Formed in Cincinnati in 1986, Greg Dulli (vocals, rhythm guitar), Rick McCollum (lead guitar), John Curley (bass), and Steve Earle (drums -- not to be confused with country musician Steve Earle) .
In 1988, they released their debut album Big Top Halloween on their own Ultrasuede label. The album caught the attention and imagination of the independent music community and the band soon signed to Sub Pop of Seattle in 1989. Sub Pop's signing of the Afghan Whigs created quite a stir at the time as they were the first non-Northwestern U.S. band to record for the label.
In 1990, their first Sub Pop release Up in It was released; the blistering pace and yowling, effects-heavy guitars on tracks like "White Trash Party" gave no hint of the stylistic about-face to come. It was followed by a limited edition single released by No.6 Records under the name The Ornament.
With the critically acclaimed 1992 album Congregation and a limited covers EP, Uptown Avondale, the band adopted what would become their signature soul-influenced sound.
Soon the Afghan Whigs signed to a major label, Elektra Records, and in 1993 released another critically acclaimed album, Gentlemen. Although the singles “Debonair” and “Gentlemen” were fairly popular, the album failed to launch the band into the mainstream.
Beside regular appearances on MTV's playlists, their track "Fountain and Fairfax" also appeared on the television series My So-Called Life in 1994.
Despite personnel problems interfering with recording and touring, 1996 saw the band release the noir-influenced Black Love (the album featured Paul Buchignani on drums in place of Steve Earle). Although the main subject matter in previous releases were liquor-drenched obsession, secrets and misery, Black Love was a step into a more dark, even seedier and complex side of Dulli’s persona.
In 1996, Greg Dulli served as executive producer for the soundtrack for the Ted Demme film Beautiful Girls. the Afghan Whigs appeared in the film as a bar band and contributed two songs to the soundtrack (Frederick Knight’s "Be For Real" and Barry White's "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe").
In 1998, the Afghan Whigs released their 6th album, 1965, on Columbia Records (Michael Horrigan, former Love Cowboys bassist replaced Buchignani). The album saw the band on inspired form. Sadly, it was the band's last full-length album of original material.
Despite reports that the band had started work on their 7th album, the Afghan Whigs announced their split in 2001, citing the strain of geographic distance between members as the reason.
In 2006, the Afghan Whigs temporarily reunited. The ‘1965’ lineup (Dulli, McCollum, Curley, Horrigan) recorded two new tracks ("I’m A Soldier" and "Magazine") which are featured on their retrospective titled Unbreakable (A Retrospective) which was released in June 2007.
In December 2011, the band announced that it would be appearing at All Tomorrow's Parties' renowned I'll Be Your Mirror festival on May 25-27, 2012 in London, England. As well, Dulli will serve as the curator, and the Whigs the headliner, for ATP's stateside edition on September 22nd, 2012 in Asbury Park, New Jersey; further dates continue to be announced, including major summer-festival headlining spots at Spain's Primavera, among others. Drummer Cully Symington (Okkervil River, Gutter Twins) and multi-instrumentalist Rick Nelson (Polyphonic Spree, Twilight Singers) will join Curley, Dulli, and McCollum for all shows, which will feature songs from the entire span of the Afghan Whigs repertoire, along with a few new surprises and songs never before played live.
These developments provided both surprise and relief for the group's members. "The pressure is really nonexistent, because we're playing songs that we've already completed - that we already know," Dulli says. "Those songs still resonate with me; in fact, they have always resonated with me. I imagine there will be people who never saw the band before, too, and that's exciting." "It will be nice to experience the Whigs again as a grown-up," jokes Curley. "In my mind, the Whigs were a live band above anything else. Playing shows always was our favorite part about being in the band, and the times when we felt the most freedom and release. I missed playing at that level; I missed playing the songs that we wrote, that meant so much to people - and to us." (from www.theafghanwhigs.com History). In 2014 they released "Do to the Beast" and performed in Ireland, Israel, and the U.S.
