The group recorded two studio albums and a live album before dissolving in 1992, when Bowie returned to his solo career. The group was generally reviled, often receiving scathing critical reviews.
David Bowie’s Never Let Me Down album (already a move into slightly "harder" rock territory) and subsequent "Glass Spider Tour" had been savaged by critics, and the singer was aware of his low stock. Eager to return to making music for himself rather than the mainstream audience he had acquired following the Let's Dance album, Bowie began collaborating with Reeves Gabrels (who pushed the singer to rediscover his experimental side and went on to work closely with Bowie for much of the next decade) and multi-instrumentalist Erdal Kizilcay on new material in 1988. The first fruits of this came with a new version of Bowie’s 1979 song "Look Back in Anger", performed at the "Intruders At The Palace" benefit concert on 1 July 1988. They then began to plan a concept album based on Steven Berkoff's play East as a Bowie solo album, but this idea was scrapped. Bowie and Gabrels began working with producer Tim Palmer on new material. Bowie then recruited brothers Hunt Sales and Tony Sales (the sons of comedian Soupy Sales) as a rhythm section. Bowie had worked with them on Iggy Pop’s Lust for Life album and ran into them at a party in Los Angeles around this time.
The Sales brothers moved the tone of the sessions in Nassau away from art-rock and more towards hard rock, and Bowie looked to one of his favorite bands at the time, Pixies, for inspiration. The Sales brothers heckled Bowie into greater spontaneity, with most songs recorded in one take, and lyrics left unpolished, thus giving the band a ragged, punk rock edge similar to the Pixies.
The group chose the name Tin Machine after one of the songs they had written (Gabrels would later credit the Sales brothers with this choice). The group set up allowed Bowie a certain level of anonymity, much needed after his 1980s overexposure, and he was happy to let the rest of the band (notably Hunt Sales) take the lead in interviews.
The band’s self-titled first album (Tin Machine) produced mixed but generally positive reviews on release in May 1989, picking up favorable comparisons with Bowie’s three more recent solo albums. However, many critics were scornful of Bowie’s latest attempt to reinvent himself as a bearded band-member. Commercially, the album initially sold well, reaching #3 in the UK charts, but sales quickly tailed off. The band undertook a low-key tour in small venues between 14 June and 3 July 1989, before further recording sessions in Sydney, Australia. During these sessions Tin Machine contributed to a surfing compilation album called Beyond the Beach, with a new instrumental song titled "Needles on the Beach.
The group then went on hiatus while Bowie conducted his solo "Sound+Vision Tour." In December 1990, Bowie split from EMI. Both parties stated that the split was amicable, although it is believed EMI refused to release another Tin Machine album in an exasperated attempt to secure another album similar to Let's Dance. In March 1991, the group signed to Victory Music, a new label launched by JVC and distributed worldwide by London Records and Polygram, and recorded more new material. This was combined with tracks from the Sydney sessions to form Tin Machine II album. This time the commercial success was even more fleeting, and Bowie was already tired of being shackled to a group set-up. From 5 October 1991 to 17 February 1992, the group undertook a larger tour, known as the "It's My Life Tour". The band was joined on this tour by guitarist Eric Schermerhorn, who would go on to play with Bowie's friend Iggy Pop.
Tracks from this tour were released on the July 1992 album Tin Machine Live - Oy Vey, Baby. Shortly afterwards, Bowie returned to solo recording with his single “Real Cool World” and the band dissolved.
Bowie promised Tin Machine III or at the very least a boxed-set of unreleased material in the mid-1990s, but his solo career had taken precedence, making him reluctant to dedicate energy to an old project. He continued to work with Gabrels, spanning four albums after Tin Machine: Black Tie White Noise (Gabrels contributed to only one track), Outside, Earthling, and Hours. After the last album, Gabrels felt that Bowie was moving in a softer, gentler direction that he did not want to travel in, so the two parted ways professionally. In some interviews he has also indicated his disappointment in the retrospective projects Bowie was planning at the time (the Toy album, which never surfaced, as well as the Ziggy 2002 project) played a part in his parting with Bowie.
