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)
Spies
Alien Sex Fiend Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hear you knockin' ha! Ha! Ha! Heh! Heh! Heh!
I'm the pied piper won't cha follow me ????
Her handbag will suffer!
The man shaking watching us!!!
Almost every day there is damage
Baby-sit
Plucky old lady!
A big result!
Blows to the head.
Hey pensioner, can this here place live?
Accept living!
To be or not 2b,
Doesn't matter,
Every night I go to sleep,
I have a wet dream,
Her frosted gob,
Spat out the ruderies
Yob! yob! yob!
You can stick your fuckin'
Jab! jab! jab! in the arm !!!!
In the arm there's no harm
In the arm there's no harm
In the arm there's no harm
In the arm there's no harm
Rot! rot!
That's all you got,
Not a lot it's all you've got!
And
They all come in,
Two by two,
Buy two and get one free,
Three for four
Five, six, seven, more
Cheque's in the post
Bodies on the floor
I use the chimney
Never use the door!
(alright! I'm finished!)
A funeral wiv 'er block of flats
I hear you knockin'
But you can't come in !!!
I hear you knockin'
But you can't come in,
No! no! no! no! no! no!
I hear you knocking
I hear you!
I hear you knocking !!!!!!!
The song Spies by Alien Sex Fiend is a chaotic and abstract description of the life of a spy. From the very beginning, the lyrics suggest that someone is trying to get in contact with the singer ("I hear you knockin'"). The repeated "ha ha ha, heh heh heh" reinforces the idea that the singer finds the entire situation amusing, as if their secretive life is just a game. The line "I'm the pied piper won't cha follow me ???? / Her handbag will suffer!" implies that the singer is leading someone, potentially a woman, and that her handbag will be harmed in the process.
The following lines jump around in their description of a spy's life, referencing a man who is watching them and the damage that occurs frequently, potentially from their covert activities. The mention of a "plucky old lady" and a funeral with her block of flats suggests that the singer is weaving in and out of different levels of society. The line "Hey pensioner, can this here place live?" asks the question of whether their way of life is sustainable or not, implying that they are living on the edge.
The final lines jump around with seemingly little connection to each other, repeating "I hear you knocking" over and over again. The mention of "jab in the arm" implies that they may be involved in something medical, while "Cheque's in the post / Bodies on the floor" suggests that they are anticipating payment for their work, with violent consequences if necessary.
Line by Line Meaning
I hear you knockin'. I hear yer knockin' I hear you knocking!
I am aware of your presence, you are knocking at my door and making noise.
I hear you knockin' ha! Ha! Ha! Heh! Heh! Heh!
I find your knocking amusing, hence I am laughing.
I'm the pied piper won't cha follow me ????
I am skilled at manipulating people, would you like to follow me?
Her handbag will suffer!
She will lose her purse or face financial damages.
The man shaking watching us!!!
A man is trembling while observing us.
Almost every day there is damage
There is frequent occurrence of harm, destruction or injury.
Baby-sit
Watch over and take care of a young child.
Plucky old lady!
A courageous and determined elderly lady.
A funeral wiv her block of flats.
A funeral is taking place in the same building as where she lived.
A big result!
A significant and impressive outcome.
Blows to the head.
Physical attacks aimed at causing harm by hitting people on their heads.
Hey pensioner, can this here place live?
Hello elderly person, is it possible to have a good life in this location?
Accept living!
Embrace the fact that you are alive.
To be or not 2b,
The Shakespearean question of whether it is better to exist or not.
Doesn't matter,
It is not an important issue.
Every night I go to sleep,
Each day I rest and fall asleep.
I have a wet dream,
I experience a sexual dream involving sensual release during sleep.
Her frosted gob,
Her cold and icy face.
Spat out the ruderies
She spoke rudely and disrespectfully.
Yob! yob! yob!
A British term for a loud and aggressive person.
You can stick your fuckin'
I do not appreciate your offer or request.
Jab! jab! jab! in the arm !!!!
Repeatedly injecting a needle into the arm as a form of medical treatment or vaccination.
In the arm there's no harm
There are no negative or harmful effects associated with the injection or medication going into the arm.
Rot! rot!
Exclamation expressing disgust or displeasure.
That's all you got,
That is the extent of your capabilities or offerings.
Not a lot it's all you've got!
You do not have much to offer, that is all you can provide.
And
Additionally or furthermore.
They all come in,
People arrive or enter a certain location.
Two by two,
In pairs or twos.
Buy two and get one free,
A marketing scheme where one can obtain a free item when purchasing two others.
Three for four
A deal where one can get four items for the price of three.
Five, six, seven, more
Increasing quantities of items or people are present.
Cheque's in the post
Payment will be sent through the mail or post service in the form of a check.
Bodies on the floor
Dead bodies are lying on the ground.
I use the chimney
As a means of entry, I climb in through the chimney rather than using the front door.
Never use the door!
Do not enter through the main entrance or door.
A funeral wiv 'er block of flats
A funeral is taking place at the same building where she resides.
I hear you knockin'
You are still making noise at my door.
But you can't come in !!!
You are not welcome and cannot enter my dwelling.
No! no! no! no! no! no!
I am emphatically declining your request or presence.
I hear you knocking
You are still audibly at my doorstep attempting to gain my attention.
I hear you!
I acknowledge your presence.
I hear you knocking !!!!!!!
I am becoming increasingly annoyed or frustrated by your persistent knocking.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NICHOLAS WADE, DAVID JAMES, CHRIS WADE, JOHN FRESHWATER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind