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.
Show Some Emotion
Underworld Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who for God's sake who for God's sake
Who is it you think you are
You know you should, should, shoulda known better
Than take a chance
If you can't feel the rhythm
If you can't feel the rhythm don't dance!
You can't hide
On the wings of a dove
Or behind your vicious pride (you better come through it)
Hey
You gotta silver tongue
You use it and you use it
And you'll get us all hung
You know you should, should, shoulda known better
Than take a chance
'Cause if you can't feel the rhythm
If you can't feel the rhythm don't dance!
You can't run
You can't hide
On the wings of a dove
Or behind your vicious pride (you better come through it)
Show me show me some emotion
Show me show me some emotion
The lyrics to Underworld’s “Show Some Emotion” express the idea that without an inner connection to the rhythm or emotion of a situation, it’s impossible to truly participate or even survive. The song starts off with criticism towards someone who has overstepped their boundaries, and the line “Wait, you’ve gone too far” is repeated multiple times – possibly to convey a state of shock, as if the person being addressed is in disbelief that they’ve taken things too far, or denial, because they really don’t think they have gone too far. The singer asks, “Who is it you think you are?” as a challenge to their identity or intentions. The repetition of the phrase “you know you should, should, shoulda known better” indicates that the singer believes the person in question made a mistake, but also feels a sense of frustration at their lack of awareness or presence of mind.
The chorus carries a warning: if you can’t feel the rhythm, don’t dance. This statement can be interpreted as cautionary advice for mundane situations, such as not attempting to dance if you can’t keep up with the beat, or much more deeply, as a warning to anyone who lacks sensitivity to the emotions of others or the world around them. The next verse accuses the person in question of having a silver tongue, suggesting that they are good at talking their way out of trouble but this ultimately leads to trouble for everyone else. The line “You’ll get us all hung” can be interpreted literally – suggesting the ability to manipulate others can lead to danger, or be seen as figurative, as in “you’ll get us all in trouble”.
The song reaches its climax with the repeated plea “Show me some emotion”. It feels as though the singer is begging for an authentic response to something, a genuine feeling that they can connect to. The way the song crescendos towards this phrase, with layers of electronic sounds and voices speaking over one another, captures a sense of longing and desperation for a connection. The track comes to a close without resolution, perhaps underscoring the notion that even when one desperately craves emotion and connection, they might not get it.
Line by Line Meaning
Wait you've gone too far
You have crossed a line and taken things too far
Who for God's sake who for God's sake
Who are you trying to impress or please? Who is it for?
Who is it you think you are
What makes you so special and entitled to act this way?
You know you should, should, shoulda known better
You are aware that your actions are wrong and you should have acted differently
Than take a chance
You should have been more careful and not taken a risk
If you can't feel the rhythm
If you can't understand and connect with the situation
If you can't feel the rhythm don't dance!
If you can't keep up, don't try to be a part of it
You can't run
You can't escape the consequences of your actions
You can't hide
You can't avoid facing the truth and reality of the situation
On the wings of a dove
Metaphor for trying to escape or finding peace in a difficult situation
Or behind your vicious pride (you better come through it)
Pride will not help you, you have to face the situation head-on and overcome it
Hey
Interjection used to capture someone's attention or express surprise
You gotta silver tongue
You are good at convincing people with your smooth and persuasive words
You use it and you use it
You rely on this skill frequently and excessively
And you'll get us all hung
Your actions and words will have negative consequences for everyone involved
Show me show me some emotion
Express your true thoughts and feelings instead of hiding behind words and actions
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: KARL HYDE, RICK SMITH, ALFIE THOMAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jasefosTV
Such an awesome song - in fact, this entire period of Underworld shaped my music tastes from the years that followed!
@leon68765
Одна из самых лучших песен Спасибо!!!
@zilla531
Trip down memory lane!! What a great song!!!!!! The whole damn album was!!!!
@impulsivepuppy
it certainly was
@barryjohnson3684
Yep listening in 2022
@jasoncwaters1
This brings back memories, love it!!!! Jason W
@fiamun
Playing this in 2021. Started in 1989, mates shed, old chairs, smokes and beer! Sht life was simple back then!
@Rayncatt
omg FINALLY a good version of this!!!! TY!!!
@slynch1208
looove this song. my no 1. fav song off ablum
@Rayncatt
the the fact they sahred it with us!