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.
Kylie Said Trance
The KLF Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
KLF
Album:
Single
Song:
Kylie Said to Jason
All lyrics transcribed by Dave Datta
I'm gonna leave this body now
Oh Baby...............................Oh Baby
I was lying on the floor
With the music in my head
The Todd Terry Project
Was the last thing that I heard
I had searched for the answer
It was not much to find
Then Kylie said to Jason
"It's all in the mind"
My mind was empty (party)
Had been for a while (party)
So I said to Kylie (party)
"Jason's got some style" (party)
You got it, You got it
I'm gonna leave this body now
I'm gonna leave this body now
Oh Baby...............................Oh Baby
Trapped in a rerun
Of a seventies sitcom soap
"Some Mothers Do Have 'Em"
Or "The Archie Bunker Show"
I was smokin with Felicity
The good life begins in bed
Richard was in the garden
Or I think that's what she said
Then in walks Skippy (party)
The bush kangaroo (party)
Rolf playing "Sad Eyes" (party)
And playing the didgeridoo (party)
You got it, You got it
You got it, You got it
I'm gonna leave this body now
I'm gonna leave this body now
Oh Baby...............................Oh Baby
You got it, You got it
You got it, You got it
I'm gonna leave this body now
I'm gonna leave this body now
You got it, You got it
You got it, You got it
I'm gonna leave this body now
I'm gonna leave this body now
The KLF's song "Kylie Said To Jason" is a peculiar and enigmatic tune that defies strict interpretation. The lyrics themselves are a wild ride through a smattering of random pop culture references interspersed with some line-dancing-style chanting. The song opens with the phrase "I'm gonna leave this body now" repeated twice. This could be interpreted as a reference to out-of-body experiences or the notion of transcending physical being.
The following lines recount a nostalgic flashback to dancing on the floor to the music of The Todd Terry Project, with the singer emphasizing the "head-music" quality of the song. The line "It's all in the mind" echoes Kylie Minogue's famous catchphrase and suggests a possible nod to the power of the imagination to transcend physical limitations. The song then cascades into a series of bizarre and random references to pop culture, such as the seventies TV shows "Some Mothers Do Have 'Em" and "The Archie Bunker Show," as well as a host of Australian cultural references, from Skippy the bush kangaroo to Rolf Harris and the didgeridoo. The final part of the song repeats variations of the chorus and fades into an extended vocal chant.
The song's meaning is elusive and open to interpretation, but it seems to be a free-form celebration of pop culture and the transcendent power of music to transport our minds to a higher plane. Some have speculated that the song was a tribute to the alleged secret romance between Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan, while others have read deeper political or social commentary into the kaleidoscopic lyrics. Ultimately, the song's true meaning is left up to the listener to decide.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gonna leave this body now
The singer is leaving their physical body and entering another dimension or state of being.
Oh Baby...............................Oh Baby
These repeated lines are likely meant to convey a sense of pleasure or ecstasy in the spiritual journey the singer is on.
I was lying on the floor
The singer was in a state of relaxation or vulnerability.
With the music in my head
The artist was listening to music, likely as a means of entering a meditative state.
The Todd Terry Project
This is the name of the artist or song that the artist was listening to while in their trance-like state.
Was the last thing that I heard
The singer has moved beyond the need for external sensory input, and is now focused fully on their internal spiritual journey.
I had searched for the answer
The singer has been seeking some sort of profound truth or realization.
It was not much to find
Despite the artist's efforts, whatever they were seeking was not particularly profound or difficult to discover.
Then Kylie said to Jason
In the midst of the artist's journey, they were visited by the spirits of Kylie and Jason, who imparted some wisdom to them.
"It's all in the mind"
This is the message that Kylie and Jason communicated to the artist - that whatever they are seeking is not an external truth, but rather something that must be realized within oneself.
My mind was empty (party)
The singer had cleared their mind of distractions or clutter in order to better explore their spirituality.
Had been for a while (party)
The artist had been in this state of mind for an extended period prior to the events of the song.
