∎ The Philadelphia band's first album on A&M, self entitled THE REDS, produced by David Kershenbaum, showed the band's impressive sound — a blend of Rick Shaffer's guitar and Bruce Cohen's keyboards into an interestingly textured drone, short guitar and keyboard figures, rising then disappearing back into the drone, while Shaffer's voice provides the punch and definition for their overall sound. The album was supported with live appearances with The Police, Joe Jackson, Blondie, The Ramones, The Psychedelic Furs, and Public Image. An EP, GREEN WITH ENVY, followed featuring The Doors song, "Break On Through," which suggests some of the band's roots. (Universal Music digitally re-released The Reds, and Green With Envy, August 2012.) In 1980 A&M released a compilation album, Propaganda, that included tracks from The Reds, The Police, Joe Jackson, The Granati Bros, Bobby Henry, Shrink, David Kubinec, and Squeeze.
∎ After leaving A&M, The Reds® went forward with two indie albums, STRONGER SILENCE and FATAL SLIDE (Stony Plain/RCA), that continued The Reds® sound, receiving critical acclaim internationally. They next recorded a tense and powerful album for Sire/WB entitled, SHAKE APPEAL, produced by Mike Thorne (Blur, Soft Cell, Wire). This forcible record led the band to work with director/producer, Michael Mann. Mann incorporated numerous songs by The Reds® into episodes of Miami Vice, then hired Shaffer and Cohen to write songs and score for two motion pictures, Band Of The Hand (Tri-Star) and Manhunter (De Laurentiis), based on the novel "Red Dragon." Soundtrack albums from both films were released on MCA, a Manhunter CD, with an added Reds® track, “Jogger’s Stakeout”, was released by Intrada Records (2010), and Universal Music digitally released both albums (2012).
∎ During this time, solo projects for Cohen were writing score for the productions, "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde" and "Down The Road" at Philadelphia's Walnut Theatre; "The Speckled Band," starring Quentin Crisp, and Charles Busch' play, "Vampire Lesbians Of Sodom" for NYC's Pulse Theatre Company; and a forty minute electronic film noir piece, "Goodbye Johnny Staccato." While solo projects for Shaffer included recording guitar tracks on a Marianne Faithfull album (Island); Hilly Kristal's, "Mad Mordechai" (Stereo Society); Peter Murphy's, "Holy Smoke" (Beggars Banquet/BMG); and Marc Almond's, "Fantastic Star" (Some Bizarre/Mercury). While Shaffer wrote and recorded, "Looking For Right," for director Michael Mann"s film, "Collateral."
∎ The Reds® next album, CRY TOMORROW reunited them with British producer Mike Thorne. It captures the driving intensity of earlier albums and the ambient, atmospheric feel from their film scores, resulting in a stark, surreal album, with a sense of mood and mystery. The pulsing opening track, "Terror In My Heart," was featured in the film, "Nightmare On Elm Street 2" (New Line), directed by Jack Sholder, along with a searing non-stop groove of the Stones' "Gimme Shelter."
∎ In 2007, FUGITIVES FROM THE LAUGHING HOUSE was written and produced by The Reds®. The album is a straight forward raw nerve reflection of life in America. The Reds® February 2009 release, EARLY NOTHING, was also written and produced by Shaffer and Cohen. The album has a hypnotic quality, that leaves the listener free to let their subconscious play itself out, no matter where it goes. With the release of Early Nothing, The Reds®, shamans of dark, brooding, loud rock continued to explore and define their sound.
∎ At this point in time, both Shaffer and Cohen began releasing solo albums. Bruce released ONE BC in 2009, and Rick released NECESSARY ILLUSION in 2010. Although they have been recording separately, a new album by The Reds is still a possibility as soon as Shaffer and Cohen can be in the same location at the same time. See their entire discography below.
■ PLEASE NOTE: The Reds® is a Registered Trademark, with the first use date of March 17, 1977.
THE REDS® OFFICIAL WEBSITE is TarockMusic.com
DISCOGRAPHY
∎ RICK SHAFFER
2017 • STOLEN MOMENTS (Tarock Music #TM-CD15)
2016 • OUTSIDE OF TIME (Tarock Music #TM-CD13)
2015 • JITTERBUG SHAKE (Tarock Music #TM-CD11)
2014 • HARD TIMES SIXTY — Single (Tarock Music)
2014 • LINK — Single (Tarock Music)
2014 • MISADVENTURE (Tarock Music #TM-CD10)
2013 • STACKED DECK (Tarock Music #TM-CD9)
2012 • IDIOT FLATS (Tarock Music #TM-CD8)
2011 • HIDDEN CHARMS (Tarock Music #TM-CD6)
2010 • NECESSARY ILLUSION (Tarock Music #TM-CD5)
1971 • JUST THE BEGINNING — RICK SHAFFER & FREIGHT TRAIN (Fly By Night #LPFBN1001
∎ BRUCE COHEN
2017 • FOUR BC (Tarock Music #TM-CD14)
2015 • THREE BC — IN A TRANCE (Tarock Music #TM-CD12)
2014 • BIG FUN 3 — FADEOUT Bruce Cohen, Peter ”Babe” Lucas, Tony Foster (RopeADope #N/A)
2013 • BIG FUN 3.2 — Bruce Cohen, Peter ”Babe” Lucas, Tony Foster (RopeADope #N/A)
2011 • TWO BC (Tarock Music #TM-CD7)
2010 • BIG FUN 3 — Bruce Cohen, Rik Myers, Brandon Cruz (RopeADope #N/A)
2009 • ONE BC (Tarock Music #TM-CD4)
∎ THE REDS®
2009 • EARLY NOTHING (Tarock Music #TM-CD3)
2007 • FUGITIVES FROM THE LAUGHING HOUSE (Tarock Music #TM-CD2)
2001 • CRY TOMORROW (Stereo Society #SS004)
1992 • CRY TOMORROW (Tarock Music #TM-CD1)
1986 • MANHUNTER — FILM SOUNDTRACK (MCA #6182)
1986 • BAND OF THE HAND — FILM SOUNDTRACK (MCA #6167)
1986 • WAITING FOR YOU — SINGLE (Music Action - France #N/A)
1985 • SHAKE APPEAL (Music Action - France #MAP9009)
1984 • SHAKE APPEAL (Sire/Warner Bros #21-04261)
1983 • FATAL SLIDE (Helter Skelter - Italy #HS93CD26)
1982 • FATAL SLIDE (Stony Plain - Canada #SPL10481981)
1981 • STRONGER SILENCE (Helter Skelter - Italy #HS93CD26)
1981 • STRONGER SILENCE (Stony Plain - Canada #SPL1037)
1981 • STRONGER SILENCE (Kingdom - UK #KVL90051981)
1981 • THE DANGER / DO YOU PLAY THE GAME — SINGLE (Kingdom - UK #KV8019)
1981 • STRONGER SILENCE — EP (Ambition #AM1981)
1980 • PROPAGANDA (A&M #SP4786)
1979 • GREEN WITH ENVY — EP (A&M #SP3301)
1979 • WHATCHA′ DOIN' TO ME — SINGLE (A&M #N/A)
1979 • WHATCHA′ DOIN' TO ME — GREEN VINYL (A&M - UK #N/A)
1979 • JOEY / VICTIMS — SINGLE (A&M #SP3178)
1979 • THE REDS — GREEN VINYL (A&M #SP4772)
1979 • SELF REDUCTION / VICTIMS — SINGLE (EKE #N/A)
1977 • JOEY / AUTOMATIC BOY — SINGLE (Go Go #00011971)
Where We Belong
The Reds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm as dead as the water in a dried up lake.
And too many kids in here have hat tops and hammers as well.
The cellar doors blown to bits, I keep my cool knowing it well.
Knowing it well
They're lost.
We paint our world apart, we're closing up. We think we've got it all worked,
But we don't.
And too many kids in here have hat tops and hammers as well.
The cellar doors blown to bits, I keep my cool knowing it well.
Knowing it well.
We belong in the sea.
With you.
And every thing's changing, I can't believe I'm losing myself.
