Alien Sex Fiend recorded a cassette (The Lewd, the Mad, the Ugly and Old Nick) with Youth of Killing Joke, which brought them to the attention of the UK music press, along with the appearance of their track "R.I.P." on the Batcave club compilation, The Batcave: Young Limbs and Numb Hymns 1983, released by London Records in 1983.
They signed to the Cherry Red sub-label Anagram Records, releasing their first single, "Ignore the Machine", in August 1983. The single was immediately successful on the UK Independent Chart, reaching No. 6. Their debut studio album, Who's Been Sleeping in My Brain, was released by Anagram on 1 November 1983, followed by Acid Bath in 1984. They released the world's first 11" single, "E.S.T. (Trip to the Moon)", that October.
The band also recorded two BBC Peel Sessions in 1984. At the May session, they recorded "Attack!!!", "Dead and Buried", "Ignore the Machine" and "Hee Haw"; at the August session, "In God We Trust", "E.S.T. (Trip to the Moon)" and "Boneshaker Baby".
In October 1985, their third studio album Maximum Security reached No. 100 on the UK Albums Chart and remained there for the week of 12 October. They also had two top 100 singles with "Dead and Buried" in August 1984 (No. 91) and a reissued "Ignore the Machine" in March 1985 (No. 99). Throughout the early 1980s, their work was frequently in the UK Indie Chart and remained a fixture on American college radio.
The band also became popular in Japan, and in 1985, they released a live album recorded there, Liquid Head in Tokyo. Freshwater left later in 1985, and the band continued as a trio, supporting Alice Cooper on his "The Nightmare Returns" tour in 1986 and releasing "It" the Album that October. The band was reduced to a duo of the Wades when James left following the release of 1987's Here Cum Germs.
In early 1988, the band, as the Dynamic Duo, recorded a one-off 12" single "Batman Theme" with recording and live engineer Len Davies, before continuing as Alien Sex Fiend, incorporating electronics and sampling even more into their sound on the album Another Planet, released in November 1988. They reverted to a four-piece with the 1989 addition of two prior guest collaborators, drummer/guitarist Andrew Wilson (a.k.a. Rat Fink Jr., formerly of the Turnpike Cruisers) and keyboardist/guitarist Simon "Doc" Milton, who made their official debut on that year's Too Much Acid? double-live album. Their seventh studio album, Curse, was released in October 1990.
Fink and Milton departed in 1992, following that year's Open Head Surgery album and its subsequent tour (documented on The Altered States of America live album).
The Wades then became a duo once again and provided the soundtrack for the Digital Image Design game Inferno in 1994.
In the mid 1990s, the band's video for "Zombified" appeared on the MTV show, Beavis and Butthead, subjected to their usual commentary.
In 1996, the Wades launched their own 13th Moon label, issuing three further albums: Nocturnal Emissions (1997), Information Overload (2004) and Death Trip (2010).
On 9 November 2018, Alien Sex Fiend released Possessed, their first album in eight years, on Cherry Red.
Music style
Alien Sex Fiend has been described as gothic rock, deathrock and industrial. Glenn Danzig has cited the group's sonorous and echoing sounds as having influenced the mixing for several of the recordings for his group Samhain.
Later projects
Fink published a book in 2000, Once Upon a Fiend, recalling his experiences in the band. He later drummed for Blackpool bands United States of Mind and Dog Food before joining Uncle Fester in 1999, who changed their name to UFX in 2006. Fink currently serves as frontman of Vince Ripper and the Rodent Show, a duo also featuring Vince "Ripper" Cornwall. They perform Alien Sex Fiend and the Cramps material, and have released two albums, It's Fun to Be a Monster and Boneyard a Go Go!!!.
Albums
Who's Been Sleeping in My Brain (1983)
Acid Bath (1984)
Maximum Security (1985)
"It" the Album (1986)
Here Cum Germs (1987)
Another Planet (1988)
Curse (1990)
Open Head Surgery (1992)
Inferno (1994)
Nocturnal Emissions (1997)
Information Overload (2004)
Death Trip (2010)
Possessed (2018)
Fly In The Ointment
Alien Sex Fiend Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'M DOING TIME...
IN BEDSITTER LAND.
WHERE MONEY IS FRIENDS.
