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.
Sweet Sweet Heart
The Vibrators Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sweet heart.
Sweet sweet heart,
Oh sweet sweet heart.
And you can always bring out the stars,
On the stormiest nights.
And you can always make it rain,
Sweet sweet heart,
Sweet heart.
Sweet sweet heart,
Oh sweet sweet heart.
I remember when we were young,
Things used to look so pretty.
But now we're getting old,
I feel things have become so shitty.
Sweet sweet heart,
Sweet heart.
Sweet sweet heart,
Oh sweet sweet heart.
Sweet sweet heart,
Sweet heart.
Sweet sweet heart,
Oh sweet sweet heart.
The Vibrators' song Sweet Sweet Heart is a love song with a touch of melancholy. The song is an ode to the power of love and the feelings it can bring out in people. The repeated refrain of "Sweet sweet heart, oh sweet sweet heart" is a testament to the profound connection the singer has with their loved one. The lyrics suggest that this connection can endure through the toughest of times, as the loved one is able to "bring out the stars on the stormiest nights" and "make it rain when the sun is shining bright." The lyrics indicate that even in middle age, the love between the singer and their partner endures, though the world around them may have lost its luster.
Line by Line Meaning
Sweet sweet heart,
The singer affectionately addresses their partner.
Sweet heart.
A reaffirmation of the singer's love for their partner.
Oh sweet sweet heart.
The singer expresses their emotion and fondness for their partner.
And you can always bring out the stars,
The singer admires their partner's ability to make the best out of a bad situation
On the stormiest nights.
Their partner is a ray of hope when everything is falling apart.
And you can always make it rain,
The singer praises their partner's ability to bring happiness during bleak times.
When the sun is shining bright.
Their partner can make even the best of times even better.
I remember when we were young,
The singer reminisces about the good old days they spent with their partner.
Things used to look so pretty.
Their memories of the past are filled with positivity and beauty.
But now we're getting old,
The singer accepts the fact that they and their partner are getting older.
I feel things have become so shitty.
But the changes in their lives have not been positive, leading to negative sentiment.
Contributed by Callie W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Keith Gordon
A great melodic piece of punk.
Elly Diego
I love this record.
kirk cavenaugh
So! Good!!
hannibal 226
Right on!