The world we rent falls to bits, the sea shows up to prove we're in hell.
And every thing's changing, I can't believe I'm losing myself.
The world we rent falls to bits, the sea shows up to prove we're in hell.
To prove we're in hell.
The lyrics to The Reds' song "Where We Belong" delve into themes of loss, despair, and a sense of being trapped in a destructive environment. The opening line, "There is nothing in me that you can't take away," suggests a feeling of emptiness and vulnerability, as if the singer's identity and agency can easily be stripped away. The comparison to being "dead as the water in a dried up lake" paints a picture of lifelessness and desolation.
The mention of "too many kids in here have hat tops and hammers as well" hints at a troubled and chaotic environment, where violence and aggression are prevalent. The cellar doors being "blown to bits" adds to the sense of destruction and instability. Despite this chaos, however, the singer remains composed and "keeps their cool," perhaps indicating a resignation to the circumstances they find themselves in.
The next part of the lyrics takes us inward, as the singer reflects on missed opportunities and regrets. They acknowledge a multitude of things they wish they had said, but now those chances have passed and are "lost." The line "we paint our world apart, we're closing up" suggests a conscious effort to isolate oneself, possibly as a way of protecting oneself from further pain or disappointment. The singer acknowledges that they may think they have it all figured out, but in reality, they are still lost and searching for meaning.
The repeated line "We belong in the sea" signifies a desire for escape and a longing for a place where they can truly belong. The sea symbolizes freedom, vastness, and a sense of being at one with nature. The use of "sea" also carries a metaphorical weight, representing a place of emotional release and healing.
The final part of the lyrics confronts the idea of change and the singer's struggle to maintain their sense of self amidst a rapidly shifting world. The singer expresses disbelief at "losing myself" and witnessing the world they inhabit falling apart. The mention of the sea showing up to prove they are "in hell" suggests a realization of the depth of their suffering and the difficult circumstances they find themselves in. The repetition of "to prove we're in hell" emphasizes the sense of despair and hopelessness.
In summary, "Where We Belong" by The Reds explores themes of loss, despair, and the search for belonging. The lyrics touch on feelings of vulnerability and emptiness, a chaotic and violent environment, missed opportunities, a desire for escape and belonging, and the anguish of witnessing a crumbling world.
Line by Line Meaning
There is nothing in me that you can't take away.
I have no personal possessions or qualities that are truly mine and cannot be taken from me by someone else.
I'm as dead as the water in a dried up lake.
I feel lifeless and devoid of vitality, like the stagnant water in a desiccated lake.
And too many kids in here have hat tops and hammers as well.
A significant number of young people in this place possess both the power to control others (symbolized by the hat tops) and the ability to cause destruction (represented by the hammers).
The cellar doors blown to bits, I keep my cool knowing it well.
The entrance to a hidden place or secret potential within me has been forcefully destroyed, but I manage to remain calm and composed, fully aware of the situation.
Knowing it well.
Having a deep understanding and familiarity with the aforementioned circumstances.
Inside the sea we go, a million things I wish I said have been and gone, They're lost.
We submerge ourselves into the vast sea of life, realizing that countless thoughts, opinions, and words I desired to express have already passed by, irretrievably lost.
We paint our world apart, we're closing up. We think we've got it all worked, But we don't.
We unintentionally create divisions and conflicts in our personal reality, wrongly believing that we have successfully resolved everything and have it all under control, when in fact, we do not.
We belong in the sea. With you.
Our true place of belonging is within this vast sea of existence, alongside you.
And every thing's changing, I can't believe I'm losing myself.
Every aspect of life is constantly evolving, and it astonishes me to realize that I am gradually losing my sense of identity and purpose.
The world we rent falls to bits, the sea shows up to prove we're in hell.
The constructed reality we inhabit and temporarily lease crumbles into chaos and disarray, while the unforgiving sea emerges as evidence that we are trapped in a state of torment and suffering.
To prove we're in hell.
Serving as undeniable proof that the current state we find ourselves in is akin to a hellish existence.
Lyrics © Sentric Music
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind