will make you want to break dance.
Okay Houston
We'll give you a countdown
Four, three, two, one, fire
We're taking off like a rocket - get ready to blast off!
The final chapter, prophetic, poetic
Our music is epic and full of deep meaning.
When I'm done, this calls for anesthetic
Our music will leave you with a high you won't soon forget.
Get to, step to, let an MC
Come in effect with Kingboy D
Our music is collaborative and we're bringing in other artists to make it even better.
A wanna be, gonna be, old time sucker
We don't have time for haters or people who don't believe in our music.
You know the time, I never stutter
We're confident in our music and we know it's the right time to share it with the world.
A feat, a dream, a yes seem bright
Our music is a huge accomplishment and a dream come true, and the future looks bright.
Yeah, pass the mic
It's time for someone else to take the spotlight and share their message.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: James Francis Cauty, William Ernest Drummond, Ernest Drummond
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dion Smith
Spoken: In the year of our Lord Nine Ninety-Two, the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu set sail in their long boats on a voyage to rediscover the lost continent. After many months on perilous, stormy seas, their search was fruitless. Just when all seemed lost, they discovered AMERICA! The music you are about to experience is the celebration of the one thousandth anniversary of their founding of this great nation
The lyrical Prophet just can't stop it
The way I drop it and change the topic
Get hyped to the tongue of a native
So creative - KLF made it
We came a long time ago
Nine Nine Two - but you did not know
So if you think that the going gets tough
Just remember
What Time is Love
What Time is Love
What Time is Love
I wanna see you sweat (I wanna see you sweat)
I wanna see you sweat (I wanna see you sweat)
America (I waana see you sweat)
America
Get Higher
Take a chance to advance and participate
I Devastate - The Rhymes are Great
We had to pass the Pyramid Blaster
The JAMs are here, to put you in a rapture
To make you, shake you, break you, take to
Right in the Path, what they call the Mu Mu
KLF - Can you get enough? Bring the Break
What Time is Love (Ooooh Ooooh)
What Time is Love (Ooooh Ooooh)
What Time is Love (Ooooh Ooooh)
I wanna see you sweat (I wanna see you sweat)
I wanna see you sweat (I wanna see you sweat)
America
I wanna see you
Be young, be free, the American way
Be young, be free, the American way
America
America
America
America
Ohhhhhh Get Higher
Ohhhhhh Get Higher
Be young, be free, the American way
Be young, be free, be rich
Boston
Philly
Seattle
Frisco
Dayton
Toledo
Detroit
Maine
Phoenix
Vegas
Rio
Portland
Salt Lake
Tulsa
Denver
Jackson
Dallas
Texas
Atlanta
Georgia
St Louis
Memphis
Salem
Raleigh
L.A
Houston
Brooklyn
New York
Akron
Miami
Chicago
Compton
We Love You
The Final Chapter, Copecetic, Poetic
When I've done - This calls for anaesthetic
Make way for a positive thing
A theme, a dream and the man might sing
We came a long time ago
Nine Nine Two but you did not know
So if you think that the going gets tough
Just Remember
What Time is Love (Oooooh Oooooh)
What Time is Love (Oooooh Oooooh)
I wanna see you sweat (I wanna see you sweat)
I wanna see you sweat (I wanna see you sweat)
America (Mu Mu)
America (Mu Mu)
America
America (Mu Mu)
What Time is Love (Mu Mu)
What Time is Love (Mu Mu)
What Time is Love
Get Higher
Be young, be free, the American way
Be young, be free, the American way
America (Mu Mu)
America (Mu Mu)
Ahhhhhhhhh - Get Higher
Ahhhhhhhhh - Get Higher
America (Mu Mu)
America (Mu Mu)
I'd like to thank the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, furthermore known as
The JAMs also known as the K L F
Good Night America - We Love You
Thank You, United States of America, All right, Y'all be bood tonight
"Are those Guys for real? I mean whats with all this Justified Ancients
Of Mu Mu shit ?"
maboleth
These guys were 100% madness, jamming industrial, guitars and rap together like there's no tomorrow.
0x777
There's a system to their madness. And they made effin' beautiful music.
Patrick Owens
Beautiful insanity.
VanDwelling ForHumanity
..and dont forget the gospel singer! This is beyond madness, its genius!
Ma TrIce
and made music history 😁
Echo
They were academics and artists by trade and not really a band hence weird wonderful music like this
Adnan Fejzić
The KLF are not ahead of their time. They are from a completely separate dimension.
VanDwelling ForHumanity
I actually think KLF was far ahead of it's time, and needs to do a come back!
TheGzillaman
They are old now sadly times have changed but they could find new blood and pass the torch. I wish!
Zagor the Great
Ricardo da Force has passed away, without his voice KLF wouldn’t be the same as they were