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.
You Can't Catch Me
Triumvirat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now that we've fallen out of the circle
We begin to shine, to shine
Brighter and clearer
Shining for the others
Who are just young and wild
You can't catch me
You won't get me nowhere
Don't try to make me a different man
You can't catch me
No you can't seduce me
To make me young and rich
And change my images
When I worked right aligned As Mr. Normal a formal Almost stereotyped
But I made up my mind
And I decided to leave it
We young stars
Now that we've fallen into social events
We begin to shine, to shine
Brighter and clearer
Shining for the others
Who wanna be just as young and wild
You can't catch me
You won't get me nowhere
To make me young and rich
And change my beautiful images
I won't be wasting my time
As Mr. Normal, poor man
Always tranquilized
With snapshots of a star
Over and Over
You can't catch me...
The song "You Can't Catch Me" by Triumvirat is a reflection on the struggles of young people who are trying to find their place in society while also maintaining their own identity. The opening lines of the song, "We young stars / Now that we've fallen out of the circle / We begin to shine, to shine / Brighter and clearer," suggest that the young people being referred to have been excluded from a certain group or social structure, which has allowed them to shine even brighter on their own.
The lyrics then go on to assert the singer's independence and refusal to be molded into someone else's idea of success or happiness. He repeats the line, "You can't catch me / You won't get me nowhere," emphasizing his determination to chart his own path in life. He also rejects the idea of being "young and rich," insisting that his "beautiful images" are more important than material success.
The final lines of the song refer to the singer's past as a "tranquilized" version of himself, conforming to societal norms as "Mr. Normal." However, he has now made up his mind to leave that behind and embrace his own identity as a "young star" shining bright in his own right.
Line by Line Meaning
We young stars
We are youthful and full of potential
Now that we've fallen out of the circle
We have left the confines of traditional society
We begin to shine, to shine
We start to stand out and make an impact
Brighter and clearer
We become more vivid and distinctive
Shining for the others
We inspire those around us
Who are just young and wild
Others who are also free-spirited and seeking adventure
You can't catch me
No one can control or restrict me
You won't get me nowhere
No one can prevent me from succeeding
Leave me whatever I am
Let me be who I am without trying to change me
Don't try to make me a different man
Don't attempt to alter my identity or goals
No you can't seduce me
You can't entice me with false promises or temptations
To make me young and rich
To manipulate me with the allure of youth and wealth
And change my images
To alter my perception of myself or others' perception of me
When I worked right aligned As Mr. Normal a formal Almost stereotyped
When I was conforming to societal expectations and living a mundane, predictable life
But I made up my mind And I decided to leave it
I chose to break free from this mold and pursue a more adventurous path
We young stars
We remain true to our youthful spirit
Now that we've fallen into social events
Now that we have transitioned into higher social circles
You won't get me nowhere
No one can impede my progress
To make me young and rich
No one can bribe or manipulate me with the promise of youth or riches
And change my beautiful images
No one can distort my genuine self-image
I won't be wasting my time As Mr. Normal, poor man
I will not waste time living a mundane, ordinary life
Always tranquilized With snapshots of a star Over and Over
Always numbed by fake, superficial glimpses of fame
You can't catch me...
No one can stop me from following my dreams
Contributed by Ellie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.