Lead singer Sky Saxon had a musical career that went back to pre-Beatle music days, when he recorded a few 45-rpm singles under the name Richie Marsh. Born in Salt Lake City, he was based in Los Angeles from the early 1960s. The Seeds were formed in 1965 with Saxon joining as a response to an advertisement. Keyboardist Daryl Hooper was a major factor in the band's sound; the band was one of the first to utilize keyboard bass. Guitarists Jan Savage and Jeremy Levine with drummer Rick Andridge completed the original quintet, but Levine left shortly after the first recording sessions for personal reasons. Although Sky Saxon is usually credited as bass player, he did not play bass on any of the Seeds' recordings. This was handled by session men, usually one Harvey Sharpe. On stage, keyboardist Daryl Hooper would handle the bass parts via a separate bass keyboard, in the same way as Ray Manzarek later did with The Doors.
The Seeds' first single Can't Seem to Make You Mine was a regional hit in southern California in 1965. The song was also played regularly on AM rock stations in northern California (and probably elsewhere), where it was well received by listeners. The band had their only national Top 40 hit, Pushin' Too Hard, in 1966. Three subsequent singles, Mr. Farmer (also 1966), a re-release of Can't Seem To Make You Mine (1967), and A Thousand Shadows (1967) achieved more modest success, although all were most popular in southern California. Musically uncomplicated and dominated by Saxon's vocal style and flair for simple melodic hooks, their first two albums are today considered classics of '60s garage music. A later album (Future, 1967) was full-blown psychedelic rock, with ornate flower-themed graphics to match, and another was devoted to the blues (with liner notes by Muddy Waters).
By mid-1968, with their commercial popularity flagging, the group's personnel began to change; the band was renamed "Sky Saxon and the Seeds" in 1969, by which point Bob Norsoph, guitar, and Don Boomer, drums, had replaced Savage and Andridge. Saxon continued to use the name “The Seeds”, using various backup musicians, at least through 1972; the last major-label records of new material by the Seeds—two non-charting singles on MGM records—were released in 1970.
After the dissolution of the Seeds, Sky Saxon joined the Yahowha religious group, inspired by their leader Father Yod. Although a member of the Source Family for several years, Saxon did not participate in any of the albums released by Yahowha 13 in the mid 1970s. He does appear on the "Golden Sunrise" album by Fire Water Air, which was a Yahowha 13 offshoot, and later recorded the "Yod Ship Suite" album in memory of the deceased Father Yod. In the 1970s, Saxon also released the solo LPs "Lovers Cosmic Voyage" (credited to Sunlight) and "Live At The Orpheum" credited to Sunlight Rainbow. In the 1980s, Saxon collaborated with several bands—including Redd Kross and The Chesterfield Kings—before reforming the original Seeds in 1989 to headline "The Summer of Love Tour", along with Big Brother and the Holding Company, Arthur Lee and Love, The Music Machine, and The Strawberry Alarm Clock.
The Seeds remained dormant again until 2003, when Saxon reformed them with original guitarist Jan Savage and newcomers Rik Collins on bass, Mark Bellgraph on Guitar and Dave Klein on keyboards. This new version of the Seeds went through several incarnations, with Savage departing midway through their 2003 European tour due to his health. Saxon remained the only original member of The Seeds, which continued to tour Europe and the United States. Saxon died on June 25, 2009 of heart and renal failure.
On July 24, 2009, members of The Smashing Pumpkins, Love, and The Electric Prunes performed a tribute concert at the Echoplex in Los Angeles in memory of Sky Saxon.
A documentary film about The Seeds has been prepared by GNP Crescendo Records President Neil Norman, the son of the label's founder Gene Norman. Filming began in 2007, and draws on first-hand knowledge of the band, interviews and concert footage. The film titled Pushin' Too Hard, directed by Norman and produced by Alec Palao, premieres August 16, 2014 at the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles. A DVD release will follow later in the year.[4][5]
Some lyrics in Frank Zappa's album "Joe's Garage" refer to "Pushin' Too Hard": "You're plooking too hard/ Plooking too hard on ME".
The Seeds were a 1960s rock and roll band based in Los Angeles, California, United States, whose raw and abrasive energy, and simple, repetitive lyrics came to exemplify the garage rock style. The band was active from 1965 to 1972. The group reunited in 1989, split again in 1993 and reunited once more in 2003. The band's future is in question after the June 2009 death of its only constant member, singer Sky Saxon.
Lead singer Sky Saxon was heavily influenced in style and appearance by Mick Jagger, and the group promoted the fact that Blues great Muddy Waters once called them "America's own Rolling Stones." Keyboardist Daryl Hooper was a major factor in the band's sound; the band was one of the first to utilize keyboard bass; guitarist Jan Savage and drummer Rick Andridge completed the original quartet. Vocalist Saxon also played bass guitar.
The Seeds' first single, "Can't Seem To Make You Mine," was a regional hit in southern California in 1965. The band had their only national top-40 hit, "Pushin' Too Hard", in 1966. Two subsequent singles, "Mr. Farmer," (also 1966) and "A Thousand Shadows" (1968) achieved more modest success. Though musically primitive, one album was devoted to the Blues (with liner notes by Muddy Waters), and another (Future, 1967) was full-blown psychedelic rock, with ornate flower-themed graphics to match. The original Seeds disbanded in 1970, shortly after the release of Raw and Alive at Merlin's Music Box.
