The KLF (also known as The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, The Timelords, Kopy… Read Full Bio ↴The KLF (also known as The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, The Timelords, Kopyright Liberation Front and other names) were one of the seminal bands of the British acid house movement during the late 1980s and early 1990s, best known worldwide for their various stunts such as burning copies of their album "1987: What The Fuck is Going On?" on a bonfire in a Swedish field, firing machine gun blanks into the audience, writing a book on how to make a number one hit, dumping a dead sheep at the afterparty of the BRIT Awards and most infamously, burning £1,000,000 on an island off the coast of Scotland.

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.

What Time Is Love? / Outro
The KLF Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

They're justified and they're ancient
And they like to roam the land
They're justified and they're ancient
I hope you understand
They don't want to upset the apple cart
And they don't want to cause any harm
But if you don't like what they're going to do
You better not stop them cause they're coming through

Kick out the JAMS
The notes'll flow, yo, for the words I speak
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
Let me ask you a question, what time is love?
What time is love?
What time is love?
What time is love?

I want to see you sweat
I want to see you sweat
Okay Houston, we'll give you a countdown,
Four, three, two, one, fire
I want to 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 wannabe, gonna be, ol'time sucka
You know the time, I never stutter
A feat, a dream, a-yeah seem bright
Yeah, pass the mic, What Time Is Love?
What time is love
What time is love
What time is love

I want to see you sweat [Repeat: x6]
I want to see you
I want to see you

I want to see you sweat [Repeat: x3]
Thank you, thank you

Overall Meaning

The first two stanzas of The KLF's Love Trance describe a group of people who are "justified and ancient," and they wander around without any clear intentions. The singer hopes that the listener understands that these people do not want to disrupt the status quo or cause harm, but they will not be stopped from following their own path. The phrase "kick out the JAMS" is then introduced, along with a rap-style verse that focuses on positivity and living well. The repetition of the phrase "what time is love" indicates a search for inner truth.

The final verse of the song offers a prophetic and poetic conclusion, with a focus on seeing audiences "sweat" - potentially a reference to physical exertion or dancing. The lyrics suggest that the ultimate goal is to inspire people to move and engage with life. The repeated "thank you" at the end could indicate gratitude for the experience of creating and sharing music.

Line by Line Meaning

They're justified and they're ancient
They have a reason and have existed for a long time

And they like to roam the land
And they enjoy traveling around

I hope you understand
I hope you comprehend

They don't want to upset the apple cart
They don't want to cause problems or trouble

And they don't want to cause any harm
And they don't want to hurt anyone

But if you don't like what they're going to do
But if you don't approve of their actions

You better not stop them cause they're coming through
You better not obstruct them because they will proceed

Kick out the JAMS
Play loud and powerful music

The notes'll flow, yo, for the words I speak
The music will harmonize with the lyrics

Rap is weak so I teach and I reach
Rap music is poor so I educate and influence

A positive vibe, a way of life is how I'm livin'
I live with a positive attitude and my lifestyle reflects that

So get hype to the rhythm
Become excited and energized by the beat

KLF is the crew, ya hear, yeah
KLF is the group, do you understand

Design a rhyme I just won't fear
Create a verse that I won't dread

Back to react, enough is enough
Reacting back, I've had enough

Let me ask you a question, what time is love?
Allow me to inquire, what is the timing of love?

The final chapter, prophetic, poetic
The ultimate conclusion, with foresight and artistic expression

When I'm done, this calls for anesthetic
Once completed, this will require anesthesia

Get to, step to, let an MC
Go forth, approach, and allow a master of ceremonies

Come in effect with Kingboy D
Efficiently join forces with Kingboy D

A wannabe, gonna be, ol'time sucka
A non-professional, who will become one, old-fashioned fool

You know the time, I never stutter
You know when it is, I never falter

A feat, a dream, a-yeah seem bright
An accomplishment, a wish, oh yes, it appears promising

Yeah, pass the mic, What Time Is Love?
Yes, hand over the microphone, what is the timing of love?

I want to see you sweat
I want to witness your perspiration

Okay Houston, we'll give you a countdown, Four, three, two, one, fire
Alright Houston, we will provide you with a timer, four, three, two, one, ignite

I want to see you
I desire to see you

Thank you, thank you
Gratitude, gratitude

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMES FRANCIS CAUTY, WILLIAM ERNEST DRUMMOND, ERNEST DRUMMOND

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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