So I said to Kylie (party)
The singer responded to Kylie's message, indicating that they had understood and internalized it.
"Jason's got some style" (party)
The singer expresses approval of Jason, indicating that they have embraced the message imparted by Kylie and Jason and are now able to see positive qualities in everything around them.
You got it, You got it
These lines likely serve as an affirmation of the singer's newfound spiritual awareness.
Trapped in a rerun
The artist is experiencing a sense of being stuck or trapped in a repetitive cycle, possibly referring to their life before they began exploring their spirituality.
Of a seventies sitcom soap
This line provides context for the artist's sense of being trapped in a repetitive cycle - they are imagining themselves as a character in a familiar, formulaic TV show.
"Some Mothers Do Have 'Em"
This is the name of one of the TV shows the singer is imagining themselves as a character in, and likely serves as a reference to the idea of being stuck in an unchanging, predictable situation.
Or "The Archie Bunker Show"
This is the name of another TV show the singer is imagining, which represents a similar theme of being trapped in stagnation and routine.
I was smokin with Felicity
The artist is now imagining themselves in a different scenario or setting, in which they are in the company of a woman named Felicity and smoking something (potentially cannabis).
The good life begins in bed
This line likely refers to the artist's newfound understanding that pleasure and contentment can be found within oneself, rather than in external stimuli or experiences.
Richard was in the garden
The artist is imagining themselves in yet another scenario, in which someone named Richard is present in a garden setting.
Or I think that's what she said
There is some level of uncertainty or haziness in the singer's perception of this scene, suggesting that they are still in a somewhat altered state of consciousness.
Then in walks Skippy (party)
This line introduces the surreal element of a bush kangaroo named Skippy into the artist's imagined setting.
The bush kangaroo (party)
This line further emphasizes the absurdity of the presence of a kangaroo in the singer's imagined scenario.
Rolf playing "Sad Eyes" (party)
This line introduces yet another surreal element, in which the Australian musician Rolf Harris is present and playing a song called "Sad Eyes".
And playing the didgeridoo (party)
This line further emphasizes the Australianness of the scene, with Rolf Harris playing a didgeridoo.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMES FRANCIS CAUTY, WILLIAM ERNEST DRUMMOND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gary Wright
Jees, I hadn't heard this in donkeys years!! It still sounds amazing. 1989, a vintage track from happy, happy days. Rave on you crazy diamonds!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hommerecorder
in the mix.
DonTomazo
the year i turned 20 and im still only listening to trance, what a musical journey its been, cant belive I witnessed it all.
lxxwj
you have any favorite trance sets / mix albums?
Andy Howard
Shows a certain narrow mindedness and ignorance of other music !
DonTomazo
@Andy Howard i wouldnt wanna come across as that, im into melodic techno /house atm, i collected classical music on vinyl as a kid and elvis was my hero. My parents had a record shop. Jean Michel Jarre was the turning point when i was 8 or 9 years old I heard Oxygen and from then on electronic muisc has been my passion, nothing ignorant about it, just a preference.
Andy Howard
@DonTomazo ha ha , thanks for the reply , it sounded from your comment that you only liked trance and there is so much music in the world to enjoy . You are 100% right though electronic music is the best mainly house and techno and old school acid house being my personal favourite blends . Gotta admit I'm nuts about ska and rocksteady and reggae too , probably because of my age , but there's not a day go by when I don't listen to the music . Stay peaceful and stay happy and life will be good and sorry if I seemed like I was bitching for the sake of it , I'm kinda getting old and grumpy I guess 😊
2 worlds and in between...
@Andy Howardyeah, im a lover of the 'good' genre ov music,
but its true i lost some of my shit to this stuff back in the late 80's
still holds my soul hostage
no doubt 😊
Pamela Audet
So inventive... same guys who did "What Time Is Love" did this....MIND BLOWN.
John Penlington
Superb ! Jimmy Caughty & sir Drummond were pure pioneers , anti establishment renegades & fine artists ‘ still are ! 👍🏻