Sky Saxon joined the Yahowa religious sect, inspired by their divine leader Father Yod, released several albums as the Yahowa 13 in the mid-70s. Members of the sect went their separate ways after Father Yod died in a hang gliding accident in 1974, although Saxon continues to collaborate with various members of the Yahowa to this day.
In the 1980s, Saxon collaborated with several bands—including Redd Kross and The Chesterfield Kings—before reforming the original Seeds in 1989 to headline "The Summer of Love Tour", along with Big Brother and the Holding Company, Arthur Lee and Love, The Music Machine and The Strawberry Alarm Clock. The Seeds remained dormant again until 2003, when Saxon reformed them with original guitarist Jan Savage and newcomer Rick Collins on bass. This new version of the Seeds has gone through several incarnations, with Savage departing mid way through their 2003 European tour due to his health. Saxon now remains the only original member of The Seeds, currently augmented by the aforementioned Collins as well as organist Ryan Maynes, guitarist Nate Greely, and drummer Justin Smith. The band continues to frequently tour Europe and the United States.
"Pushin' Too Hard" was named one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
No Escape
The Seeds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't kill this bad pain inside
What can I do when your Love is gone
All I can do is just live on
No escape from your heart
No escape from your lips
No escape from you baby you bring the tears
No escape from you baby what else can I say
No escape
No escape
No escape
What can I do without you loss
I need your love whatever it'll cause
How can I hide this tears inside
What can I do when your love dies
No escape from your heart
No escape from your lips
No escape from you baby yeah you bring the tears
No escape from you darlin all the night and day
No escape from you baby no place to stay
No escape
No escape
No escape
Nowhere to run and nowhere to hide
I can't kill this bad pain inside
What can I do when your Love is gone
All I can do is just live on
No escape from your heart
No escape from your lips
No escape from you darlin' you bring the tears
No escape from you baby all the night and day
No escape from you baby no place to stay
No escape
No escape
No escape
No escape
No escape
No escape
The Seeds's song No Escape is a song about heartbreak, loss, and the pain that comes with it. The songwriter expresses that there is nowhere to run or hide from the pain they feel inside after losing their love. They admit that they can't kill the bad pain, and they can only live on with it. The lyrics show how much the singer is struggling to move on and come to terms with the loss of the person they love. They feel trapped in their pain and can't escape the memories and feelings associated with their past love.
The chorus of "No escape from your heart, no escape from your lips, no escape from you baby, you bring the tears" is a repeated line throughout the song, emphasizing the idea that the songwriter's pain is constant and never-ending because they can't escape the memories of their past love. They admit that losing their love is a major cause of pain in their life, and without them, they are left with a feeling of emptiness and an unending stream of tears.
Line by Line Meaning
Nowhere to run and nowhere to hide
I cannot avoid this pain I am feeling.
I can't kill this bad pain inside
I cannot ignore or overcome the heartache that your absence has caused.
What can I do when your Love is gone
I am feeling lost and helpless now that my love for you is unrequited.
All I can do is just live on
Despite these emotions, I must carry on with my life.
No escape from your heart
I cannot escape from the emotions that you have caused me to feel.
No escape from your lips
I cannot get away from the words that you spoke or from the memory of your voice.
No escape from you baby you bring the tears
Every time I think of you, I cannot help but cry.
No escape from you darlin' all the night and day
Whether it's day or night, your presence is always felt.
No escape from you baby what else can I say
I cannot think of anything else to say except that you are constantly on my mind.
What can I do without you loss
Despite the pain of losing you, I cannot picture my life without you.
I need your love whatever it'll cause
I am still hoping to win your love back, no matter what the cost.
How can I hide this tears inside
I cannot conceal the emotions that I am feeling inside.
What can I do when your love dies
I feel hopeless and lost without the love that once existed between us.
No escape from you baby yeah you bring the tears
Every time I think of you, I cannot help but cry.
No escape from you darlin all the night and day
Whether it's day or night, your presence is always felt.
No escape from you baby no place to stay
I feel like there is no room in my life for anything else but my feelings for you.
No escape
There is no way out of these feelings that I have for you.
No escape
I cannot escape the emotions that you have caused me to feel.
No escape
I am trapped in this painful situation with no solution in sight.
Nowhere to run and nowhere to hide
I cannot avoid this pain I am feeling.
All I can do is just live on
Despite these emotions, I must carry on with my life.
No escape from your heart
I cannot escape from the emotions that you have caused me to feel.
No escape from your lips
I cannot get away from the words that you spoke or from the memory of your voice.
No escape from you darlin' you bring the tears
Every time I think of you, I cannot help but cry.
No escape from you baby all the night and day
Whether it's day or night, your presence is always felt.
No escape from you baby no place to stay
I feel like there is no room in my life for anything else but my feelings for you.
No escape
There is no way out of these feelings that I have for you.
No escape
I cannot escape the emotions that you have caused me to feel.
No escape
I am trapped in this painful situation with no solution in sight.
Contributed by Joshua L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.