Before Underworld, Hyde and Smith started out in 1979 on The Screen Gemz band while working together in a diner in the city of Cardiff, where both had been studying. In 1983 they recorded two albums for CBS Records with a new wave synthpop band whose name was a graphic squiggle, later entitled Freur.
In 1986 Hyde and Smith formed Underworld, after disbanding of Freur. They tried a more guitar-oriented funky electropop sound on their two albums released on Sire Records: Underneath the Radar (1987) and Change the Weather (1989). This initial lineup (also called Underworld Mk1) consisted of Karl Hyde, Rick Smith, Alfie Thomas, Bryn Burrows, Baz Allen and Pascal Consoli before sinking back into obscurity and disbanding in 1990.
British DJ Darren Emerson hooked up with Hyde and Smith in 1992 and helped them refine their sound into something more sleek and beat-oriented, yet still shot through with tinges of blues, rock and spoken-word streams of consciousness. After several releases on Junior Boy's Own as Lemon Interupt, the trio re-adopted the Underworld name in 1992. Two songs from this era are Rez and Spikee.
In addition to their music, Hyde and Smith are members of Tomato, a graphic design company which has done high-profile work for clients around the world as well as art for all of Underworld's releases. Hyde, along with former Freur keyboardist John Warwicker, has also published two typographic journals, Mmm... Skyscraper, I Love You (1994) and In The Belly Of Saint Paul (2003).
Their first full-length, dubnobasswithmyheadman, was released in 1994 to rave reviews and is still considered a landmark. It spawned several hit singles (Dark & Long, Cowgirl, Dirty Epic) and was followed a couple years later by the Born Slippy single.
The sophomore album Second Toughest in the Infants was released in 1996. This album showed Underworld maturing as a trio, mixing elements of techno, house, drum and bass and pop music to spectacular effect. The first track Juanita/Kiteless/To Dream of Love (three parts) is one of the longest songs recorded by Underworld, with a length of over 16 minutes.
In the same year they issued an EP Pearl's Girl, containing various mixes of the song Pearl's Girl and five new tracks (one of them is Cherry Pie, an early version of Rowla). Underworld's much-praised remixography also grew, including Björk, Saint Etienne, Simply Red, Massive Attack and Leftfield.
After licensing out a remix of Born Slippy (entitled Born Slippy .NUXX) for the 1996 cult classic film Trainspotting, Underworld gained instant worldwide fame and found themselves touring the world. Their fame continued to run high into the release of Beaucoup Fish in 1999. Five singles were released: Moaner, Push Upstairs, Jumbo, King of Snake, and Bruce Lee.
Underworld issued a live set and a DVD named Everything, Everything in 2000, after which Emerson left the group to concentrate more on his DJ career. The mellower album A Hundred Days Off followed in 2002. It was promoted by two singles: Two Months Off and Dinosaur Adventure 3D.
In 2003 Underworld released a 2 CD compilation entitled 1992-2002, comprising some of their best songs. Also since 2003 the group has been trickling out new music on their official website www.underworldlive.com via a series of downloadable mp3s dubbed "The Riverrun Project". Each mp3 bundle features 25-or-so-minute of mixed new material, hundreds of photographs and traditional album art.
In 2005 the band issued another live album, Live in Tokyo 25th November 2005, a recording of Underworld's live performance at the Electraglide festival in Tokyo on 25 November 2005. There were apparently only 7000 copies of the album made.
Oblivion with Bells, their fifth studio album was released in October 2007, the first with additional collaboration with Darren Price who joined the band's live setup in 2005. It spawned four singles: Crocodile, Boy, Boy, Boy, Beautiful Burnout, and Ring Road.
On 13 May 2010, Underworld released a new single Scribble (Radio Edit), available for free download on their official site. This single was followed by a new album later that year, called Barking, which is still in the process of releasing singles, beginning with the aforementioned Scribble, Always Loved a Film and finally Diamond Jigsaw. Also released on a beatport remix contest was Bird 1 where amateur producers were able to put their take on Underworld's collaboration with Dubfire. As of 2011, the duo can also attach to their resumes soundtracking a live stage play. Frankenstein, produced and directed by Danny Boyle, starring both Johnny Lee Miller & Benedict Cumberbatch who are, on alternating nights, both Frankenstein, or the Creature. The Soundtrack is available through Underworld's Website.
January 2016 saw the release of I Exhale, in advance of Barbara Barbara, we face a shining future, released in March 2016.
