The Birthday Party
The Birthday Party were an Australian post-punk band, from 1977 to 1983. Fo… Read Full Bio ↴The Birthday Party were an Australian post-punk band, from 1977 to 1983. Formed in Melbourne, the band were one of the darkest and most challenging post-punk groups to emerge in the early '80s, creating bleak and noisy soundscapes that provided the perfect setting for vocalist Nick Cave's difficult, disturbing stories of religion, violence, and perversity. Their sound drew upon punk, rockabilly, free jazz and the rawest blues, but transcended concise categorization. Under the direction of Cave and guitarist Rowland S. Howard, the band tore through reams of blues and rockabilly licks, spitting out hellacious feedback and noise at an unrelenting pace. As The Birthday Party's career progressed, Cave's vision got darker and the band's songs alternated between dirges and blistering sonic assaults.

Originally, the Australian band was called The Boys Next Door, comprising Cave, Howard, Mick Harvey (guitar, drums, organ, piano), bassist Tracy Pew, and drummer Phill Calvert. After the Door Door album and Hee Haw EP under that name, the band moved to London and switched its name to the deceptively benign Birthday Party. Once they arrived in Britain, their demented, knotty post-punk began to gel. They released their first international album, Prayers On Fire, in 1981, earning critical praise in the U.K. and U.S. While the band was preparing to record the follow-up, Pew was jailed for drunk driving; former Magazine member Barry Adamson, Harry Howard, and Chris Walsh filled in for the absent Pew on 1982's Junkyard.

After the release of Junkyard, Calvert joined Psychedelic Furs and the band moved to Germany, where they began collaborating with such experimental post-punk acts as Lydia Lunch and Einstürzende Neubauten. Harvey left in the summer of 1983. The group briefly continued with drummer Des Heffner, but it soon disbanded after a final concert in Melbourne, Australia. Cave had the most successful solo career, recording a series of albums in the '80s and '90s that maintained his status as a popular cult figure; Harvey joined Cave's band Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. Howard joined Crime & The City Solution, which also featured his brother Harry and Harvey. Tracey Pew toured with The Saints before dying of an epileptic seizure in 1986.

--Review from AMG Allmusic Guide
ALBUMS TRACK LIST SIMILAR ARTISTS
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found

The Birthday Party Lyrics


(Sometimes) Pleasure Heads Must Burn Bu-u-u-u-u-u-rn! pop! pop! Bu-u-u-u-u-u-rn! pop! pop! I reck…
01- Blast Off This time it's the truth This time nothings gonna fall on…
03- Zoo Music Girl zoo-music girl zoo-music girl our life together is a hollo…
03. Mr. Clarinet I have a friend in you, oh Mr Clarinet you make…
04.Deep in the woods The woods eats the woman And dumps her honey-body in…
05 riddle house The street is very wide And I can't see across it My…
07- King Ink King Ink strolls into town he sniffs around King Ink ki…
11. Just You and Me First: I tried to kill it with a hammer Thought that…
18 Jennifer's veil So you've come back for Jennifer You know, she hides her…
18 Jennifers veil So you've come back for Jennifer You know, she hides her…
6" Gold Blade I stuck a six-inch gold blade in the head of…
A Catholic Skin A catholic skin Boneless and uh thin Blue fried flesh Fresh …
A Dead Song this is true oh! this is true it's true mister forever…



