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.
Brownsville Turnaround On The Tex
The KLF Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And we like to roam the land...
We're justified and we′re ancient
I hope you'll understand
The KLF's song "Brownsville Turnaround On The Tex" is a tribute to the mythical and mystical nature of ancient times. The lyrics "and we're ancient" suggest that the singers are referring to themselves as something from a long-ago era, perhaps even from a time that predates modern human civilization. They declare a liking to roam the land, which further positions them as nomadic entities in a world that has technologically advanced to the point of hyperconnectivity. The song paints a picture of ageless wanderers who have always existed and will continue to exist beyond human comprehension.
The line "we're justified and we're ancient" may be interpreted in different ways, but it seems to suggest that the singers feel as if they have a moral authority that is rooted in their ageless existence. They do not owe their justification to any earthly authority or institutionalized system but rather to their own existence. The chorus repeats, "I hope you'll understand," which may indicate a feeling of separateness from humanity or a need to assert their otherworldliness in the face of a society driven by materialism and consumerism.
Overall, the song suggests a yearning for a connection to something bigger than ourselves and an acknowledgement that there are things in the universe that will always remain a mystery to us. It celebrates the idea that there are forces at work beyond human comprehension and that we should be humble in the face of this vastness.
Line by Line Meaning
and we're ancient
We have been around for a long time, possibly since the beginning of time.
and we like to roam the land
We enjoy traveling and exploring new places, either physically or metaphorically.
we're justified and we're ancient
We have a sense of purpose and believe that we are meant to fulfill a certain role or destiny.
I hope you'll understand
We want others to see things from our perspective and understand our actions or beliefs.
Writer(s): Ernest Drummond William, James Francis Cauty
Contributed by Chase O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.