In April 2018, Underworld released a standalone single, Brilliant Yes That Would Be, an ambient piece with its accompanying video inspired by the Icelandic landscape and their first performance in Reykjavík since 1994.
In May 2018, Underworld unveiled the World of Underworld project, which focuses on reflecting and re-imagining their nearly 30 year body of work. It also serves as an outlet for experimentation, new releases and spontaneous creativity. Brilliant Yes That Would Be was the first track to be released through the World of Underworld, which was recorded and mixed just days before it was released.
Later in that same month, Underworld debuted a new collaboration with Iggy Pop titled Bells & Circles, live at the BBC Biggest Weekend 2018. Shortly after, a four-track collaborative EP with the two artists was released, Teatime Dub Encounters.
On November 1st, 2018, Underworld announced the Drift project, an ongoing music-and-video experiment that publishes new Underworld material on their official website every week. The first instalment began with Another Silent Way, also released on the same day.
On November 1st, 2019, Underworld released Drift Series 1, their tenth studio album. It is the conclusion of the first year of the band's year-long music-and-video experiment Drift. Underworld announced the Drift project will continue on for another year. The now-renamed Drift Series 1, was released exactly one year after the launch of the series, as a box set featuring 7 CDs, a Blu-ray, and an 80-page book documenting the creative process around Drift. A single-disc Drift Series 1 Sampler Edition was also released simultaneously.
Grace
Underworld Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm violently in love
The waitress smiles
The music's too loud
My body hurts
Light up the dark
Light up the dark
The music's loud
The music's loud
The music's too loud
My body hurts
My body hurts
You leave the womb
And just for a second
The silence is like a blessing
Lovers kiss
Lovers whisper
Beaming and grinning
In the underground
In the underground
This is not what I expected
Light up the dark
Light up the dark
I'm violently in love
The music's loud
The music's loud
My body hurts
You leave the womb
You leave the womb
And just for a second
The silence is like a blessing
The rhythm between us
Trembles
Snatching circles
Alone with you
The heat comes from your eyes
And the soft voice
Falls
Out the sky
Warm skin
Close your eyes
Eyes behind glass
More skin
Close your eyes
And the sky turns red
And the rails slip beneath us
Light up
the darkness is a plea for illumination, both literal and figurative. The singer is violently in love, which could suggest that the love is passionate and intense, but also a little violent in nature. The waitress's smile is an example of something simple that brings the singer joy in this context. The music's volume is almost too much for the singer to bear, yet somehow it also provides some kind of solace or escape. The line "my body hurts" creates a sense of physical and emotional exhaustion or pain that the singer is feeling, perhaps due to the intensity of the love they are experiencing.
Moving on to the second verse, the reference to leaving the womb is a poetic way of saying that the singer has left their comfort zone or previous life behind to embark on this new journey of love. The silence that follows may be a reference to the overwhelming feeling of being born into this new world, or perhaps it refers to a moment of stillness and reflection before the chaos of life and love overtakes them once more. The lovers kiss and whisper, beaming and grinning with joy, but the underground setting is not what the singer expected. This could mean that the relationship is unconventional or even frowned upon by society.
The final verse describes the physical connection between the singer and their lover, and the way that it makes them feel. The trembles between them could suggest nervousness or anticipation, but also a sense of vulnerability. The heat from the lover's eyes and the soft voice could represent an intense emotional connection or the feeling of being seen and heard. The mention of warm skin and eyes behind glass creates a surreal and intimate image. The sky turning red and the rails slipping beneath them creates a sense of movement and excitement, almost like they are on a journey together.
Overall, Grace is a complex and poetic exploration of love, passion, and connection. The lyrics capture the intensity and overwhelming nature of falling in love, as well as the sense of disorientation and uncertainty that can come with it. The use of sensory details like music, smiles, and skin help to create a vivid and immersive experience for the listener.
Line by Line Meaning
Light up the darkness
Bring light to the darkness or illuminate the unknown.
I'm violently in love
Feeling intense, overpowering love that consumes one's emotions and actions.
The waitress smiles
A service worker acknowledges the singer with a positive facial expression.
The music's too loud
The audio level is exceptionally high, possibly causing discomfort or distraction.
My body hurts
Physical pain or discomfort is felt, perhaps due to the music being too loud or dancing too much.
Light up the dark
Repetition of line 1, emphasizing the importance of bringing illumination to the unknown.
