X-Ray Spex's other distinctive musical element was Poly Styrene's voice, which has been variously described as "effervescently discordant" and "powerful enough to drill holes through sheet metal". As Mari Elliot, Poly had released a reggae single for GTO Records in 1976, "Silly Billy", which had not charted. Born in 1957 in Brixton, London, of Somali-English parentage, Poly Styrene became the group's public face, and remains one of the most memorable front-women to emerge from the punk movement. Poly Sytrene also became one of the first high-profile black people in punk rock. She wore braces on her teeth and once stated that "If anybody tried to make me a sex symbol I would shave my head tomorrow".
X-Ray Spex existed from mid-1976 to 1979, during which time they released five singles - "Oh Bondage, Up Yours", "Identity", "The Day the World Turned Day-Glo", "Germ Free Adolescents", and "Highly Inflammable" - and one album, Germ Free Adolescents. The album and title single reached 30 and 19 in their respective charts, although "Oh Bondage, Up Yours" is regarded as their most enduring artifact, both as a piece of music and as a phrase. The song was not originally on the album, although later CD releases added it as the final track. The group did play a fortnight's residency at New York's CBGB's even though Germ Free Adolescents was not released in America until 1992. Exhausted by touring, Poly Styrene left the band in 1979 to release a solo album, Translucence, before joining the Hare Krishna movement (as did Lora Logic, in a coincidental move, who left the band aged 16 in 1977 to form a new group called Essential Logic).
Without Styrene, the group lost its momentum and split up. Hurding and London went on to form Classix Nouveaux, while Paul Dean retired from musical activities.
In 1991 re-grouped X-Ray Spex played a surprise sell-out gig at the Brixton Academy. Uniquely, this version of the group did not include Poly Styrene, and according to an interview with Lora Logic: "...that was a mistake. They put that together with another singer and I played with them for a tour but you can't really have it without Poly."
The group reformed more successfully in 1995 with a line-up of Styrene, Dean and Logic to release a new album Conscious Consumer. Although heralded as the first in a trilogy, the album was not a commercial success. Styrene later explained that touring and promotional work suffered an abrupt end when she was run over by a fire engine in central London. The group disbanded, but subsequent releases include a compilation of the group's early records, a live album, and an anthology of all the aforementioned.
Jak Airport later worked for the BBC's Corporate and Public Relations department under his real name, Jack Stafford; he died in August 2004.
Discography
Singles
"Oh Bondage, Up Yours", 1977
"The Day The World Turned Day-Glo", 1978 #23 UK
"Identity", 1978 #24 UK
"Germ Free Adolescents", 1978 #19 UK
"Highly Inflammable", 1979 #45 UK
Albums
Germ Free Adolescents, 1978
Conscious Consumer, 1995
Poly Styrene later went on to reform X-Ray Spex with a 30 year anniversary sell-out gig at The Roundhouse, Camden, London September 6th 2008 with original bass player Paul Dean, Jak Airport sadly no longer with us was replaced by Saxby guitarist for Arnold, saxophone was provided by Flash formerly of Rip Rig & Panic and finally drummer Sid (Sidation) Truelove from Rubella Ballet and Flux of Pink Indians, hand picked by Poly for his authentic resemblance to B.P. Hurdings original punk style completing the line up for one of the most long awaited gigs of the last three decades. This performance will be available to buy on DVD and live album in November 2009 on Future Noise Music, for more info go to www.futurenoisemusic.com
Polystyrene sadly lost her battle with cancer and passed away 26/04/11
www.x-rayspex.com// http://www.myspace.com/xrayspexrealofficialpage
X-ray Spex
The Day the World Turned Day-Glo
X-Ray Spex Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then fell into a swimming pool
Filled with fairy snow
And watched the world turn day-glo
You know, you know
The world turned day-glo, you know
Uh-oh
I wrenched the nylon curtains back as far as they would go
Then peered through perspex window panes
At the acrylic road
And watched the world turn day-glo
You know, you know
The world turned day-glo, you know
Uh-oh
I drove my polypropolene
Car on wheels of sponge
Then pulled into a wimpy bar
To have a rubber bun
And watched the world turn day-glo
You know, you know
The world turned day-glo, you know
Uh-oh
The world turn day-glo
You know, you know
The world turned day-glo, you know
Uh-oh
The X-rays were penetrating through the latex breeze
Synthetic fiber see-through leaves fell from the rayon trees
The day the the world turned day-glo
You know, you know
The world turned day-glo, you know, you know
The world turned day-glo, you know, you know
The world turned day-glo, you know
Uh-oh
The lyrics of "The Day the World Turned Day-Glo" by X-Ray Spex describe a surreal scene in which the singer describes their experiences of a world that has suddenly become intensely fluorescent. The lyrics depict the singer who is wandering around and exploring the bizarre landscape filled with polystyrene foam, acrylic roads, perspex window panes, and rayon trees. The sudden shift in hue is depicted as the world "turning day-glo," a term that describes vibrant neon colors. The singer describes driving a car made of polypropylene wheels and sponge, as well as enjoying a rubber bun in a Wimpy burger bar, while the world around them continues to pulsate with bright colors. The singer also references X-rays, synthetic fiber see-through leaves falling from trees, and fairy snow, all in the midst of the psychedelic environment. Overall, the lyrics describe a dreamlike world of intense colors and surreal elements.
