Abney Park began around 1997, but their popularity exploded with the onset of internet music, with much success through MP3.com in the early 2000’s. The band was a regular chart topper, often holding the number 1 – 5 positions in Goth and Darkwave, and Industrial Dance music charts. In 2005 the band morphed from a more Darkwave/Industrial inspired act to a Steampunk inspired act.
Abney Park's music has been featured on a number of movie soundtracks, including "Insomnis Amour", "Goth", and "Lord of the Vampires". The band's music has also been featured in many compilation CD’s, including Cleopatra Records “The Unquiet Grave” vol. III, "Annihilation and Seduction", "Eighteen" and many more.
Abney Park has performed all over the North America, appearing in Portland, Chicago, Las Vegas, Reno, Hollywood, and countless shows in their home base of Seattle. Their fans form a near-cult following, and have been known to travel from as far as New Zealand and Mexico City just to see them perform.
Post-Apocalypse Punk
Abney Park Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It wasn't just for kicks but I'm afraid that the gig is up
We tramped through time at the count of jump
Smashed the past and messed the whole thing up,
Now there's nothing left but Post-Apocalypse Punk
Tried to make a buck but we could barely even stay aloft
Tried to swing a deal but we pissed the wrong guys off
We're blasting the past all over the place,
And now there's nothing left but Post-Apocalypse Punk.
Just when we thought we had won, we were back to the start again
With no wind in our sails and the doldrums settin' in
Now I'm covered in grease from my head to toes,
Slappin' the iron, but the engines froze,
And there's nothing left but Post-Apocalypse Punk
It was 1906, but we screwed the timeline up
It wasn't just for kicks but I'm afraid that the gig is up
We tramped through time at the count of jump
Smashed the past and messed the whole thing up,
Now there's nothing left but Post-Apocalypse Punk
The lyrics of Abney Park's "Post-Apocalypse Punk" tell the story of a group of time travelers who accidentally alter the timeline during a trip to the year 1906. Their attempt to make a profit through deals and music performances doesn't go as planned, and they end up causing chaos and destruction instead. As a result, they find themselves living in a world devastated by their actions, where the only form of music that remains is punk.
The song is a commentary on the dangerous consequences of messing with the natural course of events and the importance of respecting history. It also explores the concept of punk as a form of rebellion and survival in a post-apocalyptic world.
Overall, "Post-Apocalypse Punk" is an interesting and creative take on the popular steampunk genre and the themes of time travel, music, and societal collapse.
Line by Line Meaning
It was 1906, but we screwed the timeline up
We disrupted the course of history in the year 1906.
It wasn't just for kicks but I'm afraid that the gig is up
Our actions had a serious purpose, but now the consequences have caught up with us.
We tramped through time at the count of jump
We traveled through time using a rapid method.
Smashed the past and messed the whole thing up
We caused considerable damage to the past and altered it significantly.
Now there's nothing left but Post-Apocalypse Punk
The world we live in now is a dire, dystopian society characterized by a punk rock element.
Tried to make a buck but we could barely even stay aloft
We attempted to make money but struggled to keep ourselves airborne.
Tried to swing a deal but we pissed the wrong guys off
We attempted to make a deal, but ended up enraging those we were trying to negotiate with.
A clock-work guitar and a flintlock bass
We use unusual instruments in our music, a guitar powered by clockwork and a bass with a flintlock mechanism.
We're blasting the past all over the place
We're causing massive destruction to historical events.
And now there's nothing left but Post-Apocalypse Punk
Our actions have led to a society defined by punk rock and the remnants of a destroyed world.
Just when we thought we had won, we were back to the start again
We thought we had achieved something, but we ended up with no progress and had to start over.
With no wind in our sails and the doldrums settin' in
We have run out of energy or motivation and are experiencing a feeling of stagnation and boredom.
Now I'm covered in grease from my head to toes
We are physically dirty and/or injured from our attempts to fix or advance our technology.
Slappin' the iron, but the engines froze
We are attempting to fix the engines with physical force, but they are completely unresponsive or non-functional.
And there's nothing left but Post-Apocalypse Punk
The world has fully devolved into a punk-rock-based post-apocalyptic society, with no hope for further progress or advancement.
Contributed by Hunter B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.