The music's loud
Reiteration of line 4, emphasizing the high audio levels in the environment.
The music's loud
Repetition of line 7, continuing to emphasize the excessive audio levels.
My body hurts
Reiteration of line 5, perhaps indicating escalating physical discomfort.
You leave the womb
Transitioning from a state of comfort or familiarity to the unknown, i.e., being born.
And just for a second
The silence is like a blessing
A momentary break from chaos, noise, or stress is appreciated and brings calm.
Lovers kiss
Two individuals engage in romantic intimacy by exchanging kisses.
Lovers whisper
Expressing love and affection to a significant other in a soft or hushed tone of voice.
Beaming and grinning
Showing happiness and radiating joy through facial expressions.
In the underground
Possibly referring to the literal underground setting, a place where societal norms are challenged or defied.
In the underground
Reiteration of line 15, continuing to emphasize the subversive setting.
This is not what I expected
A sense of surprise or disbelief at the current situation or surroundings.
The rhythm between us
Trembles
Snatching circles
The beat, harmony, or chemistry between two people is intense and electric.
Alone with you
The singer and someone else are in close proximity, with no other distractions or disturbances.
The heat comes from your eyes
Intense passion, desire, or even anger is expressed through someone's gaze or facial expressions.
And the soft voice
Falls
Out the sky
A gentle or quiet voice feels like it is coming from above or beyond, possibly describing a spiritual or transformative experience.
Warm skin
The palpable feeling of warmth on someone's skin, possibly caused by physical touch or excitement.
Close your eyes
Escaping or retreating from the sensory overload of the surrounding environment by shutting one's eyes.
Eyes behind glass
Looking through a transparent or translucent surface or material, like glass.
More skin
Continued physical closeness or contact, perhaps leading to more sensual or sexual experiences.
Close your eyes
Reiteration of line 23, emphasizing the importance of taking a break from external stimuli.
And the sky turns red
And the rails slip beneath us
A sense of dramatic, intense change or motion is experienced, possibly indicating a shift in perspective, emotion, or location.
Contributed by Cameron C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Paraskevi Ts
Light up the darkness
I'm violently in love
The waitress smiles
The music's too loud
My body hurts
Light up the dark
Light up the dark
I'm violently in love
The music's loud
The music's loud
The music's too loud
My body hurts
My body hurts
You leave the room
And just for a second the silence is like a blessing
Lovers kiss
Lovers whisper
Be men and green men
In the underground
In the underground
This is not what I expected
Light up the dark
Light up the dark
I'm violently in love
The music's loud
The music's loud
My body hurts
You leave the room
You leave the room and just for a second
The silence is
The silence is like a blessing
The rhythm between us trembles
Snatching seconds alone with you
And the heat comes from your eyes
And the soft voice falls out the sky
Smooth skin
Close your eyes
Eyes behind glass
Smooth skin
Close your eyes
And the sky turns red
And the rails slip beneath us
Light up (repeat)
Paraskevi Ts
Light up the darkness
I'm violently in love
The waitress smiles
The music's too loud
My body hurts
Light up the dark
Light up the dark
I'm violently in love
The music's loud
The music's loud
The music's too loud
My body hurts
My body hurts
You leave the room
And just for a second the silence is like a blessing
Lovers kiss
Lovers whisper
Be men and green men
In the underground
In the underground
This is not what I expected
Light up the dark
Light up the dark
I'm violently in love
The music's loud
The music's loud
My body hurts
You leave the room
You leave the room and just for a second
The silence is
The silence is like a blessing
The rhythm between us trembles
Snatching seconds alone with you
And the heat comes from your eyes
And the soft voice falls out the sky
Smooth skin
Close your eyes
Eyes behind glass
Smooth skin
Close your eyes
And the sky turns red
And the rails slip beneath us
Light up (repeat)
La Reunion Noire
Really great song. One of my favorites on this Album. It has a lot of mysticism in itself.
I K U C H I - T R I B E - I C U I C Y
A great album
zivadrums
Who sings? Amazing voice! BTW, This album is awesome.
Peter Marreck
Karl Hyde
Roberto Abreu
caralho, que som
DeadRe;Born
Awesome song. Thank for upload it.
Roberto Abreu
Masterpiece :D
sovageek Xenon
SWEET thanks. The rave continues in Reverend Burton. You get your next rest at 2 AM. Deep voice!! It's not immortal if you don't move.
BigHam
Sounds better than the one with the most views.