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.
I'm a Soldier
Afghan Whigs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
your guns
everybody ready
i'm feeling superstitions, baby
roll over me
when you hear the first shot
then give em everything you got
they both agree
all i need, all i need
all i need, all i need
and when everybody's dead
you'll find me underneath the bed
i've taken everything you said
inside of me
all i need, all i need
all i need, all i need
come on, get some baby
come on, get some baby
and in a little while
you'll feel stranger
up in your mind
i'm a soldier, baby
The lyrics of Afghan Whigs' song "I'm a Soldier" are dark and eerie, depicting a battle scene where the singer commands everyone to ready their guns and prepare for the fight. They express feeling of superstition, urging someone to roll over them. The notion of giving one’s all to the battle, unloading lead until the night or until they all agree, permeates the song. In the chorus, the singer emphasizes the phrase "all I need," over and over again, conveying a sense of desperation and a need to win at any cost. The image of being under the bed after everyone is dead emphasizes the horror of warfare and the fear that it instills. The singer identifies themselves as a soldier, and as such they seem to be willing to go to any length to achieve their goals.
The song could be interpreted in different ways and from different angles. On one hand, it can be seen as describing the sense of bravado that soldiers feel while going to battle, and the way that such bravado can inspire others to fight harder. On the other hand, it can be seen as a meditation on the horrors of war and the fear and desperation that accompany it. The lyrics convey a sense of darkness and despair that permeates the entire song, and that suggests that perhaps the singer knows all too well the cost of warfare.
Line by Line Meaning
everybody steady
Everyone get ready and prepare themselves for what's to come.
your guns
Equip yourselves with guns, which is needed for the mission.
everybody ready
Everyone is ready for the mission; everyone is prepared for the battle ahead.
i'm feeling superstitions, baby
I am feeling a certain kind of uneasiness about this mission.
roll over me
Let the waves of emotions take over me.
when you hear the first shot
Be alert and ready; the battle has started.
then give em everything you got
Put all your strength and might into this battle.
unload the lead until the night
Keep shooting until there's no more bullets, or it's pitch black outside.
they both agree
The artist and their enemy are on the same page; they both know what's at stake.
all i need, all i need
The artist only needs one thing, and that's to win this battle.
and when everybody's dead
When the dust settles and everyone has fallen...
you'll find me underneath the bed
The artist will be hiding, trying to stay alive.
i've taken everything you said
The singer is taking everything their enemy has said to heart and using it as motivation to stay alive.
inside of me
The motivation is internalized, and it's what's driving the singer to stay alive.
come on, get some baby
The singer is taunting their enemy to come and face them.
and in a little while
Soon, very soon...
you'll feel stranger
The enemy will feel out of place, like a stranger in their own body.
up in your mind
This feeling will be in their consciousness.
i'm a soldier, baby
The singer sees themselves as a soldier, and they're willing to die for this mission.
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
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