Ambition was never the Pastels' strong suit, and luck was rarely on their side; as the group's members -- now including bassist Martin Hayward and drummer Bernice Simpson -- devoted their primary focus to their studies, new music appeared only sporadically and to little notice, on a seemingly random series of labels. After 1983's "I Wonder Why" was released on Rough Trade, they moved to Creation, where they hit their stride with the 1984 drone-pop gems "Something's Going On" and "A Million Tears." After one further single, 1985's "I'm Alright with You," the Pastels split with Creation, moving to the tiny Glass label. In 1986, their track "Breaking Lines" appeared on the influential C-86 collection assembled by the New Music Express, transforming the anorak movement into an overnight media sensation quickly accompanied by intense critical backlash.
Regardless of prevailing musical trends, however, the Pastels soldiered on: after recruiting one-time Shop Assistants keyboardist Aggi Wright, they recorded the 1986 single "Truck Train Tractor," followed by Crawl Babies and Comin' Through. Finally, in 1987 the group found time to assemble an LP, Up for a Bit with the Pastels, followed in 1988 by Suck on the Pastels, a collection of unreleased Creation-era material. In 1989, former Vaselines frontman Eugene Kelly and ex-Shop Assistant David Keegan joined the fold for Sittin' Pretty, the final LP to include Superstar, Hayward, and Simpson. The remaining duo of Pastel and Wright expanded to include Katrina Mitchell for the 1991 collaboration Jad Fair and the Pastels, followed by the 1994 EP Olympic World of Pastelism. Their third album, Mobile Safari, was released in 1995 by Domino in the U.K. (which began a long-running alliance) and Up Records in the U.S. It featured a lineup including longtime band associates Norman Blake and Gerald Love (both from Teenage Fanclub) and ex-Shop Assistant guitarist David Keegan, and a guest appearance from Luna's Dean Wareham.
Their next album, 1997's Illumination, was issued by the same configuration of record labels and featured a similar lineup, only with the addition of guitarist Jonathan Kilgour and guest shots from Belle & Sebastian's Isobel Campbell and pianist Bill Wells. A remix album, Illuminati, was released in 1998 and featured reworks of tracks by Kevin Shields, Stereolab, Cornelius, and other A-list indie rockers. This burst of recognition and activity was derailed when Wright decided to leave the band in 1998, throwing Mitchell and Pastel into a spin. Instead of jumping back into making music right away, the band went on hiatus while figuring things out. The duo next formed Geographic Records in 2000 as an offshoot of Domino, and began releasing records by friends (Future Pilot AKA, International Airport) and obscure acts (Nagisa Ni Te, Maher Shalal Hash Baz.) The band reappeared at last in 2003 with the mostly instrumental soundtrack for the film The Last Great Wilderness. The album was produced by the Sea and Cake's John McEntire and featured International Airport's Tom Crossley along with a vocal feature for Jarvis Cocker. A friendship with Japanese band Tenniscoats led to their next release, 2009's collaborative effort Two Sunsets. The core band was expanded to include Crossley and Mitchell's sister Alison, with Love still there, too. With the record label slowing its pace and releasing one album a year, the band turned toward recording an album of their own, and in 2013 their fifth record, Slow Summits, was released. McEntire was again in the producer's chair and guitarist John Hogarty had joined the ranks. Also on board as guests were To Rococo Rot's Stefan Schneider and Robert Lippok, as well as Norman Blake (again), and original bandmember Annabel Wright. (c)Jason Ankeny
2) An American 50s pop group formed by Dee Irwin while he was serving in the military. Consisted of DiFosco "Dee" T. Ervin Jr. himself, Richard Travis, Tony Thomas and Jimmy Willingham. They toured widely until splitting up in 1959.