Big Right! Big-Jesus soul-mates Trash-Can fucking rotten busines…
Big-Jesus-Trash-Can Right! Big-Jesus soul-mates Trash-Can fucking rotten busin…
Blast Off This time it's the truth This time nothings gonna fall on…
Blundertown Blundertown is drowned in no brainstorm Smothered in mud at …
Capers what has not got my heart in it shall we…
Catman Catman's coming, better look out Catman's coming, running a…
Cry when ya walk outa here when ya walk out I gotta fill…
Dead Joe Dead Joe Joe... Joe Joe oh-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho Dead …
Death By Drowning To get a breath of fresh air A tempestuous sea A howling…
Deep In The Woods The woods eats the woman And dumps her honey-body in…
Dim Locator inanimational items elude I, and in-an-emotional-motion I sw…
Dull Day the light from the window falls on the floor and after it…
Faint Heart With my face drained of colour And my brain of blood Like…
Fears of Gun Gun wears his alcoholism well Finger in Bottle and swingin' …
figure of Wow! uh oh I am a figure of fun Obsessive, dead-pan and…
Figure of Fun Wow! uh oh I am a figure of fun Obsessive, dead-pan and…
Gold Blade I stuck a six-inch gold blade in the head of…
Guilt Parade The drumming deceives you The blood in your veins And it p…
Hamlet H! A! M! L! E! T! Yeah... Hamlet's fishing in…
Hamlet (Pow, Pow, Pow) H! A! M! L! E! T! Yeah... Hamlet's fishing in the…
Happy Birthday it's a very happy day we are at lots of fun…
Hats On Wrong Dancing like a chimney sweep I look ridiculous All hands…
Ho Ho worn and gnawn a little hole just a small hole letting in a…
Jennifer So you've come back for Jennifer You know, she hides her…
Junk Yard I am the King. I am the King. I am…
Just You and Me First: I tried to kill it with a hammer Thought that…
Kathy's Kisses Kathy's kisses, they fall out of Her mouth onto the floor,…
Kewpie Doll well I love that kewpie doll well I love that kewpie…
King Ink King Ink strolls into town he sniffs around King Ink kicks…
Kiss Me Black hey-hey-hey-hey now they put the stink on us throw us to the…
Loose Now look out I took a record of pretty music I…
Mr Clarinet I have a friend in you, oh Mr Clarinet you make…
Mutiny In Heaven Well ah jumpt! and fled this fuckin' heap on doctored…
Nick The Stripper Insect insect insect insect incest insect incest insect Ni…
Pleasure Avalanche Here it comes Here it comes Here it comes Here it comes …
Pleasure Heads bu-u-u-u-u-u-rn! pop! pop! bu-u-u-u-u-u-rn! pop! pop! I reck…
Release The Bat Whooah bite! whooah bite! Release the bats. release the bat…
Release the Bats whooah bite! whooah bite! release the bats. release the bats…
Riddle House The street is very wide And I can't see across it My…
Say A Spell Turn to my eyes so I may still you Snatching such…
Several Sins this is a dead letter tale if I could make this…
She there is woman - pie in here mr. evangelist says she's…
She's Hit there is woman - pie in here mr. evangelist says she's…
She`s Hit there is woman - pie in here mr. evangelist says she's…
Six Inch Gold Blade I stuck a six-inch gold blade in the head of…
Six Strings That Drew Blood Guitar thug blew into town His eyes like wheels spinnin' rou…
Sonny Have you heard how Sonny's burning Like some bright erotic …
Sonny's Burning Have you heard how Sonny's burning Like some bright erotic s…
Sonnys Burning Have you heard how Sonny's burning Like some bright erotic …
Swampland Quixanne, ah'm in its grip Quixanne, ah'm in its grip Sinken…
The Dim Locator inanimational items elude I, and in-an-emotional-motion I sw…
The Friend Catcher I, cigarette fingers Puff and poke Puff and poking the smoke…
The Friendcatcher I, cigarette fingers Puff and poke Puff and poking the smo…
The Hair Shirt Halls echo with the sounds of his footsteps Water drip drops…
Waving My Arms It's all rough and tumble The commotion of new And we feel…
Wild World It's a wild world, hey, it's a wild world, hey It's…
Wildworld It's a wild world, hey, it's a wild world, hey It's…
Yard In our yard How many chickens can we count On our fingers…
Zoo Music Girl zoo-music girl zoo-music girl our life together is a hollo…
Zoo-Music Girl zoo-music girl zoo-music girl our life together is a hol…


More Versions