The band was lead by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ian Bruce-Douglas and released three albums over the course of its career: "Ultimate Spinach" (1968), "Behold & See" (1968) and "Ultimate Spinach III" (1969).
Their debut album was the most successful of all the "Bosstown Sound" LPs released by MGM, reaching #35 on the Billboard 200 and selling over 100,000 copies. Myers and Lahteinen had left the group by the time of their second album, and Russell Levine (drums) and Carol Lee Britt (vocals) were added to the lineup. Winthrop departed shortly thereafter and was replaced by guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, later a member of Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers. Bruce-Douglas quit the band in late 1968, and leadership of the group passed onto Hudson and Baxter, who re-formed Ultimate Spinach with a completely different lineup aside from the two of them. The new lineup released the third Ultimate Spinach album in 1969, and disbanded shortly after its release.
Ego Trip
Ultimate Spinach Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
up
rising up
down
You've got laughing colors singing in your brain
You don't know what they're saying
But they're driving you insane
And you've got no place to go
You think that you know something
But there's nothing left to know
So you talk to broken bottles
and other worldless things
You want to get away from you
But you just can't grow wings
So you try
You always lean on top of love
You use it as a crutch
You say that you're reaching out for life
but you don't seem to touch
You don't know why you fail
Because you always say you try
But one look inside you
and I know that you lie
Cause your eyes are like mirrors
And those mirrors are black
All that's good is given up
And you can't get it back
So you cry
cry
cry
cry
Your head is filled with garbage dreams
and orange colored sounds
You think that you are flying high
But you're really coming down
You dance with god's quiet Venus
And you think you'll make her swoon
You offer some cheap trinket
but she's already got the moon
You call upon Japanese and grobble in the ground
You'll be a sacred sacrifice
You'll die without a sound
Then you fly
fly
fly
cry
The lyrics of the song "Ego Trip" by Ultimate Spinach can be interpreted as a commentary on the egotistical nature of the human mind. The opening lines suggest a group of people blindly wandering through fields of individuality without any sense of direction or purpose. The repetition of "up, rising up, down" further emphasizes the idea of aimless movement. The following verses describe a person who is trapped in their own mind, unable to communicate or connect with others. They are plagued by colorful thoughts and voices that they don't understand, which is driving them to madness. They feel lost and alone, with no sense of belonging. The imagery of broken bottles and worldless objects is used to convey the person's sense of isolation and desperation. They are searching for a way out but unable to grow wings, leading them to lean on love as a crutch.
The chorus of the song brings a message of harsh reality. The person is lying to themselves by pretending to try to achieve their dreams, but in reality, they are failing. Their eyes are like black mirrors, reflecting nothing but negativity and hopelessness. They have lost all that is good in life, and they cannot reclaim it. The repetition of the word "cry" at the end of the chorus highlights the person's despair and sadness.
In the final verse, the person's delusions become even more exaggerated. They believe they are dancing with a goddess and offering her a cheap trinket in hopes of winning her affection, but in reality, she already has the moon. The reference to Japanese culture and sacrificial rites adds a sense of exotic mystique to the song. In the end, the person is left with nothing but the option to fly away or cry some more.
Line by Line Meaning
Mindless cretins groped through ideosyncracy fields
People with limited mental capacity wander aimlessly in odd environments
You've got laughing colors singing in your brain
You're experiencing sensory overload and confusion
You don't know what they're saying
You're unable to make sense of your perceptions
But they're driving you insane
Your overloaded senses are causing you to lose touch with reality
You think that you're from nowhere
You feel lost and disconnected
And you've got no place to go
You lack direction and purpose
You think that you know something
You have a false sense of confidence
But there's nothing left to know
You've exhausted your knowledge and experiences
So you talk to broken bottles and other wordless things
You seek solace in inanimate objects as you feel disconnected from people
You want to get away from you
You're trying to escape your own mind
But you just can't grow wings
You're unable to break free from your internal struggles
You always lean on top of love
You rely too heavily on relationships to provide meaning
You use it as a crutch
Your approach to love is unhealthy
You say that you're reaching out for life
You claim to be pursuing a fulfilling existence
but you don't seem to touch
You're not getting any closer to achieving your goals
You don't know why you fail
You're struggling to understand why you're unsuccessful
Because you always say you try
You tell yourself that you're making an effort
But one look inside you
Upon closer inspection
and I know that you lie
It's clear that you're not being honest with yourself
Cause your eyes are like mirrors
Your eyes reflect your internal state
And those mirrors are black
Your mind is consumed by pessimism
All that's good is given up
You've given up on anything positive
And you can't get it back
Your situation feels irreversible
So you cry
You're overwhelmed with emotion
Your head is filled with garbage dreams and orange-colored sounds
Your thoughts are disordered and nonsensical
You think that you are flying high
You have a false sense of elation
But you're really coming down
You're headed towards disappointment
You dance with god's quiet Venus
You engage in spiritual exploration
And you think you'll make her swoon
You have grandiose expectations
You offer some cheap trinket
You offer something insignificant
but she's already got the moon
Your efforts are superfluous
You call upon Japanese and grobble in the ground
You engage in cultural appropriation
You'll be a sacred sacrifice
You seek a dramatic outcome
You'll die without a sound
You feel unimportant
Then you fly
You become distracted by unrealistic possibilities
cry
You're overwhelmed with emotion
cry
You're overwhelmed with emotion
cry
You're overwhelmed with emotion
Contributed by Chloe B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@iconicshrubbery
Just discovered this 54 years too late and I love its mix of moods, Doors keyboards, 'out there' politics, whimsy, echo chamber and male/female vocals. It's silly but lots of fun.
@markkonzerowsky8871
Boss Town's best junior league guesstimate of what last year's Summer of Love was presumably about. It's as relevant today as it ever was...not very. But fun!
@roberttuss5349
Exactly.
@barbaramoran8690
I bought this record when I was 17 never heard of them before I found LP.. I bought the record because it had such a silly name .
It was a good gamble .I bought others that I wasn’t familiar with which were duds. I wrote graffiti on the cover saying LISTEN TO IT , IT’S GOOD FOR YOU .
@brucetaylor5782
Eat your spinach!
@ytyt3922
Goddamm this is good. Only 18k views? Criminal!
@shorelineboy
Absolutely love this, only recently came across this band but wow do I want to be back there possible with some tip top acid
@famousbastard5344
if u listen to this on the peak youll be in another dimension
@jesuseduardodimasramirez5833
Perfecto, con este y otros mas fueron de los primeros que me apasionara por la psicodelia.
@edwardmorris1501
Loved all this stuff coming out of America when I was a younger man still do . Although us Brits gave them Freddie and the arsoles,Jerry and the sh__cu__s,and Herman and tossers,Thank fu__k for cream the 3:16 3:16 Who