The Vibrators recorded sessions at for John Peel at BBC Radio 1 in October 1976, June 1977, and February 1978. They were one of the pioneering punk bands that played at London's Roxy Club. They headlined in January 1977, supported by The Drones, and in February they played twice at the venue. In March 1977 the band supported Iggy Pop on his British tour. Later that year they backed ex-Mott the Hoople frontman Ian Hunter.
The band signed to Epic Records in early 1977. Their debut album, Pure Mania was co-produced with Robin Mayhew, the sound engineer for David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust live shows, and reached the Top 50 of the UK Albums Chart. The album is well regarded by some music critics and, 17 years after its release The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music named Pure Mania one of the 50 best punk albums of all time.
Their follow-up album, V2, narrowly missed the UK Top 30. The only single to be taken from that album, "Automatic Lover", was the only Vibrators’ single to reach the UK Top 40 where it reached #35. It earned the band a TV appearance on the prime-time TV show Top of the Pops. The Vibrators’ final single on Epic, "Judy Says (Knock You In The Head)", was released in June 1978. It reached #70 in the UK singles chart. Years later it was included in Mojo magazine’s list of the best punk rock singles of all time.
A lack of further chart activity, and with only one UK Top 40 single to their credit, sees the Vibrators join the list of one-hit wonders; a list that includes other UK punk and new wave acts such as The Banned, John Cooper Clarke, The Flying Lizards, Jilted John, 999, the Radio Stars, and the Rich Kids.
During the 1980s, John Ellis recorded and toured frequently with Peter Hammill, and subsequently The Stranglers, eventually joining the latter full-time in the 1990s. Pat Collier went on to work closely with The Soft Boys, producing their seminal album, Underwater Moonlight, and Robyn Hitchcock, producing and mixing some of his solo albums (to which Knox also sometimes contributed). Despite numerous line-up changes, The Vibrators are still touring to this date as a three-piece, "Knox" and "Eddie" being the only original members.
Into the Valley
The Vibrators Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Betrothed and divine
Realisations no virtue
But who can define
Why soldiers go marching
Those masses a line
This disease is catching
From victory to stone
Ahoy! Ahoy! Boy, man and soldier
Ahoy! Ahoy! Deceived and then punctured
Ahoy! Ahoy! Long may they die
Out of concealment
Blank and stark eyed
Why so uncertain
This culture deceives
Prophesised, brainwashed
Tomorrow's demise
All systems failing
The placards unroll
Ahoy! Ahoy! Land, sea and sky
Ahoy! Ahoy! Boy, man and soldier
Ahoy! Ahoy! Deceived and then punctured
Ahoy! Ahoy! Long may they die
Time for the audit
The gathering trial
A collector's dilemma
Repositioned and filed
"Into the Valley" by The Vibrators is a song that reflects on the futility of war and the consequences it brings. The first verse talks about soldiers marching towards victory with no clear definition of why they are doing so. The disease that is catching refers to the widespread acceptance of war and the lack of understanding among people. The chorus "Ahoy! Ahoy!" is a cry that people hear when they are at war, symbolizing the call to arms. The second verse goes on to talk about how people are brainwashed into thinking that war is acceptable even when it is clear that it leads to nothing but destruction. The placards mentioned in the verse symbolize the propaganda that is used to paint the enemy in a negative light and justify war.
The third verse talks about how it's time to take stock of the situation and reassess what's happening. The gathering trial suggests that people should be held accountable for the consequences of war. The collector's dilemma refers to the archive of the war that historians will use to analyze the human cost of the conflict. The final line of the song, "Repositioned and filed," represents how people's lives can be easily forgotten in the grand scheme of things.
Line by Line Meaning
Into the valley
Starting on a journey into a dangerous yet intriguing place
Betrothed and divine
Committed to a higher cause, possibly religious or spiritual
Realisations no virtue
Awareness of the truth does not necessarily make you virtuous
But who can define
It is difficult to pinpoint a specific definition for something abstract
Why soldiers go marching
Questioning the motives behind sending soldiers to war
Those masses a line
The soldiers march in formation, like an interchangeable mass
This disease is catching
The violence and hatred of war spreads like an infectious disease
From victory to stone
The end result of victory in war is often destruction and death
Ahoy! Ahoy! Land, sea and sky
Beware! Danger is present in all areas of life
Ahoy! Ahoy! Boy, man and soldier
No one is immune to the dangers of war
Ahoy! Ahoy! Deceived and then punctured
People, especially soldiers, are deceived and then harmed or killed
Ahoy! Ahoy! Long may they die
A wish for the end of the violence and death caused by war
Out of concealment
The truth is coming to light
Blank and stark eyed
Innocent people are affected by the harsh realities of war
Why so uncertain
Questioning why people are unsure or confused about the reality of war
This culture deceives
The society and culture we live in can mislead us or be dishonest
Prophesised, brainwashed
People are influenced by propaganda and fear-mongering
Tomorrow's demise
The future looks bleak and full of destruction
All systems failing
Nothing seems to be working properly or effectively
The placards unroll
Protest signs are being displayed, showing dissent against the status quo
Time for the audit
It's time to take stock of what's happening and make changes
The gathering trial
An examination of the consequences of war is underway
A collector's dilemma
The difficulty of keeping records of the vast damage and loss caused by war
Repositioned and filed
The records are being organized and stored for future reference
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RICHARD JOBSON, WILLIAM STUART ADAMSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind