Originally getting together as The Ragamuffins in 1965, they changed their name the next year. Their debut album, (Turn On) The Music Machine, was released in 1966 on the Original Sound label. Seven of the 12 tracks were originals, written by vocalist Sean Bonniwell.
One of the songs, Talk Talk, recorded at RCA studios on July 30, 1966, became a Top 20 hit in the U.S. The track is the ultimate spew of garage angst, its tortuous chord changes complemented by pounding electric keyboards, snaky Asiatic guitar, and Bonniwell's unforgettable guttural howl. It was the Los Angeles band's only high-charting 45, but from '66 to the end of the decade, they released much fine garage-psychedelia, with Bonniwell's tormented visions, hard rock melodic hooks, and alternately gravely/crooning vocals to the fore.
The follow-up single, "The People In Me," peaked at #66. Bonniwell blamed the weak showing on a supposed feud between the band's manager and a top record executive. Four cover songs were included on this release, due to record company pressure.
After a promotional tour of the U.S., the rest of the original lineup, which included Ron Edgar (drums), Mark Landon (guitar), Keith Olsen (bass) and Doug Rhodes (organ), left Bonniwell due to internal conflicts. In 1967, The Music Machine (essentially only Bonniwell at this point) was signed to Warner Bros. and renamed The Bonniwell Music Machine. A self-titled LP was released that year, made up mostly of previously recorded songs with the original lineup. The recording spawned no big hits, despite the inclusion of a few more pop-oriented songs.
A third album was recorded but never released. In 2000, a Bonniwell Music Machine album called "Ignition" was released on Sundazed Records. This is a collection of songs from the unreleased 1969 album, as well as demo tracks from the band's Raggamuffin days in 1965.
In 2000, Bonniwell wrote about his life and The Music Machine in a biography called "Beyond The Garage," published by the small press publisher Christian Vision.
Double Yellow Line
The Music Machine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Miss you, more than you believe...
Need you, half of me I left behind --
With you, when I had to leave...
Now my mind's across, the double yellow line...
Hang-ups, everybody's got a little --
Hang-up, so how're you gonna act...
Changes, I hope you know I'm going though
With my mind across, the double yellow line...
Wasting, time...
Got to, find...
A way back, across the, double yellow line...
Want me, anyway a little bit...
Miss me, keep me in your mind...
Need me, but baby let me warn you though,
Don't cross, the double yellow line...
Don't cross the double yellow line...
Double yellow line
Double yellow line
Don't cross, the double yellow line...
The Music Machine's song Double Yellow Line is a passionate and emotional expression of love and longing. The lyrics are full of yearning and desperation, as the singer reveals that he is strung out on his memories of the person he loves, misses them more than they could possibly know, and left half of himself behind with them when he had to leave. He is going through changes and hopes that the person he loves knows this and is with him on this journey. However, he is yearning to be back with them so much that his mind is across the double yellow line. He warns the person he loves not to cross that line because it's dangerous, as if to say that he's already in a dangerous spot emotionally.
The double yellow line could be interpreted as a literal or metaphorical barrier that separates the two people. The metaphorical barrier could be a consequence of the changes that the singer is going through, which could be preventing him and the person he loves from reuniting. It's like he's in a different emotional space and there's no way for him to connect with the other person. He's desperately trying to find a way back across that line, back to the person he loves.
Line by Line Meaning
Want you, strung out on your memory...
I long for you, your memory consumes me
Miss you, more than you believe...
I miss you deeply, more than you realize
Need you, half of me I left behind --
I require you, I left a significant part of myself with you
With you, when I had to leave...
I was with you when I had to depart
Now my mind's across, the double yellow line...
My mind is now divided, preoccupied with conflicting thoughts and desires
Hang-ups, everybody's got a little --
Everyone has their issues and problems
Hang-up, so how're you gonna act...
With your challenges, how will you respond?
Changes, I hope you know I'm going though
I'm undergoing changes, I hope you're aware
Changes, put me where I'm at...
The changes I experienced led me to where I am now
With my mind across, the double yellow line...
My mind is divided, straying into two opposite directions
Wasting, time...
I am spending my time needlessly
Got to, find...
I must seek out
A way back, across the, double yellow line...
A route to get back to where I was before, to find clarity and direction
Want me, anyway a little bit...
Do you still desire me, even a little?
Miss me, keep me in your mind...
Think of me and miss me, remember me
Need me, but baby let me warn you though,
You may need me, but I caution you...
Don't cross, the double yellow line...
Do not try to bridge the gap between us, to repair the past
Don't cross the double yellow line...
I am warning you not to try and fix things at the expense of our well-being
Double yellow line
The road divider represents the separation between us
Double yellow line
The road divider represents the chasm between our two worlds
Don't cross, the double yellow line...
I am reminding you not to attempt to bridge the gap between us
Contributed by Annabelle P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Dora Riparia
Great to discover a group like this....and masculine intuition is a hell of a track..love this group
charlesrlassiter
Man, heavy classic. Smashing ending, my copy of this song does not have the extended fade-out as yours. Phenomenal!!
OldMod67
I didn't 'Turn on..' so to speak, until the 1983 Big Beat reissue of the first LP. Great sound,they still stand out today.
Harry Mccabe
Great fuzz ! Love this tune !!
BlueOceanBelow Lives
Tighter than a black leather glove!
jersonmajin
Awesome solo!
Rhythm and Blues Conspiracy Official
love the music machine
DanCarm
Anyone disliking this is probably a parking attendant. Har, har.
Dora Riparia
That comment had me in stiches...and no, I am not a parking attendant
Trebor Adanac
much abound outloud laughing in profusity!