They formed in the year 1989 are advocates of the DIY punk ethic and part of the musical underground culture. They are well regarded in the Industrial music, punk rock, indie rock and electronic music communities. Known for their live performances, Babyland have shared the stage with the likes of The Offspring, Legendary Pink Dots, Dystopia, Foetus, Add(n)to X, Nitzer Ebb and Psychic TV. Most of their live performances occur in underground locations that have included places like LA's Jabberjaw, Kontrol Factory, The Smell and 924_gilman in Berkeley.
Recordings prior to 1996 were released on the Los Angeles Punk Rock label Flipside, and the band participated in several of this organization's Mojave Desert events. Subsequent material has been released by the band's own label, Mattress. Recent works have also been released in Europe by Dependent Records.
Their slogan is: "We will not go away"
On October 9, 2009, it was announced that they had broken up.
Dan Gatto now plays as Continues
http://www.thisiscontinues.com/
Discography
* 1991 7 inch (1991: Flipside)
* Reality/Under/Smrow-Tow EP (1992: Flipside)
* You Suck Crap (1992: Flipside)
* Dog Snatcher EP (1993: Flipside)
* Stomach 7 inch (1993: Flipside)
* A Total Letdown (1994: Flipside)
* Who's Sorry Now (1995: Flipside)
* Split (1996: Flipside)
* B-Component 7 inch (1998: Mattress)
* Outlive Your Enemies (1998: Mattress)
* Decade One (2001: CD Compilation released in Europe: Dependent)
* 2002 (2002: Mattress)
* Past Lives ep (2003: Mattress)
* The Finger (2004: Mattress)
Mindfuck
Babyland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't you know
He's doing the best that he can
Burdened at birth to belong
Yet everything you taught him was wrong
He's just not the same
He wants to feel
With his own thoughts
Given hope
He'll never cease
It's got to end
No more mindfuck
They'll fuck with your head
Make you think it's their life
Instead of your own
Reduced to hate
To fear
Anything that deviates away
From their own kind
Their minds
Status symbols mold away
Forcing fate
Products obey
Not education
It's maniuplation
They're fucking you up
Enough is enough
It's got to stop
No more
No more
You've got to do it
You've got to do it
Fight
You've got to do it
No more mindfuck
The lyrics of "Mindfuck" by Babyland are essentially a call to action for people to break away from the societal norms and expectations that have been imposed upon them by their parents and other authority figures. The song articulates a feeling of frustration and disgust with the way that kids have been raised in modern society and are forced to comply with a certain set of ideals and values that may not be their own.
The first verse speaks specifically to the role of parents in shaping their children's lives, and how despite their best intentions, they may not be doing what's best for their kids. The chorus emphasizes the need to break free from this cycle of manipulation and control, where people are conditioned to accept a pre-defined set of beliefs and are discouraged from thinking for themselves.
The second verse focuses on society at large and how it operates to maintain the status quo, often at the expense of individuality and diversity. The song makes reference to the way in which people are forced to conform to certain standards in order to be accepted, and how this creates a sense of fear and intolerance towards those who deviate from the norm.
Overall, "Mindfuck" is a powerful piece of social commentary that encourages listeners to fight against the forces that seek to control them and to embrace their own unique identities.
Line by Line Meaning
Mother and Father
Addressing the parents, acknowledging their roles in the subject's upbringing
Don't you know
Questioning if they recognize the situation at hand
He's doing the best that he can
Defending the subject's actions and behaviors
Burdened at birth to belong
Feeling pressure from birth to fit in and conform
Yet everything you taught him was wrong
Critiquing the teachings and influences of the parents
He's just not the same
Acknowledging a change in the subject due to external factors
He wants to feel
Expressing a desire for emotional freedom and autonomy
With his own thoughts
Desiring to form and express his own opinions
Not your lame ideal
Rejecting the values and beliefs imposed by the parents
Given hope
Feeling optimistic about the possibility of change and growth
He'll never cease
Refusing to give up on personal growth and development
It's got to end
Expressing a need for change and resolution
No more mindfuck
Rejecting the mental manipulation and control exerted by the parents
They'll fuck with your head
Emphasizing the harm and negative outcomes of psychological manipulation by parents
Make you think it's their life
Indicating that parental control may lead to children feeling like they have no control over their own lives
Instead of your own
Highlighting the importance of individual autonomy and control
Reduced to hate
Describing a negative emotional state brought on by external manipulation
To fear
Describing another negative emotional state resulting from psychological harm
Anything that deviates away
Suggesting that parents may try to control and punish children for expressing non-conformity
From their own kind
Implying that there is a cultural or familial expectation of conformity and obedience
Their minds
Pointing out that the parents may be the ones with the control, rather than the children
Status symbols mold away
Describing how societal values shape people's perception of normalcy and acceptability
Forcing fate
Indicating that parental influence may shape a child's future despite their own desires
Products obey
Suggesting that parents may desire obedience in children like one would expect from a product or machine
Not education
Pointing out that the parents may not prioritize learning and growth for their children
It's maniuplation
Stating outright that the parents' actions and behaviors are intended to manipulate and control
They're fucking you up
Expressing the harm and negative impacts of the parents' manipulation and control
Enough is enough
Stating that the harmful influence of the parents must stop
You've got to do it
Encouraging the subject to take action and reclaim their autonomy
Fight
Urging the subject to stand up against the manipulation and control of the parents
No more mindfuck
Reiterating the importance of rejecting the parents' psychological control and manipulation
Contributed by Julia P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Bob Dobbs
Didn't even know y'all were still a record label.
Thanks for re-releasing the songs of my teenage years.
Now we are both old.
Ignacio Mayorga
Nice
Dependent
Very nice