Traffic reached a much wider audience when, on the dissolution of Cream, two thirds of that band, one third being Eric Clapton, joined Steve Winwood (during a temporary Traffic disbanding) to form Blind Faith, which also included future Traffic member and sometime Family man, Ric Grech.
In 1970, after the disbanding of Blind Faith, Winwood set about recording a solo album. After Chris Wood and Jim Capaldi became involved, the decision was taken to release this album (eventually what would become John Barleycorn Must Die) under the Traffic name, despite the absence of Dave Mason.
Around 1971, Mason left for good (having been in and out of the band from the beginning), and the the band experienced a variety of personnel changes. The resulting band added some jazzy elements to their style, pioneering the jazz-rock genre, and the compositions tended to stretch out over longer lengths. With their albums The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys (1971) and Shootout at the Fantasy Factory (1973) their popularity in the US grew. After two more albums, personnel problems resulted in the band calling it quits (but for a brief reunion in 1994 without Wood, who had died in 1983). Winwood, Mason, Capaldi, and Wood all pursued solo careers, with Winwood garnering the most success.
There are/were other artists with the same name:
*2) Traffic is also a pop-rock band from Estonia.
3) Traffic is an upcoming rapper from Los Angeles.
2) The Estonian poprock band Traffic came together in 2006 and consists of five members: Silver Laas - Vocals, Stig Rästa - Guitars, Robert Vaigla - Guitars, Tõnis Kivisild - Bass, Ivo Priilinn - Drums. The band has been to Eesti Laul several times, trying to get to the semi-finals of Eurovision. In 2009 they ended up in the 2nd place, in 2014 in the 3rd place.
Traffic has two studio albums. Some of their most popular singles are "Für Elise", "See Päev", "Kesköödisko", "Päevast Päeva", "Elekter" and "Meie laul".
3) Darrail Cail, better known as Traffic, is a rapper from Los Angeles, CA. He first received major mainstream attention in the music industry when he was featured on “Tookie Knows II” from ScHoolboy Q’s fourth LP Blank Face. He is one of Schoolboy’s childhood friends.
4) The Spectes, a band that eventually became Status Quo discovered psychedelia in 1967 and named themselves Traffic, but were soon forced to change it to Traffic Jam to avoid confusion with Steve Winwood's Traffic, following an argument over who had registered the name first. Shortly after Rick Parfitt's recruitment, in August 1967, the band officially became The Status Quo
Light Up Or Leave Me Alone
Traffic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're looking at me, I've got nothing to say
Don't make me angry with the games that you play
Either light up or leave me alone
You walk in my room, you lie in my bed
You open your mouth, shoot someone dead
All of a sudden you're inside my head
Spending my bread like it grew on a tree
You're trying to tell me 'bout the birds and the bees
The skirt that you're wearing is way past your knees
Either light up or leave me alone
You're up all night preaching your mind
Come home in the morning with your latest find
I'm gonna have to lay it to you straight on the line
Either light up or leave me alone
The song Light Up Or Leave Me Alone by Traffic is about a man who is frustrated with a woman's behavior and her inability to communicate honestly with him. The lyrics suggest that this woman is playing games with him, lying to him, and spending his money like it's endless. He tells her that he is getting fed up with her behavior and gives her an ultimatum – either light up (be honest and communicate openly with him) or leave him alone.
The first verse of the song talks about how the man feels like he is "fading away" and has nothing to say when the woman is around. He doesn't like how she plays games with him and makes him angry. He wants her to either be honest with him or leave him alone.
The second verse talks about how the woman comes into his room, lies in his bed, and then shoots someone dead when she opens her mouth. This suggests that she is saying hurtful things to him or maybe even cheating on him. The man doesn't like how she is inside his head and wants her to either be honest or leave him alone.
The third verse talks about how the woman is spending his money freely and trying to lecture him on things he already knows. He doesn't like how she is dressed and wants her to either be honest with him or leave him alone.
In the final verse, the man tells the woman that she is up all night, lecturing people about her beliefs and then coming home with someone new in the morning. He tells her that he is going to lay it on the line and tell her to either be honest with him or leave him alone.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes I feel like I'm fading away
I feel like I'm losing myself.
You're looking at me, I've got nothing to say
I have no response to your gaze.
Don't make me angry with the games that you play
Don't frustrate me with your tricks.
Either light up or leave me alone
Either enlighten me or go away.
You walk in my room, you lie in my bed
You invade my personal space.
You open your mouth, shoot someone dead
You say something that hurts my feelings.
All of a sudden you're inside my head
You are occupying my thoughts.
Spending my bread like it grew on a tree
You're wasting my money.
You're trying to tell me 'bout the birds and the bees
You're lecturing me about basic things.
The skirt that you're wearing is way past your knees
You're dressing in a way that I don't approve of.
Either light up or leave me alone
Either change your behavior or disappear.
You're up all night preaching your mind
You're expressing your opinions incessantly.
Come home in the morning with your latest find
You come back with more of what you've been doing.
I'm gonna have to lay it to you straight on the line
I need to be honest with you.
Either light up or leave me alone
Either change your ways or remove yourself from my life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JIM CAPALDI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind