Later as a band, they caught the attention of Arista Records president and industry music mogul Clive Davis who signed them at a showcase in Los Angeles thanks to their impressive three-song demo, home made video and consistent sold out performances in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Babylon A.D. recorded two critically acclaimed CDs; the self titled, Babylon A.D. produced by Simon Hanhart (Waysted, Killer Dwarfs, Yngwie Malmsteen) and Nothing Sacred, produced by Tom Werman (Motley Crue, Cheap Trick, Ted Nugget, LA Guns) scored three number one songs at Metal radio and reached gold on their first release. Constant touring throughout the 1990s and several MTV videos made them one of hard rock fans favorites.
After being shook down by their record company to go in a WANK musical direction and then refusing to sell out, Babylon A.D. were dropped by Arista in late 1993. The timing was a blessing in disguise, the new Seattle "Grunge" Genre had a strangle hold on Retail, Radio and MTV forcing the market for hard rock and metal to be just about over. Disillusioned by the industry BULLSHIT, the band took a five-year break and never officially broke up.
In 1998, a recharged Babylon A.D. reformed minus Reid, who no longer wanted to tour. Jamey's younger brother Eric Pacheco was brought in as the new bassist. The band released two more CDs on Apocalypse Records: Live in your Face in 1999, a compilation of live tracks from their US Tours and American Blitzkrieg in 2002, both produced by Derek Davis, were well received by their fans.
They cite Led Zeppelin, UFO, Aerosmith, AC/DC, and Montrose as influences.
Davis, Eric and Jamey Pacheco are currently in the band American Blues Box (www.americanbluesbox.com), but Babylon A.D. will likely resurface every now and again.
Ron is currently working with singer Jeffrey Winslow in the band Syrym (www.syrym.com), and their debut album will be released in Summer 2008.
Redemption
Babylon A.D. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She suffers from years of guilt and shame
She sleeps at night afraid of the dark
You know she fears always the tapping of daddy's knock
He says he's there to love her
He'll only do what's best and right
And then he starts to hold her
He touches her skin, she prays for redemption
Nobody sees behind her smile
Nobody hears the screams of a wounded child
Her secret burns inside her soul
You know she quit fighting and built her heart of stone
Another night is closing
She hears his footsteps at the door
His passion hungry for her
A fire so hot, it shattered her innocence
Take my burning hands
I want redemption
Show me who I am
Give me redemption
Help me to understand
God, help me find my redemption
Her daddy smells of smoke and gin
A prisoner of the lust that feed within
And mother's face is black and bruised
A lonely broken victim of daddy's rule
And when the world is sleeping
A voice is heard in deep despair
The sound of endless weeping
A desolate child whose sanity's questioned
Take my burning hands
I want redemption
Show me who I am
Give me redemption
Help me to understand
God, help me find my redemption
Give me redemption
Well, I need redemption, oh, yeah
Redemption
A young girl's eyes are filled with pain
She suffers, forever her life is changed
Take my burning hands
I want redemption
Show me who I am
Give me redemption
Help me to understand
God, help me find my redemption
Take my burning hands
Well, I want redemption
Show me who I am
Give me redemption
Help me to understand
God, help me find my redemption
Redemption
My redemption
This song is a heart-wrenching story of a young girl who is the victim of her father's sexual abuse. The opening lines describe her eyes being filled with pain and the years of guilt and shame she has borne. Even when she sleeps at night, she fears her father's knocking, knowing that he will come to her room and abuse her. Despite her father's promises of love and doing what's right, he takes advantage of her vulnerability and shatters her innocence. The abuse leaves her feeling desolate and broken, with no one to hear her screams or see the pain behind her smile. She longs for redemption, for someone to show her who she really is and help her find a way out of her torment.
The song paints a picture of a dysfunctional family where the mother is also a victim of abuse, adding to the young girl's feelings of loneliness and despair. The line "a prisoner of the lust that feed within" speaks of the father's insatiable desire to satisfy his urges, even at the cost of his daughter's well-being. The song ends with the girl crying out to God for help in finding her redemption.
Overall, Babylon A.D.'s "Redemption" is a powerful commentary on the long-lasting effects of sexual abuse and the need for healing and redemption. It highlights the importance of listening to the stories of those affected by sexual abuse, standing up for the vulnerable, and using our voices to advocate for change.
Line by Line Meaning
A young girl's eyes are filled with pain
The girl is experiencing deep emotional suffering.
She suffers from years of guilt and shame
The girl feels guilty and ashamed about what has happened to her.
She sleeps at night afraid of the dark
The girl is scared of being alone at night.
You know she fears always the tapping of daddy's knock
The girl is terrified of her father and what he might do to her.
He says he's there to love her
The father claims to love his daughter.
He'll only do what's best and right
The father believes that his actions towards his daughter are justified.
And then he starts to hold her
The father begins to touch his daughter inappropriately.
He touches her skin, she prays for redemption
The girl hopes that she will be forgiven for what is happening to her.
Nobody sees behind her smile
The girl hides her pain from those around her.
Nobody hears the screams of a wounded child
The girl suffers in silence and nobody helps her.
Her secret burns inside her soul
The girl is tormented by her shameful secret.
You know she quit fighting and built her heart of stone
The girl has given up hope and has become emotionally numb to protect herself.
Another night is closing
The girl is experiencing another terrifying night.
She hears his footsteps at the door
The girl knows that her father is coming to hurt her again.
His passion hungry for her
The father is driven by his own sexual desires with no regard for his daughter.
A fire so hot, it shattered her innocence
The father's actions destroyed the girl's innocence.
Take my burning hands
The singer is asking for help.
I want redemption
The singer wants to be redeemed or forgiven for their past mistakes.
Show me who I am
The singer wants to know their true self.
Give me redemption
The singer wants to be forgiven and find redemption.
Help me to understand
The singer wants to understand their situation better.
God, help me find my redemption
The singer is asking for God's help in finding redemption.
Her daddy smells of smoke and gin
The father is an alcoholic who smells of smoke and alcohol.
A prisoner of the lust that feed within
The father is controlled by his own desire and has no regard for his daughter's wellbeing.
And mother's face is black and bruised
The mother has been physically abused by the father.
A lonely broken victim of daddy's rule
The mother is a victim of her husband's abusive behavior.
And when the world is sleeping
When everyone else is asleep.
A voice is heard in deep despair
The girl is crying out in agony.
The sound of endless weeping
The girl is crying uncontrollably.
A desolate child whose sanity's questioned
The girl is emotionally damaged and has lost her sanity.
My redemption
The singer's personal redemption.
Contributed by Ethan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Brian Midgley
Most underrated band from the 80s. Love these guys!
Jerry Stafford
That is a hard hitting song...I love Babylon AD!
James Dosch
Kick ass band. 🎸
Rickey Engle
love the 80s,,wish i could go back
James Dosch
Kick ass🎸
yuli nathalie gonzalez rincòn
buena cancion
Rickey Engle
who are you,,