During its early years, Triumvirat initially played Top 40 songs at local venues in Cologne. The Nice and Emerson, Lake & Palmer heavily influenced Triumvirat’s musical direction and the band incorporated some of Nice/ELP music into their repertoire (Rondo among others).
In the early 1970s, the band sent a demo tape to EMI Records in Cologne and won their first record contract. Triumvirat subsequently produced modestly successful albums during the early to mid-1970s, including Mediterranean Tales (Across The Waters) and Illusions on a Double Dimple, and toured the United States with Fleetwood Mac to support Illusions on a Double Dimple, playing the album in its entirety. In 1975, Triumvirat reached the apex of their commercial success with the release of Spartacus.
The band underwent numerous personnel changes over the course of its life and eventually disbanded in 1980 with the release of their final album Russian Roulette.
Party Life
Triumvirat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Me and my friends we must have parties
Come and meet Rolls and Cartiers
We're the velvet wrapped refugees
No day without abuse
Without excess it's not successful
Ordinary orgies are boring me
There's only one thing left exciting me
Bored crowd on Jazz and Cocktails
Nothing new for us to do
Let's get the thrill that helps us thru
It's one and five - party life
It's one and five - party life
We jump onto the bullet-go-round
Oh what fun to see you on the ground
It's one and five - party life
It's one and five party life
Let's meet Rolls and Cartiers
We're the velvet wrapped refugees
When the sun is going down
We start to live and we get restless
Full moon and depressive mood
There's a midnight party in the neighbourhood
And so we meet again
To set the headlines in the local paper
Nothing really happened yet
But there it is - and our hands get wet
Pale faces and bloodshot eyes
Waiting for the big surprise
Excitement is burning in our hearts
So we have fun 'cos life is hard
One and five - party life
One and five - party life
Let's jump onto the bullet-go-round
Oh what fun to see you on the ground
One and five - party life
One and five - party life
Nothing really happened yet
But there it is and our hands are wet
It's one and five...
The lyrics to "Party Life" by Triumvirat are a commentary on the hedonistic lifestyle of the upper class, and their constant need for entertainment and excess. The first stanza sets the tone for the rest of the song, with the singer expressing a need for constant amusement and parties. The reference to Rolls and Cartiers indicates a certain level of wealth and status, with the "velvet wrapped refugees" being those who seek refuge from the mundanity of everyday life.
The second stanza goes on to explain that ordinary orgies are boring, which is why the singer and their friends seek out thrills to keep them entertained. The reference to "cherry lips and delicious dips" suggests a certain level of sexual promiscuity and indulgence. The repetition of "one and five - party life" emphasizes the singer's desire for constant excitement and entertainment.
The final stanza references a midnight party in the neighborhood, which serves as a focal point for the song's themes of excess and excitement. The singer and their friends are waiting for a big surprise, indicating a sense of anticipation and excitement in their lives. Despite the fact that "nothing really happened yet," the singer's hands are wet, suggesting a sense of involvement in whatever debauchery is about to take place.
Overall, "Party Life" is a commentary on the emptiness and excess of the upper class, and their constant need for stimulation and excitement.
Line by Line Meaning
Every day we wanna be amused
All days we want to be entertained
Me and my friends we must have parties
My friends and I always have to attend parties
Come and meet Rolls and Cartiers
Come and meet luxury cars like Rolls-Royce and expensive jewelry like Cartier
We're the velvet wrapped refugees
We, who wear luxurious clothes and accessories, feel like refugees needing to party to escape our boredom
No day without abuse
Every day we have to indulge in excess
Without excess it's not successful
Without indulgence, a party is not considered a success
Ordinary orgies are boring me
Normal wild parties are boring and not exciting anymore
There's only one thing left exciting me
There is only one thing left that still brings excitement
Between cherry lips and delicious dips
Refers to the pleasure of exotic, delightful food and drinks
Bored crowd on Jazz and Cocktails
A group of people being uninterested in music and drinks considered classics
Nothing new for us to do
There is nothing new for us to do or experience
Let's get the thrill that helps us thru
Let's get the excitement that keeps us going
It's one and five - party life
Refers to the time of day (1:00 AM and 5:00 AM) when the best parties are happening
We jump onto the bullet-go-round
We get onto the ride of life, going around like a bullet, from party to party
Oh what fun to see you on the ground
It's fun to see you having a good time
When the sun is going down
As the sun sets, we get ready to party
We start to live and we get restless
We start to feel alive and we become anxious to party
Full moon and depressive mood
We feel a sense of depression, and partying under the light of the full moon helps ease the feeling
There's a midnight party in the neighbourhood
There's a party happening at midnight in the neighborhood
And so we meet again
We gather again to have more parties
To set the headlines in the local paper
To get noticed in the local media
Nothing really happened yet
Nothing noteworthy has happened yet
But there it is - and our hands get wet
But there it is — something is happening, and we get excited
Pale faces and bloodshot eyes
We are tired and exhausted from partying all night
Waiting for the big surprise
Anticipating a big event or surprise at the party
Excitement is burning in our hearts
We feel a great sense of excitement in our hearts
So we have fun 'cos life is hard
We enjoy ourselves despite life being difficult
Contributed by William B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Alberto Gomez
No puedo creer que esto es TRIUMVIRAT...OH MY GOD!
Wolfgang Fehlauer
good times, great music
jonescrusher1
Classic Album Reviews sent me here, there's a tiny part of me that has to admit it has an energy.
Robert Willoughby
I guess somebody wanted a pop hit.....😃🤔
Blake Seybolt
If someone told me this was Sparks, I'd probably dig it.
TrainGuy
Bruh, this makes ELP's In The Hot Seat sound like fucking Trilogy.
Noah the Epic Guy
I laughed way too hard at that
Primetime Pranks
Love this band but this album stunk!
MIGUEL VARGAS
punk times !!! triumvirat get contaminated .what a sad way to say goodbye.
Zach Haywood
How is this the same band that gave us Spartacus...This makes Love Beach look like Sgt. Pepper.