The band emerged in 1968 out of the scene of hippies and squatters in Munich, Germany, but their strong interest in music led them to go their own way. They took their name from the old Egyptian name Amon, being an Egyptian sun god, and Düül, a character from Turkish fiction. Their personnel changed constantly, but maybe the most permanent members were Renate Knaup (vocals), Chris Karrer (guitar, violin), John Weinzierl (guitar), Peter Leopold (drums), Falk Rogner (organ, synthesizer). After several successful albums with a style that reached from long improvisation to more structured rock songs they split. Later they tried several resurrections but none of them brought back the old days of glory.
Amon Düül was initially an anarchist commune, but it split into two factions, Amon Düül (sometimes called Amon Düül I for disambiguation) and Amon Düül II. ADI was more politically inclined, but ADII preferred making music. Their anarchist tendencies are clearly seen in their music, especially on the albums Yeti, Tanz Der Lemminge, and Wolf City.
The band can be seen as having two distinct periods in their glory days, the improvisational period and the compositional period. The improvisational period consisted of albums such as Phallus Dei and Yeti, and, to a lesser extent, Tanz Der Lemminge. These albums all featured long, improvisational tracks (Phallus Dei was entirely improvised, and disc two of Yeti was as well, but Tanz Der Lemminge only featured one improvisation). Their compositional period starts with Carnival in Babylon and is highlighted by Wolf City. In this period, the band moved to more structured composed pieces. Many fans saw this as a poor move, but some believed that Amon Duul II proved that they were just as good at composing as they were at improvising.
Amon Düül II's drummer Peter Leopold died on 8 November 2006.
Bass player Lothar Meid died on 3 November 2015.
Halluzination Guillotine
Amon Düül II Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An assassin is training his soul
Locked up in a fancy room
Not very far from doom
Intoxicated kids
Are ready to quit
His desires they scatter
No window to see
No door to flee
The heart-attack machine
Is out of gear
The mighty nightmare-employer
Professor of paranoia
Is stealing near
Seven miles from here
Smoke coming out of their eyes
Insanity-tigers are licking his hands
A short romance
A vaporised dance
The song "Halluzination Guillotine" by Amon Düül II depicts a chilling picture of an assassin who is training his soul on a telegraph pole, possibly preparing for a future killing. The assassin is locked up in a fancy room, symbolizing his detachment from reality and sanity. The lyrics speak of how intoxicated kids are ready to quit, which could mean that they are desperate for a way out of their current lives, and the assassin is their only hope for escape. However, his desires scatter and his nerves shatter, as he struggles with the weight of his actions.
The lyrics mention that there is no window to see and no door to flee, and the heart-attack machine is out of gear. This suggests that the assassin is trapped in his own mind and is unable to escape the inevitability of his actions. The mighty nightmare-employer referred to as the professor of paranoia is stealing near, seven miles from here. This could represent the collective fear and paranoia of society and how it feeds into the actions of individuals.
The smoke coming out of their eyes, and the insanity-tigers licking the assassin's hands, signify the insanity of the situation and how it has affected everyone involved. The short romance and vaporized dance could be a metaphor for how quickly life can end, and how fragile human existence really is.
Line by Line Meaning
On a telegraph pole
An individual is located on top of a telegraph pole.
An assassin is training his soul
The person on the telegraph pole is learning how to be a killer.
Locked up in a fancy room
The assassin is confined in a sophisticated space.
Not very far from doom
The assassin's fate is imminent and unfavorable.
Intoxicated kids
Young people who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Are ready to quit
These kids are eager to give up.
His desires they scatter
The assassin's objectives are falling apart due to the intoxicated kids.
His nerves they shatter
The assassin is becoming anxious and stressed due to the situation.
No window to see
There is no opening to the outside world.
No door to flee
There is no escape route.
The heart-attack machine
A device that can create a heart attack in a person.
Is out of gear
The heart-attack machine is not functioning properly or is not in use.
The mighty nightmare-employer
A powerful and frightening figure who employs people to carry out terrible actions.
Professor of paranoia
A person who specializes in causing fear and anxiety.
Is stealing near
The mighty nightmare-employer is getting closer to the scene.
Seven miles from here
The mighty nightmare-employer is currently seven miles away from the scene.
Smoke coming out of their eyes
The intoxicated kids' eyes are red and appear to be smoking.
Insanity-tigers are licking his hands
The assassin is being comforted by people who are equally insane and violent.
A short romance
A brief period of love or affection.
A vaporised dance
An evasive form of dancing or movement.
Writer(s): Amon Ii Dueuel
Contributed by Muhammad V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
David Metcalfe
on She Came Through the Chimney
Maybe it's "indigo sea" and not Indian sea on Sleepwalkers Timeless Bridge?