As of 2006, the band is on hiatus.
Hellboy
Babylon Whores Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A man on the moon
Dope romanticism
In a silver spoon
And burning in the shadow fire
Mutant powers take me higher
In Infernal Justice League
Nothing's quite how it first seems
Faster than speeding train
Is it a bird or a plane
Hellboy
I got a soulless luxury
A Babylon of flesh gone bad
I am a real gone ding dong dad
And I will nuke this head of mine
All the way past the sun
I'll take you all to kingdom come
High as a kite
And out like a light
Calling the gods
Really outta sight
And all the friends
I thought I had
Are really just a load of crap
Who needs shit like that in Hell
Who needs anything in Hell
The lyrics of Babylon Whores’s song “Hellboy” are a perfect blend of pop culture references, vivid imagery and a commentary on life itself. The first verse sets the tone with references to “cat in the cradle” and “man on the moon” which are possibly allusions to the famous nursery rhyme and the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing respectively. The next two lines, “dope romanticism in a silver spoon / and burning in the shadow fire” seem to hint at a life of excess and indulgence which leads to ruin. The “mutant powers” mentioned in the following line could be a reference to the comic book characters that form the Infernal Justice League, challenging the notion that good always triumphs over evil. The line “nothing’s quite how it first seems” is a nod to the fact that things are often not what they appear to be, and life is full of surprises.
The chorus of the song is an obvious reference to the comic book character “Hellboy” created by Mike Mignola. The line “faster than speeding train / is it a bird or a plane / Hellboy” is a play on the famous line from Superman comics and movies, “faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.” In the context of the song, it could also be interpreted as a comment on the frenzied pace of modern life.
The second verse of the song is full of striking images that are both surreal and disturbing. The line “I got a soulless luxury / a Babylon of flesh gone bad” seems to suggest that material wealth and possessions can lead to a life without purpose or meaning. The line “I am a real gone ding dong dad” is possibly a reference to the song “Ding Dong Daddy of the D-Car Line” by Phil Harris, which was popular in the 1940s. The last few lines of the verse are a proclamation of the singer’s power and a threat to destroy everything in its path.
Line by Line Meaning
Well there's a cat in the cradle
The situation is like the nursery rhyme, as there's a feeling of stagnation in life.
A man on the moon
In contrast to the stagnant life, there is progress in society as mankind has reached the moon.
Dope romanticism
There's an addiction to the idea of romance, it's like being high on drugs.
In a silver spoon
This addiction is amplified by the luxurious lifestyle and ease of comfort, like a baby fed with a silver spoon.
And burning in the shadow fire
Life is both full of pain and passion, just like fire, and it guides us before eventually destroying us.
Mutant powers take me higher
In order to escape the mundane life, a person seeks special abilities to elevate them to a higher status.
In Infernal Justice League
This group of people with special abilities may form a community having their own morals different from the society.
Nothing's quite how it first seems
Things may not appear as they seem and there might be a hidden truth.
Faster than speeding train
A person is moving with a blazing speed to unknown destinations.
Is it a bird or a plane
With this speed, the world appears to be a blur and it's hard to distinguish what one is flying past.
Hellboy
A reference to the comic book character who struggles between his demonic and human side. Perhaps it means the person is struggling to find their true identity too.
I got a soulless luxury
All the luxuries and privileges of life have bled him of meaning and spiritual values.
A Babylon of flesh gone bad
Even though luxuries seem to cater to our hedonistic lifestyle, the pleasures can lead to self-destruction.
I am a real gone ding dong dad
A fanciful self-description that means he is deeply lost and misguided.
And I will nuke this head of mine
He plans to escape the chaos and confusion of his mind by sacrificing himself and taking others with him.
All the way past the sun
His plan is to destroy himself and take all his troubles beyond what is known, probably a reference to the afterlife.
I'll take you all to kingdom come
His self-destruction plan involves taking others down with him.
High as a kite
Everything seems perfect and euphoric.
And out like a light
Everything can vanish in an instant like turning off a light switch.
Calling the gods
In times of highs and lows, people tend to turn to religion as a guide.
Really outta sight
Something is beyond comprehension, phenomenal in nature, whether it's good or bad.
And all the friends
Refers to the people the person trusted and relied on.
I thought I had
The person realizes they might have been wrong about their friends all along.
Are really just a load of crap
The person's relationship with friends was based on deception and lies.
Who needs shit like that in Hell
The person doesn't want this toxicity in their life, and they see it as a metaphor for the kind of world they live in.
Who needs anything in Hell
The person views their life as a period of despair, and they don't need further external factors to contribute to their misery.
Contributed by Isabella L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@massimilianomasche
greatest death occult rock band EVER. music's is just majestic and wonderful.
@jilemnicky
Love this band! Managed to find this ep only last week after years and years of searching!! Still looking for 'Sloane 313' and the first 7'' though...
@SpookyApparition
jilemnicky I've been a BH fan for a looooong time and never heard this until today.... this rules. Definitely some of my favorite BH stuff. time to track down one of those box sets....
@TheKeefmaster
In this EP we can hear when the band really got their sound and style, their previous EP is a mixed bag and doesn´t has the BW sound at all, but here, they really started the show!
@mikeofdoom
Looks like Svart Records will be releasing a BW discography box set in October
@deadkittie4158
Thank you satan