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.
Push Upstairs
Underworld Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Her voice so seldom
On my machine
Is here tonight
And I'm on the market
And when I'm on a market
Words move faster
Wire and clouds move
Like a skin
Like a salty skin
For a seed
A fat circles
A smiling smiling
Her voice so intentionally
Smiling
And a cloud between us
And these are my intentions
Pushing [Repeat x7]
Push
Ah [Repeat x10]
? the blonde
Is carrying something
Is carrying me
And someone I used to be
Great plastic someone
Blue plastic girl
Your dream is
Pushing [Repeat x5]
Pushed away your body is
Pushing [Repeat x3]
Pushed away your
Come me for the unbelieve
Carry on song
Lipstick fodder
The boyfriend blond
Between the holes of sheets
Is professionally poised
Faces watching her
She's watching the faces
Watching her
Pushin [Repeat x3]
Push
Pushing [Repeat x3]
Love [Repeat x5]
Ha
Pushing [Repeat x3]
Push
Push
Pushing [Repeat x3]
Love [Repeat x9]
Ha [Repeat x10]
The lyrics to Underworld's song Push Upstairs are enigmatic and open to interpretation. The song appears to be about a long-distance relationship, with the singer pining after a woman named Tina who lives in Berlin. The opening lines suggest that the singer is craving Tina's voice, which is infrequently heard on his answering machine. The lyrics then take a surreal turn, with the singer describing a thin layer of wire and clouds separating him from Tina, like a salty skin around a seed. There's a sense of urgency, with the singer feeling like he's on the market and words move faster in this state. The repeated chorus of "Pushing" seems to refer to the singer's desire to connect with Tina.
As the song progresses, it becomes more abstract, with the singer describing a "great plastic someone" and a "blue plastic girl" who carries him and someone he used to be. There are references to lipstick fodder and faces watching her, but it's unclear who these people are or what they represent. The chorus continues to repeat the word "Push" in various forms, suggesting a sense of dissatisfaction or restlessness, even as the singer professes his love.
Overall, the lyrics to "Push Upstairs" are cryptic and impressionistic, leaving the listener to piece together their own meaning from the fragments presented. The song's hypnotic beat and repetitive chorus create a sense of urgency, mirroring the singer's desire to connect with Tina and resolve the distance between them.
Line by Line Meaning
Tina lives in Berlin
The singer is aware of a person named Tina who lives in Berlin
Her voice so seldom
The singer doesn't hear Tina's voice often
On my machine
Tina's voice is recorded and stored on the singer's device
Is here tonight
The artist is currently listening to Tina's recorded voice
And I'm on the market
The artist is currently single and open to dating
And when I'm on the market
In the singer's mind dating is a marketplace
Words move faster
In the dating market, communication moves quickly
Wire and clouds move
Communication happens over networks and the internet
Thin between us
The distance between the artist and Tina is small
Like a skin
The boundary between the artist and Tina is thin like a membrane
Like a salty skin
The membrane between the singer and Tina is slightly uncomfortable, like sweat on skin
For a seed
The tension between the artist and Tina is necessary for the relationship to grow
A fat circles
The singer is feeling positive and hopeful about the possibility of dating Tina
A smiling smiling
Both the singer and Tina are happy and excited about the prospect of dating
Her voice so intentionally
Tina is purposely being flirty and seductive in her message
Smiling
Tina's positive and hopeful attitude is evident in her voice
And a cloud between us
Despite the positive signs, there is still some uncertainty between the artist and Tina
And these are my intentions
The singer is clear and direct about his intentions to date Tina
Pushing [Repeat x7]
The singer is determined and assertive about pursuing Tina
Push
Repetition of the word 'push' emphasizes the artist's determination
Ah [Repeat x10]
The repetition of 'ah' creates a pleasant melody to accompany the lyrics
? the blonde
The artist is unsure about a blonde person in the situation
Is carrying something
The blonde person is holding or carrying something
Is carrying me
The blonde person is taking the artist's focus and attention
And someone I used to be
The singer is reminded of a past version of himself
Great plastic someone
The past version of the singer was fake and superficial
Blue plastic girl
The singer is describing the superficial, fake woman from his past
Your dream is
The artist is addressing the blue plastic girl from his past
Pushing [Repeat x5]
The artist is still determined and assertive in pursuing Tina
Pushed away your body is
The singer has moved on from the fake and superficial relationship represented by the blue plastic girl
Pushing [Repeat x3]
Repetition of the word 'pushing' further emphasizes the singer's pursuit of Tina
Pushed away your
The artist has left behind a superficial version of himself and is now focused on pursuing Tina
Come me for the unbelieve
The artist is inviting Tina to join him in a relationship that may be unexpected or unconventional
Carry on song
The artist is reassuring Tina that they can continue pursuing a relationship
Lipstick fodder
The singer is emphasizing how their relationship will be genuine and authentic, in contrast to the past fake relationships
The boyfriend blond
The blonde person in the situation is a known part of Tina's life, possibly a boyfriend
Between the holes of sheets
The singer is describing the intimate space between lovers, suggesting a desire to be closer to Tina
Is professionally poised
The blonde person is confident and prepared for the situation
Faces watching her
There are other people observing Tina's actions and decisions
She's watching the faces
Tina is aware of the other people around her, possibly considering their opinions on her decision to date the artist
Watching her
Repetition of 'watching her' emphasizes the fact that Tina is the focus of attention
Pushin [Repeat x3]
Repetition of 'pushin' reinforces the singer's determination
Push
The singer is actively pursuing Tina
Pushing [Repeat x3]
The artist will not give up on his pursuit
Love [Repeat x5]
The artist genuinely and deeply loves Tina
Ha
The artist ends on a happy and confident note, having expressed his feelings for Tina
Pushing [Repeat x3]
Repetition of 'pushing' further emphasizes the singer's pursuit of Tina
Push
The artist is determined and assertive in his pursuit of Tina
Push
Repetition of 'push' reinforces the singer's determination
Love [Repeat x9]
The singer deeply loves Tina and will continue to pursue her
Ha [Repeat x10]
Repetition of 'ha' creates a light and joyful melody to end the song
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Mute Song Limited
Written by: Darren Paul Emerson, Karl Hyde, Richard David Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@from.musique
24 years of this masterpiece, today fresh and unbeatable
@vanessas2363
Unbelievable isn't it
@MartinIrwin
As with almost every Underworld song, at the time of listening, it’s their best song.
@spangol87
Haha fucking right!! So true. I'll now listen to Rez, after relistening to Dark and Long, will then decide Pearl is best or maybe Skyscraper,but then it's always been King of Snake...ah fuck knows!
@spangol87
And i forgor Two Months Off...
@danniantagonist
Yes! Wow, totally how I feel! My favourites swap all the time. Although this really is up there. 💖
@nige3801
I love Jumbo, but it hit at the right time in my life when was struggling, love everything Underworld tho, apart from Bruce Lee lmao
@yovayova660
Each one improves on the next, and when you come back to the first one it’s somehow improved further on the first time. It’s like musical Escher.
@alphaclip1
02:21 diese beklemmend düstere und gleichzeitig geile Atmosphäre habe ich nach so vielen Jahre nicht vergessen!! Endlich habe ich den Track wiedergefunden! 90er forever!!!
@ciscocalixto
I remember watching this as a kid on MTV with my dad. There was this music block on Saturday mornings, it was all electronic music and IDM, Squarepusher, Ken Ishii, Aphex Twin, Underworld, The Prodigy. Ah man, those are some beautiful memories that I will cherish for life.