AND FRIENDS MY MAN...
YEAH! TAP YOUR FEET
TAP THE PHONE...
DOG AND BONE!
COMING AFTER YOU.
I SAW THREE IN GREEN,
TWO ARE BOYS...
ONE'S A QUEEN!
I SAW ONE DRESSED IN RED...
MUCH TOO LATE...
COS, I WOZ DEAD!
Wot do you want?
An all over tan?
A bunch of flowers?
Or a WELL HUNG man?
Looking out of the window...
Sitting on a train.
I'M JUST A FLY in the OINTMENT
I'M JUST A FLY IN the OINTMENT
I'M JUST A FLY... FLY... FLY... FLY... FLY...
FLY... FLY... FLY... FLY... FLY IN THE OINTMENT
FLY... FLY... FLY... FLY... FLY IN THE OINTMENT
I'M JUST A FLY IN THE OINTMENT
FLY
(Wade/Wade/James)
The Alien Sex Fiend's song, "Fly In The Ointment" depicts a protagonist who is trapped in the mundanity of life, surrounded by materialistic, shallow people in "Bedsitter Land." The singer's experiences of being ignored and disrespected by those around him, along with a clear sense of being trapped in a harmful cycle of monotony is apparent throughout the track. The song's lyrics suggest that his only escape is through his vivid imagination, as he is an outcast underdog that sees beyond the superficiality of his environment.
The chorus of the track highlights the singer's insignificance when compared to the larger society. By referring to himself as a fly in the ointment, he is highlighting how he is the anomaly in a world that is increasingly becoming more homogenized. The lyrics are a reminder that no matter how insignificant we may seem in a world preoccupied with conformity, everyone has their own unique value.
Line by Line Meaning
YES I AM... THE NIGHTMARE MAN...
I am the Nightmare Man, and I want everyone to know it.
I'M DOING TIME...
I am stuck in this situation without any way out.
IN BEDSITTER LAND.
I am living alone in a small apartment, without much luxury.
WHERE MONEY IS FRIENDS.
The only thing that can give me happiness here is money and material possessions.
AND FRIENDS MY MAN...
In this state of isolation and loneliness, all I have is my own company.
YEAH! TAP YOUR FEET
Let's have some fun and dance together.
TAP THE PHONE...
Calling my friends and having conversations with them helps me cope with loneliness.
DOG AND BONE!
This phrase is Cockney rhyming slang for telephone.
I SEE TWO WHO ARE BLUE,
I see two people who are sad and in need of comfort.
COMING AFTER YOU.
I will try to help you evade these sad feelings and the people who bring them to you.
I SAW THREE IN GREEN,
I saw three people who are envious and bitter.
TWO ARE BOYS...
Two of these people are male.
ONE'S A QUEEN!
The third person is a drag queen, who is associated with flamboyance and excess.
I SAW ONE DRESSED IN RED...
I saw someone dressed up in bright red, which can indicate warning, passion, or danger depending on the context.
MUCH TOO LATE...
I saw this person too late to do anything about it.
COS, I WOZ DEAD!
This phrase, using a nonstandard spelling, means 'because I was dead.'
Wot do you want?
What do you desire or require?
An all over tan?
Do you want to get a tan all over your body?
A bunch of flowers?
Do you want some flowers to brighten up your day?
Or a WELL HUNG man?
Do you want a man with a large penis?
Looking out of the window...
I am looking out of the window and observing the world around me.
Sitting on a train.
I am traveling on a train, feeling isolated and disconnected from society.
I'M JUST A FLY in the OINTMENT
I am a small, insignificant problem that can complicate things for everyone else.
I'M JUST A FLY IN the OINTMENT
My presence and actions can cause discomfort and distress for others.
I'M JUST A FLY... FLY... FLY... FLY... FLY...
No matter how much I struggle or try to change things, I am still powerless and small in this world.
FLY... FLY... FLY... FLY... FLY IN THE OINTMENT
I am a persistent problem that people have to deal with.
I'M JUST A FLY IN THE OINTMENT
I am an annoying and frustrating obstacle for others to overcome.
FLY
This word is repeated to emphasize the significance of the metaphor and the feelings of powerlessness that come with it.
Writer(s): christine wade, david james, nik fiend
Contributed by Maya O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.