Ride
The Pastels Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And since that day I've been suffocating
Tell myself this dump trod on me
Anticipating and waiting and waiting
But oh I feel so lonely
Gonna make my way down to the bus station
Wanna ride
Just wanna ride
Wanna ride
I tell myself this dump's trod on me
But still I keep suffocating
It's a desperate situation
I've wanted and wanted and wanted
Hoping and praying
But still I feel so lonely
Gonna make my way down to the bus station
Wanna ride
And everything's in site
Just wanna ride
Wanna ride
I'm choking
My humor is gone
This trouble
Goes on forever
Sitting here
Desperate Situation
Wait and smile
Wind and snow
Not got much time
They don't like me
Don't like them either
Desperate situation
The song "Ride" by The Pastels is a song about feeling trapped and suffocated in a small town. The first stanza describes the singer's birthplace as the "middle of nowhere" and ever since then, they have been suffocating. Despite trying to convince themselves that their hometown hasn't held them back, the singer can't help but feel lonely and desperate for a change. The chorus repeats the lyrics "wanna ride" which can be interpreted as wanting to escape and leave their hometown. The second stanza describes the same feelings of suffocation and desperation, using stronger language with phrases like "choking" and "desperate situation." The song ends on the same note with the singer feeling trapped and hopeless.
The lyrics of "Ride" are simple yet relatable, capturing the feeling of being stuck in a place and yearning for something more. The repetition of the phrase "wanna ride" creates a sense of urgency and desperation. The metaphor of suffocating is a powerful image, conveying the feeling of being restrained and unable to breathe. The song's tone is melancholic but also hopeful, as the singer tries to make their way to the bus station and leave their hometown behind.
Overall, "Ride" is a poignant song that captures the universal feeling of wanting to escape and start anew. The lyrics, melody, and instrumentation work together to create a sense of longing and despair, while also conveying a sense of hope and possibility.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born in the middle of nowhere
I came into this world with no connections, no privileges, and no prospects
And since that day I've been suffocating
Ever since, I've felt trapped and stifled by my environment
Tell myself this dump trod on me
I try to convince myself that my life's circumstances have been forced upon me by my surroundings
Anticipating and waiting and waiting
I've been expecting something to change, something to come along and save me, but it never does
But oh I feel so lonely
Despite my attempts to escape, I still feel isolated and disconnected
Gonna make my way down to the bus station
I'm ready to leave this place behind and embark on a journey to anywhere else
Wanna ride
All I want is the freedom and adventure of the open road
And everything's in sight
I can see the whole world ahead of me, full of possibilities and potential
I tell myself this dump's trod on me
I keep repeating this idea to reassure myself that I'm not responsible for my own situation
But still I keep suffocating
My circumstances are closing in on me, and I can't shake off the feeling of claustrophobia
It's a desperate situation
I'm in dire straits, and I need to take drastic action to escape
I've wanted and wanted and wanted
I've longed for change and improvement, but nothing ever seems to happen
Hoping and praying
I'm putting my faith in a higher power to guide me toward a better future
But still I feel so lonely
My sense of isolation persists, despite my best efforts to break free
Gonna make my way down to the bus station
I'm committed to taking control of my own destiny, starting with a physical departure from my current location
I'm choking
I feel like I'm suffocating, with no room to breathe or grow
My humor is gone
I've lost the ability to find joy or laughter in my life
This trouble
My problems and challenges
Goes on forever
It seems like my struggles will never end
Sitting here
I'm stuck, unable to move forward or make progress
Desperate Situation
My predicament is dire, and I'm running out of options
Wait and smile
I'm pretending to be content and patient, but inside I'm desperate for change
Wind and snow
The harsh and unforgiving environment I find myself in
Not got much time
I know that if I don't act soon, my situation will only get worse
They don't like me
I feel alienated and rejected by the people around me
Don't like them either
I can't help but feel that the people in my current surroundings are beneath me
Desperate situation
Once again, I find myself in a dire and urgent predicament
Contributed by Hunter Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@sydspagetti89
Fantastic! ✨
@iancopestick6757
A great LP and my favourite ever Pastels song.
@afrazzini
i love this album...especially this song cheers!
@bobakerone
the last song on side 1 of this album is called "i'm alright with you" and it is the best tune on the whole album by far. i don't think it is posted on you tube anywhere though. check it out you will like it.
@miryallerdyce
omgg this is too muchh I love this song!!!!!!!
@SupersonicMark
a nice ride!
@v2kv
you still got to see 3 amazing bands, haha
@satelitejameson
no, it's great music!
@kqpm392
have got this on record. wonder what its worth?
@trentfair
Calum Courtney probably a 100 dollars or more