Stateside
Tin Machine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She said she missed me since I've been gone
I'll be back soon, ain't no doubt
'Cause she said she wanted my lovin', my lovin'
No holding back I'm going home
No holding back I'm going home
I said I'm comin' home soon, I don't know when
It'll be sometimes soon, sooner than
I thought I'd be, I thought I'd be
I thought I'd be stateside sooner than later
Marilyn inflatables, home on the range
Where the livin' is easy on a horse with no name
Kennedy convertibles, home on the range
Where the sufferin' comes easy on a blond with no brain
I'm goin' stateside
I'm goin' stateside
I'm goin' home, it's been so long
She said she missed me and all the fun we had
I think it be the best way
She said she missed me in every way
No holding back I'm going home
No holding back I'm going home
I've been gone so long
I've been gone so long
I'm missing you
Marilyn inflatables, home on the range
Where the livin' is easy on a horse with no name
Kennedy convertibles, home on the range
Where the sufferin' comes easy on a ten dollar raise
I'm going stateside
I'm going stateside
The Tin Machine's song Stateside is about a man who has been away from home for a long time and is finally returning. The song's protagonist is heading back to the United States with his convictions, but he doesn't know when. The woman in his life has been missing him and all the fun they had together. He wants to be with her and has no holding back. He realizes that he has been gone for so long that he misses everything about his country, which he affectionately calls "stateside." The song speaks of the cowboy culture that Texas and the Rocky Mountains have, represented by Marilyn inflatables, home on the range, where the living is easy on a horse with no name. Also, the song highlights the feeling of overindulgence associated with Los Angeles and Hollywood represented by Kennedy convertibles and blond with no brain.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm goin' home, I've been gone much too long
I'm returning home after being away for an extended period of time
She said she missed me since I've been gone
Someone back home was expressing missing companionship while I was away
I'll be back soon, ain't no doubt
I have no doubt that I will return home soon
'Cause she said she wanted my lovin', my lovin'
The reason I'm returning home is because someone expressed a desire for my romantic affection
I'm going stateside with my convictions
I'm going back to my home country with my beliefs and principles intact
I said I'm comin' home soon, I don't know when
I've stated my intention of returning home soon, but do not have an exact time frame
It'll be sometimes soon, sooner than
My return will be relatively soon and earlier than I previously thought
I thought I'd be, I thought I'd be stateside sooner than later
I initially believed I would return home earlier than I actually did
Marilyn inflatables, home on the range
Reference to American cultural symbols - an inflatable doll modeled after Marilyn Monroe and the western frontier
Where the livin' is easy on a horse with no name
An allusion to a classic rock song 'A Horse with No Name' which describes the easy life in a desert-like environment
Kennedy convertibles, home on the range
Another reference to American cultural symbols - a convertible car and once again, the western frontier
Where the sufferin' comes easy on a blond with no brain
Suggesting that even though the environment is comfortable, there is still mental suffering, especially for women who are stereotyped as being less intelligent
I've been gone so long
Reiteration of the idea that I have been away from home for an extended period
I'm missing you
Expressing that I feel emotional, romantic, or friendly longing for a person back home
Where the sufferin' comes easy on a ten dollar raise
More commentary on the idea that lower-income workers will still suffer even though the environment may be comfortable
I'm going stateside
I'm heading back to my home country
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVID BOWIE, HUNT SALES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ciocan Flavius
I'm going home
I've been gone much too long
She said she missed me
Since I been gone
I'll be back soon
Ain't no doubt
'Cause she said she wanted my loving, my loving
No holding back I'm going home
No holding back I'm going home
I'm going stateside with my convictions
No holding back I'm going home
No holding back I'm going home
I'm going stateside with my convictions
I said I'm coming home soon
I don't know when
It will be sometime soon
Sooner than
I thought I'd be
I thought I'd be
I thought I'd be stateside sooner than later
Marilyn inflatables home on the range
Where the living is easy on a horse with no name
Kennedy convertibles home on the range
Where the suffering comes easy on a blonde with no brain
I'm going stateside
I'm going stateside
I'm going home
It's been so long
She said she missed me
And all the fun we've had
I think it be the best way
She said she missed me in
Every, every way, so
No holding back I'm going home
No holding back I'm going home
I'm going stateside with my convictions
No holding back I'm going home
No holding back I'm going home
I'm going stateside with my convictions
I've been gone so long
I've been gone, I've been gone
I'm missing you
Marilyn inflatables home on the range
Where the living is easy on a horse with no name
Kennedy convertibles home on the range
Where the suffering comes easy on a ten dollar raise
I'm going stateside
I'm going stateside
Ciocan Flavius
I'm going home
I've been gone much too long
She said she missed me
Since I been gone
I'll be back soon
Ain't no doubt
'Cause she said she wanted my loving, my loving
No holding back I'm going home
No holding back I'm going home
I'm going stateside with my convictions
No holding back I'm going home
No holding back I'm going home
I'm going stateside with my convictions
I said I'm coming home soon
I don't know when
It will be sometime soon
Sooner than
I thought I'd be
I thought I'd be
I thought I'd be stateside sooner than later
Marilyn inflatables home on the range
Where the living is easy on a horse with no name
Kennedy convertibles home on the range
Where the suffering comes easy on a blonde with no brain
I'm going stateside
I'm going stateside
I'm going home
It's been so long
She said she missed me
And all the fun we've had
I think it be the best way
She said she missed me in
Every, every way, so
No holding back I'm going home
No holding back I'm going home
I'm going stateside with my convictions
No holding back I'm going home
No holding back I'm going home
I'm going stateside with my convictions
I've been gone so long
I've been gone, I've been gone
I'm missing you
Marilyn inflatables home on the range
Where the living is easy on a horse with no name
Kennedy convertibles home on the range
Where the suffering comes easy on a ten dollar raise
I'm going stateside
I'm going stateside
yoshluv7
Incredible!!!!!! Still trying to find my cassette!!!!!!
Tyler Stokes
Ya know, I’ve read reviews of this album from purported Bowie fanatics (a group I actually belong to), and the general takeaway is that this track and “Sorry” are degenerate trash / unworthy aspects within the Bowie canon because he wasn’t on lead vocals and Hunt Sales is a “terrible” vocalist. I couldn’t disagree more. I enjoy Mr. Sales’ vocals, Bowie’s performance on the tracks rocks, I just heard this album for the first time this weekend, and darn it, this track has been one helluva killer earworm that’s stuck with me ever since! ❤😊 I say resuscitate Tin Machine for a new album/tour with Jakob Dylan on lead vocal or someone like that. This group got unfairly slept on.
porksoda
Amazing.
Darth Vader
I am reminded of Led zeppelin in the riff and the slow pace.
jeroen sierhuis
Ok hunt, does sorry too
Tin Machine Unofficial
Darth Vader yes! Certainly some influences there, if you like this you should definitely check out Hunt’s newest album! Sounds a lot like the vibes he gives in this song.
Scott Turner
This was on the Dr. Giggles soundtrack.
Martin Barnes
Hunt is a bad mother!
Òscar Rocabert
Ain't no doubt