In 1978, A&M Records released Tim Curry's debut solo album. Entitled Read My Lips, the album featured an eclectic range of songs (mostly covers) performed in diverse genre. Highlights of the album are a reggae version of the Beatles song "I Will", a rendition of "Wake Nicodemus" with full bagpipe backing, and an original bar-room ballad, "Alan".
The following year, Curry's second and most successful album was released. Titled Fearless, the LP was more rock-oriented than Read My Lips and mostly featured original songs rather than cover versions. The record included Tim Curry's only US charting songs: "I Do the Rock" and "Paradise Garage".
Curry's third and final album, Simplicity, was released in 1981, again by A&M Records. This record did not sell as well as the previous offerings, due in part to a less appealing, more maudlin sound. This record combined both original songs and cover versions, and is commonly held to be the weakest of the three albums.
In 1989, A&M released The Best of Tim Curry on CD and cassette, featuring songs from his albums (including a live version of "Alan") and a previously-unreleased song, a live cover version of "Simple Twist of Fate".
Curry toured America with his band through the late 1970s and the first half of the 1980s.
Curry's first full-time role was as part of the original London cast of the musical Hair in 1968. Here he first met Richard O'Brien, who went on to create his next full-time and perhaps still most famous role, that of Frank N. Furter in the Rocky Horror Show.
Originally Curry rehearsed the character with a German accent and peroxide blonde hair, but the character evolved into the sly, very upper-class English (He says 'dine' instead of down, 'brine' instead of brown etc) drag-wearing mad scientist incarnation that carried over to the movie version and made Curry both a star and a cult figure. He continued to play the character in London, Los Angeles and New York until 1975.
For many years, Curry was reluctant to talk about Rocky Horror, feeling that it was a trend that had gone too far and had distracted attention away from his later roles. However, in recent years he has been much more open about discussing the show and now recognises it as a "rite of passage" for many young people.
I Do the Rock
Tim Curry Lyrics
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14 Moscow Road
Osbert's giving champagne parties
Sachie's got a cold
Gertrude's hanging pictures
Alice making tea
Me, I do the only thing that still
Makes sense to me
I do the Rock Rock
John and Yoko farming beef
Raising protein quota
Sometimes they make love and art
Inside their dakota
Rodney's feeling sexy
Mick is really frightfully bold
Me, I do the only thing thatstops me growing old
I do the Rock
I do the Rock Roch
I do the Rock Rock Rock
Well, it's stimulating
Solzhenitzin feels exposed
Build a barbed-wirde prison
Nietsche's six feet underbut his babies still got rhythm
Einstein's celebrating ten decates
But I'm afraid philosophy is just too much responsibility for me
I do the Rock
I do the Rock
Baby Ruth and Dizzy Dean
Best and Colin Cowdrey
Little Mo, Virginia Wade
Pistol Pete and O.J.
I've always like Di Maggio
And Rockne's pretty knute - you know
I could never wack a ball with such velocity
I do the Rock
I do the Rock
I do the Rock
It's stimulating - I'm a keen student
Liz and Dick and Britt and Lisa
Jaclyn, Kate and Farah
Meg and Roddy, John Travolta
Governor Brown and Linda
Interwiew and People Magazine
Miss Rona and the Queen
It must be really frightfull to attract publicity
I do the Rock
Myself
Carter, Begin and Sadat
Breznhev, Teng and Castro
Eyeryday negotiate us closer to desastro
Idi Amin and the Shah
And Al Fatah is quite bizarre
I could never get the hang of ideoligy
I do the Rock
I do the Rock
I do, I do, I do, do the Rock
The lyrics to Tim Curry's "I Do the Rock" are a commentary on the lifestyles of various celebrities and intellectuals of the time period. The song starts by mentioning Edith Sitwell giving readings, Osbert's champagne parties, Gertrude hanging pictures, and Alice making tea. The singer then moves on to describe John and Yoko's beef farming and artistic pursuits, Rodney and Mick's confidence and bravado, and ultimately ends with a reference to political leaders like Carter, Begin, Sadat, Breznhev, Teng, and Castro negotiating the world to the brink of disaster daily. In each of these scenarios, the songwriter is making a statement about how these people are finding their own way to make sense of the world, but he has found his own way to deal with life's complexities by doing the rock.