Line by Line Meaning
I clambered over mounds and mounds of polystyrene foam
I climbed over endless heaps of lightweight, synthetic foam
Then fell into a swimming pool
Finally, I stumbled into a pool of water
Filled with fairy snow
In the water, there was a glittering residue
And watched the world turn day-glo
As I gazed around, everything rapidly turned fluorescent
You know, you know
It's true, it's true
The world turned day-glo, you know
Everything turned incredibly bright
Uh-oh
Oh no!
I wrenched the nylon curtains back as far as they would go
I pulled the curtains made of synthetic fibers to their limit
Then peered through perspex window panes
I looked through transparent window panes made of a type of acrylic plastic
At the acrylic road
I saw a road that gleamed brightly in the synthetic light
And watched the world turn day-glo
And just like that, everything became fluorescent again
You know, you know
I'm serious, I'm serious
The world turned day-glo, you know
Brighter than bright, brighter than ever before
Uh-oh
Oh no!
I drove my polypropolene
I drove my car made of a lightweight, strong plastic material called polypropylene
Car on wheels of sponge
The wheels like sponges soaked up the bumps in the road
Then pulled into a wimpy bar
I drove to a fast-food restaurant called Wimpy
To have a rubber bun
And ordered a burger with a faux meat patty made of rubber
And watched the world turn day-glo
Bright lights surrounded me again
You know, you know
It's really happening, it's really happening
The world turned day-glo, you know
Everything is an intense, fluorescent color
Uh-oh
Oh no!
The X-rays were penetrating through the latex breeze
X-rays could travel through the synthetic air, unhindered
Synthetic fiber see-through leaves fell from the rayon trees
The trees looked like they were made of rayon, the synthetic leaves falling like feathers
The day the world turned day-glo
This was the moment everything changed
You know, you know
You can feel it too, can't you?
The world turned day-glo, you know, you know
Everything turned a spectrum of colors unlike anything seen before
The world turned day-glo, you know
Bright colors in every direction
Uh-oh
Oh no!
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ThePranavmann911
I clambered over mounds and mounds of polystyrene foam
Then fell into a swimming pool
Filled with fairy snow
And watched the world turn day-glo
You know, you know
The world turned day-glo, you know
Uh-oh
I wrenched the nylon curtains back as far as they would go
Then peered through perspex window panes
At the acrylic road
And watched the world turn day-glo
You know, you know
The world turned day-glo, you know
Uh-oh
I drove my polypropolene
Car on wheels of sponge
Then pulled into a wimpy bar
To have a rubber bun
And watched the world turn day-glo
You know, you know
The world turned day-glo, you know
Uh-oh
The world turn day-glo
You know, you know
The world turned day-glo, you know
Uh-oh
The X-rays were penetrating through the latex breeze
Synthetic fiber see-through leaves fell from the rayon trees
The day the the world turned day-glo
You know, you know
The world turned day-glo, you know, you know
The world turned day-glo, you know, you know
The world turned day-glo, you know
Uh-oh
@leehancock8208
Is it possible to be fascinated by a song at 11 and totally bowled over by the same song 45 years later?
@hellbillybilly4770
Oh hell yes it is. Got this on orange vinyl 45 as well as the LP version.
@icky5808
Poly's lyrical content was just superb and groundbreaking... still is, will always be! RIP!
@skunk69x29
This song and band are one of the few that will always be timeless!!! Thank you England for giving us X-Ray spex among a few.
@Ella-qo1ec
You're welcome. Funny how such a F'Up country produces quite profound music/musicians/actors.... coping mechanism, maybe, in a deeply divided, toxic society.
@pineapplepenumbra
@@Ella-qo1ec "in a deeply divided, toxic society."
Are you referring to the disparity between the rich and the poor?
@markusalcudia
@@Ella-qo1ec maybe a country has to be fkd up to be able to produce such good music.
@kidkoffee4799
Here in The States, THE most underrated punk band of all time. Still gets me going in my 40s...makes me want to jump out a window and FSU.
@1Superchops
You're jumping out the window yelling "give me none of this!"
@steveleonard8835
hey,i'm 62 and I just discovered this band two days ago! I think the're phenomenal!