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.
Thousand Shadows
The Seeds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(I did it all for her, my flower child)
Lost in your dreams
Said the ride's so long and the nights so black
A thousand shadows can never look back
You're flying off toward an isle of dreams
And now you're lost, and lonely it seems
Said there's a dreammaker in every corner
Said better watch yourself, little girl
I said better keep away from him
I said the rides so long and the night's so black
A thousand shadows can never turn back
[CHORUS:]
I said, run, little girl just as fast as you can
Run like the wind
Said, run, little girl just as fast as you can
Run away from him ahhhhhhhh
I lost the heart I had before
And now my spirit can't cross the door
Oh what can I do, I made a mistake
But know I know, I know it's too late
I said ah ah ahhhh
I've tried so hard, now I'm lost again
I didn't listen to what they say
And now I'm losing, I've lost my way
The road so black and the night's so dark
A thousand shadows can never turn back
I said ah ah ahhhh
The ride, the ride, the ride's so long
The night, the night, the night's so black
Ah ah ah ah child child child child child
The Seeds's song Thousand Shadows is a cautionary tale to a girl who is lost in her dreams and is risking falling into temptation. The singer warns the girl about the dreammaker in every corner, who is weaving a web of sin and can lead her astray. The ride is long and the night is dark, with a thousand shadows that can never be turned back. However, despite the warning, the girl doesn't listen and ultimately makes a mistake that she cannot undo. The singer, too, is lost again after trying so hard, and now his spirit cannot cross the door.
The song is telling us that we must be careful about the choices we make and the temptations we fall for. It tells us that even the slightest mistake can have severe, irreparable consequences. The song is an example of how powerful music and lyrics can be in teaching us life lessons.
Line by Line Meaning
Lost in your dreams...
I did everything for my flower child, but now she is lost in her dreams.
Lost in your dreams
With the ride being long and night being dark, it seems a thousand shadows will never be able to turn back.
Said the ride's so long and the nights so black
The journey is long and the destination is uncertain, making it difficult to find the way back.
A thousand shadows can never look back
The past is gone forever and cannot be changed no matter how many times it's thought about.
You're flying off toward an isle of dreams
You are chasing after your dreams and hoping to make them a reality.
And now you're lost, and lonely it seems
Having lost your way, it feels like you are all alone in the world.
Said there's a dreammaker in every corner
There are always people or things that offer shortcuts and temptations towards false dreams.
JUst waitin' to weave a web of sin
These entities are only waiting for a chance to rope innocent victims into committing wrongdoings.
Said better watch yourself, little girl
One should be careful and take caution to ensure not to fall into the traps set by such deceivers.
I said better keep away from him
It's best to stay far away from such dream makers and not be enticed by their false offerings.
I said the rides so long and the night's so black
The journey towards one's goal may be long and tiring with no end in sight.
A thousand shadows can never turn back
No amount of regret will be able to change the past.
I said, run, little girl just as fast as you can
The best course of action is to run away from the people or things trying to entrap you.
Run like the wind
Run as fast as possible to escape the danger, just like how the winds move quickly.
Said, run, little girl just as fast as you can
It's being reiterated that running away is the best option and should be done as fast as possible.
Run away from him ahhhhhhhh
The singer is urging the girl to run away from the dream maker as fast as possible.
I lost the heart I had before
The singer has lost their previous mentality, perhaps due to the wrong decisions they have made.
And now my spirit can't cross the door
The person has lost their will to move forward and feels trapped where they are.
Oh what can I do, I made a mistake
The singer is expressing regret for the choices they have made that led them to this situation.
But know I know, I know it's too late
The person is now aware that they have missed their chance to change their circumstances, and it's too late now.
I've tried so hard, now I'm lost again
Despite making bold attempts, the singer is still lost and unable to find their way.
I didn't listen to what they say
The person regrets not heeding advice given to them earlier, which might have saved them from the trouble they are in now.
And now I'm losing, I've lost my way
The person is completely lost and has no idea how they can get out of their current situation.
The road so black and the night's so dark
The journey ahead is difficult, with no clear path and darkness around the person.
A thousand shadows can never turn back
It's reiterated that no amount of regret can change the past events.
The ride, the ride, the ride's so long
The journey is tough and takes a long time, which makes it hard to sustain.
The night, the night, the night's so black
The darkness of the night is adding to the difficulty of moving forward towards the desired destination.
Ah ah ah ah child child child child child
The singer is adding emphasis to their own struggle by saying 'Child' repeatedly.
Lyrics © NEIL MUSIC/SKYVIEW MUSIC
Written by: HOOPER, SAVAGE, SAXON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
FGW
First Seeds album I bought in my life. I still listen to it on my Ipod. A monumental album that doesn't get talked about enough. A magnificent post and a hearty thank you.
Jan E. Cakes
Excellent use of the bass to set a ominous tone
AcidPanda
Sky Saxon is definitely the coolest guy in this world.
Avery Milieu
I met him once in 1968. He was all hands and attitude. I was glad enough to get shut of his company.
Listening to this after half a century I hear Punk Rock tapping on the shell and I think it was hatching...
David Higginbotham
Wow...they really milked that 'Pushin' Too Hard' thing to the max didn't they? Actually I like this album.
Barbara Mackin
It's that skipping beat, & sky hopping, yes so good
TL Hull
Pushin' Too Hard with different lyrics... literally
Richard Scaife
I think this one cooler though
Paul Goldstein
Great band, but this is a re-write of Pushing Too Hard.
crazypainter56
Exactly