Throughout the song, the lyrics suggest that while everyone is finding their way to cope with their lives, the singer has found his solace in rock music. The song represents a sense of individualism and self-assertion as it shows the singer taking control of his life and decisions. The final line, "I do the Rock," is repeated multiple times to emphasize the importance of this lifestyle to the singer, suggesting that by embracing the music, he can separate himself from the burdens of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Edith Sitwell giving readings
Edith Sitwell is giving readings of her literary works.
14 Moscow Road
This could either be a reference to an actual address or just a phrase added to make the lyrics rhyme.
Osbert's giving champagne parties
Osbert is throwing fancy parties with lots of expensive champagne.
Sachie's got a cold
Sachie is suffering from a cold.
Gertrude's hanging pictures
Gertrude is hanging pictures, possibly as part of an art exhibition.
Alice making tea
Alice is making a cup of tea.
Me, I do the only thing that still
Makes sense to me
The singer feels like the only thing that makes sense or brings them joy is listening to rock music.
I do the Rock
I do the Rock Rock
The artist loves rock music and listens to it all the time.
John and Yoko farming beef
Raising protein quota
John Lennon and Yoko Ono are trying to increase their protein intake by farming beef.
Sometimes they make love and art
Inside their dakota
John and Yoko sometimes engage in sexual activity and make art while inside their airplane, a Dakota DC-3.
Rodney's feeling sexy
Mick is really frightfully bold
Rodney is feeling confident and attractive, while Mick Jagger is known for his bold personality.
Me, I do the only thing that
stops me growing old
The artist feels that listening to rock music keeps them young and feeling alive.
I do the Rock
I do the Rock Roch
I do the Rock Rock Rock
The singer really loves rock music and listens to it frequently.
Solzhenitzin feels exposed
Build a barbed-wirde prison
Nietsche's six feet underbut his babies still got rhythm
Einstein's celebrating ten decates
But I'm afraid philosophy is just too much responsibility for me
These lines seem to poke fun at famous intellectuals and their accomplishments, while also acknowledging the singer's belief that philosophy is too much for them to handle.
Baby Ruth and Dizzy Dean
Best and Colin Cowdrey
Little Mo, Virginia Wade
Pistol Pete and O.J.
I've always like Di Maggio
And Rockne's pretty knute - you know
I could never wack a ball with such velocity
These lines reference famous athletes from various sports, such as baseball, tennis, and American football. The singer enjoys watching sports but doesn't think they could ever play at the same level.
It's stimulating - I'm a keen student
The artist finds rock music to be intellectually stimulating and feels like they are a student of the genre.
Liz and Dick and Britt and Lisa
Jaclyn, Kate and Farah
Meg and Roddy, John Travolta
Governor Brown and Linda
Interwiew and People Magazine
Miss Rona and the Queen
It must be really frightfull to attract publicity
These lines reference various celebrities and the media outlets that cover them. The artist seems to find the idea of being famous to be scary or unappealing.
Myself
The singer is once again referencing their own love for rock music.
Carter, Begin and Sadat
Breznhev, Teng and Castro
Eyeryday negotiate us closer to desastro
Idi Amin and the Shah
And Al Fatah is quite bizarre
I could never get the hang of ideoligy
These lines reference various political figures and ideologies. The singer doesn't seem to have a strong grasp on politics and doesn't understand the appeal of certain ideologies.
I do the Rock
I do the Rock
I do, I do, I do, do the Rock
The artist really loves rock music and can't help but express it multiple times throughout the song.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MICHAEL KAMEN, TIM CURRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@roblox-vp1rq
Tim Curry is such a fantastic entertainer, I feel very sure that he did not get the full recognition his talent deserves.
@jeaniee.6283
true
@parker9977
ABSOLUTELY....ANYWAY WE KNOW WHAT LEGEND IS!!!❤❤❤
@Victorseafog
man I could fall in love with you and I do
@xxLivinginTheLightxx
Why do I have an obsession with Tim Curry? He's old enough to be my grandfather.
@bpcupidk2018
+1
@OneFitnessGirl
He's just so funny and cool. I'm in the same boat.
I was like 4 when the Rocky Horror came out, but still love the guy.
@mundodana1762
Me too!
I'm obsessed with him 😍
I love him, and I love his talent. He's amazing!
@sassydevil
he is just that charming and seductive?
@1978angelina
I love him to death too....and I'm looking forward to get a chance to meet him in person at the Chiller Theater on Saturday 10/29/16.