| Killing Joke – Absent Friends Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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The most moving song the Joke have recorded, this absolute gem tucked away on the neglected 'Democracy' album is a truly beautiful tribute to the departed. Proving that Jaz is much more than an intelligent ranter, 'Absent Friends' is pure poetry, revealing a love of life and friendship that most songwriters would struggle to even approach. I'm entirely at a loss as to why this band remain in the realm of cult status while the likes of Oasis come out with complete bollocks like 'Wonderwall' and get eternal praise for it. 'I hear you crying in my heart' is a line everyone who has lost someone can identify with, and yes, the final line is indeed the word 'love' repeated. Listen and marvel. |
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| Killing Joke – Labyrinth Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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Probably my favourite KJ track, 'Labyrinth' opens with what sounds like a musical hammer blow and gets heavier from there on in. Lyrically, it's a perfect summation of alienation. It's one for those of us who have walked down the street, turned on the TV news or opened a newspaper, and thought; 'I'm on the wrong planet. This isn't my civilisation. These aren't my values.' The chorus sees Jaz screaming for a way out of the nightmare of everyday existence. Verse two is a straightforward castigation of organised religion, an encounter with a 'born again idiot' spouting dogma. The line 'get it all back' is repeated sneeringly towards the end of the track, shortly before the sound of someone throwing a chest of drawers off a cliff. Verse three attacks higher education, a theme Jaz has visited at recent live gigs. He rails against the futility of the courses of Capitalism, the 'greed' degrees, the last line; 'a PHD in fuck you' always brings a smile to my face. Truly this man is a genius, and the band are the perfect foil for such undiluted, intelligent anger. |
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| Killing Joke – Twilight Of the Mortal Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| Basically a song about mortality, the brief nature of existence and the futility of warfare. Superb track. | |
| Killing Joke – Wintergardens Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| Is this song about environmental catastrophe? | |
| Killing Joke – Sanity Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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A cryptic one this. Released as the second single from the 'Brighter Than A Thousand Suns' album, it barely dented the charts, but for me it pushes all the right buttons -- great bass, tinkling piano and thought-provoking lyrics.' The overall lyrical premise appears to be the forced nature of human interaction, for the sake of 'sanity.' A suitable goth-style anthem, the seldom seen video has the band dressed in black leather giving a passionate if straight ahead rendition. The despairing line; 'innocence will fade away like Autumn' perfectly displays Jaz Coleman's pessimistic view of humanity, one for which all us Jokers love him. Despite his downbeat summation of the human state, he retains a degree of empathy with the natural order; 'we shall be at peace upon our parting, with the thoughts of loved ones in our hearts.' The classic closing lines about the 'distant shores' and the 'last days of Rome' evoke visions of burning -- the power of the sun and the idea of cities on fire as the might of the Roman empire crumbles beneath the surge of dark barbarism. In short, this track is magnificent. |
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| Killing Joke – Rubicon Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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These lyrics really should be on every school English curriculum. Lead singer Jaz Coleman's worldview is decidedly yet rationally apocalyptic, anticipating the self destruction of the species. We are living in the 'age of miracles', the ascent of man, yet 'creation is not yet complete'. The line that God is on 'every side and in every legion' at first glance suggests a theist viewpoint, but on closer examination reveals the idea of God as justification for terror and destruction, with every side claiming that God supports their cause, a situation only too familiar today with Al-Qaeda and George Bush seeing God in 'their legion.' Verse two mentions the equally zealous crusades of the secularists; 'idols of rational worlds, to worship power, to worship strength.' We can here perhaps think of the gigantic crimes against humanity of Mao or Stalin, in the name of no God other than themselves. The last verse in particular is nothing short of awesome, a portent of a looming nuclear holocaust, a 'poetry of golden dawns.' The first two lines of this verse manage to castigate both religion and science, mankind's 'Eden decreed' rage and internal hostility with it's own kind juxtaposed with the 'triumph' of a science that can obliterate millions in seconds. The rubicon of the title represents the final step in man's own self-destruction, the 'point of no return.' The line 'the magic of our science shines brighter than a thousand suns' contains the title of the parent album, my favorite LP of all time. There simply isn't one bad track on it -- every one is powerful, impressive and thought-provoking. A masterpiece. |
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