For each Swirling Eddies release, band members adopted pseudonyms for the liner notes; "Camarillo Eddy" (Terry Scott Taylor), "Berger Roy Al" (Tim Chandler), "Gene Pool" (Greg Flesch), "Arthur Fhardy" (Rob Watson), "Spot" (Jerry Chamberlain), "Hort Elvison" (David Raven) and, on later albums, "Prickly Disco" (Gene Eugene). These pseudonyms were dropped for their third album, Zoom Daddy.
The band released its debut album on Alarma Records in 1988 entitled Let's Spin!. 1989's Outdoor Elvis featured the band's first two radio hits, "Driving in England" and "Hide the Beer the Pastor's Here!". The title track included classic lines such as: "It's said he croons when the moon's above, singing tenderly 'Hunk of Burning Love.'" The band's documentary video, Spittle and Phlegm was released the following year.
The band's stage shows are rare and unusual, to say the least. Since the band was formed in the late 1980s, they have only performed about six or seven live concerts. In 1990, the band performed at The Cornerstone Festival in drag, belting out covers like "I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar", The Animals' "We've Got To Get Out Of This Place", The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand", and Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World".
In 2004, the band began to work on their first album of original, new material in ten years entitled The midget, the speck and the molecule. The first new song to surface, a rough mix of "Giants in the Land," was made available in March of 2007 exclusively to people that preordered the album before it was finished. The recording sessions ended in May of 2007 and the album was released on July 23, 2007
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Driving In England
The Swirling Eddies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They start turning into cannibals
Eat each other's hearts out
Like the sacrifice to animals
Deep-freeze their own souls
Shut down their brains
I think the only way to go is against the grain
Somebody's screaming out
"You're going down the wrong way!"
They wanna believe the worst
Do they believe in anything?
Shoot their own wounded
Sacrifice their offspring
Don't you get too cynical
They'll put you on a cross
Some leaders are tyrannical
And everyone's a boss
Roadblock on the road to glory
Gridlock on the golden highway
I'll stop at nothing to get to You
Big surprise
We're still alive!
The Swirling Eddies's song "Driving In England" presents a critique of Western civilization and society. The lyrics depict the disillusionment and dissatisfaction of an individual against the social and cultural norms of society that tends to make people turn into each other's enemies. The first few lines of the song explain how some people get so bored with their lives that they start turning into cannibals and start eating each other's hearts out. The comparison made between cannibalism as an act of sacrifice and the people's deep-freezing their own souls underscores the idea that contemporary society is struggling to find meaning.
The line "I think the only way to go is against the grain" suggests that the way to find meaning in life is to go against established cultural norms and expectations. The main character driving in England down the Santa Ana Freeway and someone's screaming out that they're going the wrong way doesn't seem to phase them as they are determined to follow their own path in search of the truth. The song seems to suggest that people need to break from the chains of conformity to find meaning and purpose in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Some people get so bored
There are those who become so bored with life that they are willing to do anything for any kind of excitement.
They start turning into cannibals
In their desperation for some sort of stimulation, they end up becoming savage and resort to gruesome or immoral means for that stimulation.
Eat each other's hearts out
They figuratively consume one another's souls or emotions in their desperation for a deep connection.
Like the sacrifice to animals
They become like wild beasts in their destructive behavior, treating each other like disposable objects, devoid of humanity.
Deep-freeze their own souls
They stop feeling anything at all, numbing their emotions and senses with a sense of detachment.
Shut down their brains
They stop thinking for themselves and blindly follow what they are told by others, losing their independence and sense of self.
I think the only way to go is against the grain
The only way to avoid this kind of destructive behavior is to go against the norms of society and forge one's own path.
I was driving in England down the Santa Ana freeway
The artist was driving down a road in England, thinking about the damaging behavior of human beings.
Somebody's screaming out
Suddenly, someone interrupts his thoughts by yelling at him.
"You're going down the wrong way!"
They are warning him that he is driving in the wrong direction on a one-way road.
They wanna believe the worst
People have a tendency to be negative and believe in the worst possible outcome.
Do they believe in anything?
People have lost faith in the world and their own beliefs, leading to a lack of trust in others.
Shoot their own wounded
People are quick to turn on those who are vulnerable or suffering, rather than helping them or offering support.
Sacrifice their offspring
Society often encourages people to sacrifice their own children or future generations for the sake of convenience or their own priorities.
Don't you get too cynical
The singer warns against becoming too pessimistic in the face of such troubling behavior and to instead seek hope and positivity.
They'll put you on a cross
Those in power often turn on those who defy their authority or beliefs, punishing them unfairly or excessively.
Some leaders are tyrannical
Leaders of society can exhibit tyrannical behavior in their quest for power and control.
And everyone's a boss
Even those who are not in official positions of authority try to exert control over others, leading to a lack of cooperation and unity.
Roadblock on the road to glory
There are often obstacles and challenges on the path towards success or achievement.
Gridlock on the golden highway
Societal expectations and pressures can create a sense of stagnation and lack of progress in achieving one's goals.
I'll stop at nothing to get to You
The artist expresses a determination to persevere and overcome those obstacles in order to reach their ultimate goal.
Big surprise
Despite all of the negativity and challenges in the world, humanity continues to survive and progress.
We're still alive!
Even in the face of all of life's difficulties, the human spirit endures and persists.
Contributed by Avery F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Junior Quevedo
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