Demon in Profile
Afghan Whigs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'd bet you're bad
See the knife in the water
Send you back to bed
All over your body
This electricity
It was all that I wanted
You say you're ready
If I'm an animal
Let's get a room real soon
We'll call the supernatural
All over your body
Now say it back to me
Some call it chemical
I call it bittersweet
Sympathy
If your light should go unseen
And I'll be there to share
If you don't mind the company
All over your
Your bastion bed
So far inside you now
I am your silhouette
You can believe me now
This isn't happening
You're not the first to be stoned
You're not the last to believe
Sympathy
If your light should go unseen
If you're not ready now
You're never going to be
All over me
All over me
If you're not ready now
You're never going to be
The lyrics of Demon in Profile by Afghan Whigs describe a dangerous lover who is consumed by desire and willing to do anything to satisfy it. The singer of the song is drawn to this person, despite knowing that they are bad news. They are fascinated by the electricity between them, which is so intense that it is "killing" them. The lover challenges the singer to embrace their animalistic nature and engage in supernatural acts. However, the singer is torn between the powerful attraction they feel and the danger they sense. They offer sympathy to the lover, promising to share their light, but also warn them that if they are not ready, they will never be.
The lyrics are evocative and powerful, using vivid images and metaphors to capture the intensity of the singer's emotions. The knife in the water symbolizes the threat of violence lurking beneath the surface of the lover's persona. The electricity that runs "all over" their body suggests a physical and emotional connection that is both exhilarating and terrifying. The references to the supernatural and the silhouette emphasize the otherworldly quality of the relationship, as if it exists outside of the constraints of the everyday world.
Overall, Demon in Profile is a haunting and complex song that explores the darker sides of desire and attraction. It suggests that sometimes we are drawn to people who are bad for us, and that the line between love and self-destruction can be razor-thin. The lyrics capture the contradictory nature of these feelings, balancing fear with passion and desire with caution.
Line by Line Meaning
Criminal
You're bad news
I'd bet you're bad
I'm pretty sure you're not a good person
See the knife in the water
You're trying to hide something sinister
Send you back to bed
I don't want anything to do with you
All over your body
I'm attracted to you
This electricity
Our chemistry is intense
It was all that I wanted
I wanted to be with you
Now it's killing me
But now it's hurting me instead
You say you're ready
You're willing to take things further
If I'm an animal
If I'm being wild or aggressive
Let's get a room real soon
We should be together intimately
We'll call the supernatural
Our connection is beyond explanation
Now say it back to me
Acknowledge that you feel the same way
Some call it chemical
Some say it's just physical attraction
I call it bittersweet
But for me, it's a mix of pleasure and pain
Sympathy
I understand your situation
If your light should go unseen
If you're feeling down or hidden
And I'll be there to share
I'll be there to support you
If you don't mind the company
As long as you're open to help
Your bastion bed
Your safe haven
So far inside you now
I'm embedded in your thoughts and feelings
I am your silhouette
I'm your shadow, always there to follow you
You can believe me now
Trust me, it's the truth
This isn't happening
It's hard to accept this reality
You're not the first to be stoned
You're not the only one to be judged or criticized
You're not the last to believe
Others will be in the same situation and believe the same things
If you're not ready now
If you're not prepared to face reality
You're never going to be
You may never be ready
All over me
I'm overwhelmed with emotions
All over me
It's too much for me to handle
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: GREG DULLI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@samim8628
Lyrics :
Criminal
I'd bet you're bad
See the knife in the water
Send you back to bed
All over your body
This electricity
It was all that I wanted
Now it's killing me
You say you're ready
If I'm an animal
Let's get a room real soon
We'll call the supernatural
All over your body
Now say it back to me
Some call it chemical
I call it bittersweet
Sympathy
If your light should go unseen
And I'll be there to share
If you don't mind the company
All over your
Your bastion bed
So far inside you now
I am your silhouette
You can believe me now
This isn't happening
You're not the first to be stoned
You're not the last to believe
Sympathy
If your light should go unseen
If you're not ready now
You're never going to be
All over me
All over me
If you're not ready now
You're never going to be
@fd9447
I've been a fan of these guys for over 25 years, and they keep wowing me with their new stuff. This may be my favorite Afghan Whigs song
@1stellar
Greg Dulli writes lyrics like a hot humid day with no breeze. This is classic AW.
@r.pneumo7337
New Orleans vibes.
@malcolmbliss777
Better.
@Superblamblamman
1stellar it's somethin' hot
@Oldmanlearnguitar
Bravo!
@magisternome8517
PERFECT song, with a fantastic visual supplement. This song sounds like an instant classic!
@KingMamojama
First song I've ever listened to by you guys. I am not dissapointed. I will definitely be on the lookout for more of you guys
@capecoraltrans
You have to check out everything they have ever done. Trust me!
@smokingman51
Yes, everything they have done before this is MUCH better.