Their impressive live show at this time brought them to the attention of The Sisters of Mercy front man Andrew Eldritch, who, after seeing a local performance, invited them as special guests on their 1984 Black October tour. The next two years saw the band gracing the stage with acts such as Siouxsie & The Banshees, Spear Of Destiny & The Mission etc..
Undeterred, following vocalist Anne Hurst's sudden departure in 1985 following the release of their second album "Futile Combat, the band enjoyed greater national chart success with the singles 'Restless' & 'Just A Minute' via signing to Chrysalis Records with new vocalist Katrina Phillips (from ex Specials Terry Hall’s band The Colourfield, single 'Thinking Of You')
This line up of the group disbanded in 1987 but due to the advent of the worldwide web, reissues of earlier studio and compilation albums, along with a rapidly growing resurgence of interest in eighties music & culture the band reformed again in 2002.
Now consisting of original members Stan Greenwood, Roger "Trotwood" Nowell and Ian "Karl Heinz" Taylor, i.e. the main songwriters of the band (all of whom were in the original pre cursor to Skeletal Family from 1979 called The Elements) produced two new original studio albums "Sakura" & "Songs Of Love Hope & Despair" alongside a third release on Jungle Records titled "Day Of All Days"
The band continue to play live to this day, headlining alternative European festivals / events which culminated with an extensive month long USA in 2018 coupled with one off appearances in Brazil and Mexico.
2020 / 2021 saw the band utilising the Covid pandemic to their advantage. Alongside vocalist Anneka Latta and drummer Adrian "Ozzy" Osadzenko the band recorded 19 new songs at Paul Weller's Black Barn Studios, Ripley, UK.
Ten of these tracks have been selected for the bands sixth studio album "Light From The Dark" scheduled for release Spring 2023 via Chapter 22 Records.
Skeletal Family 2023 line up:-
Anneka Latta - Vocals
Stan Greenwood - Guitars
Roger "Trotwood" Nowell - Bass
Ian "Karl Heinz" Taylor - Keyboards / Saxophone
Adrian "Ozzy" Osadzenko
Promised Land
Skeletal Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
DON’T YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS THE PROMISED LAND
WITH BRIGHT LIGHTS SHINING IT FEELS SO BRIGHT
DON’T YOU KNOW THAT THINGS GO NICE WITH SPICE
IT FELT LIKE WE’D BEEN HERE A THOUSAND YEARS BEFORE
WHEN THE DOOR BROKE OPEN AND LET IN, THE LIGHT
SO WE RAN TO AN EMPTY SPACE AND FELT SO FREE
YOU KNOW WE’VE NEVER FELT LIKE THIS BEFORE
YOU TURN TO FACE ME HOLD OUT YOU’RE HAND
DON’T YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS THE PROMISED LAND
WITH BRIGHT LIGHTS SHINING IT SEEMS SO RIGHT
DON’T YOU KNOW THAT THINGS GO NICE WITH SPICE
NOW I THINK THE TIME HAS COME TO OPEN THE BOX
AND LET IN TO THE WORLD WHAT’S BEEN HIDDEN INSIDE
NOT COVERING WHAT THE DAY BRINGS, IT SEEMS SO BRIGHT
DON’T YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS THE PROMISED LAND, WELL ALRIGHT
YOU TURN TO FACE ME HOLD OUT YOU’RE HAND
DON’T YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS THE PROMISED LAND
WITH BRIGHT LIGHTS SHINING IT FEELS SO BRIGHT
DON’T YOU KNOW THAT THINGS ARE OUT OF SIGHT
The song "Promised Land" by Skeletal Family is about finding a place where everything falls into place and feels perfect. The opening lines "You turn to face me, hold out your hand" suggest a sense of partnership and companionship in the search for this "promised land". The use of "bright lights shining" and "things go nice with spice" signify a sense of excitement and living in the moment, which is further emphasized in the chorus with lines like "it feels so bright" and "things are out of sight". The references to feeling free and feeling like they've never felt before suggest that this place is one of absolute liberation.
The song seems to be a call to action, urging the listener to take control of their lives and make positive changes. Lines like "now I think the time has come to open the box" suggest a sense of urgency in taking control of one's life and allowing oneself to be open to new experiences. The overall message seems to be that we are all capable of creating our own "promised land" if we are willing to let go of our fears and live in the moment.
Line by Line Meaning
YOU TURN TO FACE ME HOLD OUT YOU’RE HAND
You look at me and extend your hand
DON’T YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS THE PROMISED LAND
This place we’re in is the land of our dreams
WITH BRIGHT LIGHTS SHINING IT FEELS SO BRIGHT
The lights here are dazzling and uplifting
DON’T YOU KNOW THAT THINGS GO NICE WITH SPICE
Adding some excitement and flavor makes everything better
IT FELT LIKE WE’D BEEN HERE A THOUSAND YEARS BEFORE
It seems as though we’ve been waiting for this moment for an eternity
WHEN THE DOOR BROKE OPEN AND LET IN, THE LIGHT
Suddenly, the door opened and the light flooded in
SO WE RAN TO AN EMPTY SPACE AND FELT SO FREE
We ran to a vacant area and felt a sense of liberation
YOU KNOW WE’VE NEVER FELT LIKE THIS BEFORE
This experience is new and exhilarating to us
NOW I THINK THE TIME HAS COME TO OPEN THE BOX
I believe it’s time to unveil what’s inside the box
AND LET IN TO THE WORLD WHAT’S BEEN HIDDEN INSIDE
It’s time to reveal the secrets to the world
NOT COVERING WHAT THE DAY BRINGS, IT SEEMS SO BRIGHT
We’re not hiding from what each day brings, but instead embracing it with optimism
DON’T YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS THE PROMISED LAND, WELL ALRIGHT
This really is the land of our dreams, and we’re ecstatic about it
DON’T YOU KNOW THAT THINGS ARE OUT OF SIGHT
Things are going incredibly well and exceeding our expectations
Contributed by Charlie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.