Together with Dave Parsons and Anthony Doughty (AKA Tex Axile) made up the the band's four permanent members. Additional members Pol Burton, James Piper and Martin Hallett were musicians engaged to play during live concerts: Burton, then later Hallett (AKA Mallet), on drums, and Piper on guitar.
The band was signed by MCA and released a cover single of the Holly and the Italians song "Tell That Girl To Shut Up" in April 1988 . A month later the follow-up single "I Want Your Love", with its pop/punk crossover appeal, entered the Top 5 in the United Kingdom. The band went on to release the hit album Pop Art in October.
1989 was the band's most successful year, with the number 3 hit single "Baby I Don't Care" and hit album Velveteen.
In 1990 MCA refused to release Transvision Vamp's third album Little Magnets Versus The Bubble Of Babble in the UK, reportedly disliking the mellower direction of the music. Wendy James has stated "...it came out in America and did better than the other two albums in America. But then we decided to split up, during which time the English record label had said they weren't convinced about this record, we're going to hold off on it and see how well it does in other countries first. By the time they were ready to release it, we'd already decided to split up, and so it never came out". The band formally split early in 1991. Tex Axile left to Join Max with John Reynolds, Kevin Mooney and Mathew Ashman formerly of Sinead O'connor, Adam and the Ants and Bow Wow Wow. Dave Parsons Joined Gavin Rossdale and formed Bush.
James went on to a solo career and in 2004 formed the band Racine.
www.transvisionvamp.com
Kiss Their Sons
Transvision Vamp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
<Kick it out>
If you went away and never came back
That would be too soon
The smell of your mouth would
Probably be still hanging in the room
<He is a boy well he stole your dream
He let you in a magazine>
You couldn't even ever make that scene
I'm so glad
It feels so good
I'm so glad
It feels so good
I'm so glad
It feels so good
It feels so good
I'm not you
All of the words that you wrote
Really were lots of fun
But I don't think I ever really realized
Anyone could be so dumb
So butt-fucked inside your head
Don't even know it's gonna get any better
<It didn't mean much to get you
No you didn't even print the letter>
I'm so glad
It feels so good
I'm so glad
It feels so good
I'm so glad
It feels so good
It feels so good
I'm not you
<So John Young in your black and white>
OR
< .................... on your bathroom wall>
You should be in a hospital
Strapped down to one of those beds
And testing on some new drug
But I don't even think anyone would even
Know if you really got a tumor
You're so brain-dead it might even
Give you a sense of humor
I'm so glad
It feels so good
I'm so glad
It feels so good
I'm so glad
It feels so good
It feels so good
I'm not you
It feels so good
<Now what happens>
I'm so glad
It feels so good
I'm so glad
It feels so good
I'm so glad
It feels so good
I'm so glad
It feels so good
I'm so glad
It feels so good
I'm so glad glad
I'm so glad
It feels so good
I'm so glad
It feels so good
I'm so glad
It feels so good
I'm so glad
The lyrics to Transvision Vamp's "Kiss Their Sons" are filled with themes of superiority, jealously, and self-confidence. The opening lines immediately set the tone for the song, with the singer stating that if the person they are addressing were to leave and never return, it would be too soon. The smell of this individual's mouth, and by extension their words, would still be hanging in the room, suggesting that their presence is unpleasant and overbearing.
The middle section of the song references the person's supposed fame and success, with the singer calling them out for being "full of shit" and unable to make any real impact. They dismiss the person's accomplishments and mock them for not following through on promises or commitments. The final section of the song turns to a violent and almost sadistic tone, with the singer suggesting that the person should be hospitalized and experimented on.
Overall, the lyrics to "Kiss Their Sons" paint a picture of someone who is deeply insecure and resentful of someone else's achievements. The singer takes delight in the fact that they are not like this other person, and revels in their own superiority.
Line by Line Meaning
If you went away and never came back
That would be too soon
The smell of your mouth would
Probably be still hanging in the room
The person addressed in the song is unpleasant to Transvision Vamp, and they express that they wouldn't mind if they never came back. The person's smell is so unpleasant that it may linger even after they leave.
But you're so full of shit
You couldn't even ever make that scene
The person addressed in the song talks a big game, but Transvision Vamp doesn't believe they have the skills or talent to make it in their industry.
All of the words that you wrote
Really were lots of fun
But I don't think I ever really realized
Anyone could be so dumb
Transvision Vamp thinks that the person addressed in the song is unintelligent and their words are not taken seriously.
Don't even know it's gonna get any better
It didn't mean much to get you
No you didn't even print the letter
Transvision Vamp believes that the person addressed in the song is clueless and fails to recognize opportunities; even a letter they wrote wasn't important enough to be printed.
You should be in a hospital
Strapped down to one of those beds
And testing on some new drug
But I don't even think anyone would even
Know if you really got a tumor
You're so brain-dead it might even
Give you a sense of humor
Transvision Vamp takes a jab at the person's intelligence again, even going so far as to suggest they could be experimented on with a new drug. They believe the person is so dull that even a diagnosis of brain tumor might be mistaken for a dark sense of humor.
Now what happens
This line is ambiguous and open to interpretation. It could be interpreted as either inviting the person addressed in the song to act or suggesting that they will do something themselves. It could also signify a shift in the tone of the song.
Contributed by Elliot S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.