Balaam and the Angel are a gothic rock band formed in Cannock, Staffordshir… Read Full Bio ↴Balaam and the Angel are a gothic rock band formed in Cannock, Staffordshire, England during 1983.

The three founding members of the band are Scottish brothers; the Morris brothers (James Morris, Mark Morris and Des Morris). As children in Motherwell, they worked in the entertainment industry as part of a cabaret act. They moved south to England, to Cannock, Staffordshire, where they formed Balaam and the Angel.

1985 saw the band augment their line up with keyboard player ‘Wendy Harper’.

Initially, the band self-released a series of EPs via their own Chapter 22 label and played some tour dates opening for The Cult. This saw Balaam and the Angel catch the attention of Virgin Records who signed them and would release their debut "The Greatest Story Ever Told" in 1986. They toured in support of it in the United States with KISS and label mates Iggy Pop.

A second guitarist, and the first non sibling was added to the band in 1988; Ian McKean. The band began to move away from gothic rock music styles into a sound that had more in common with hard rock. With their new found style they recorded the album "Live Free or Die", which featured the minor rock (#13) and college radio (#18) hit "I Love the Things You Do to Me". This was soon followed up in similar style when they recorded "Days of Madness", before being dropped by Virgin Records. Their song "I'll Show You Something Special" is on the Steve Martin and John Candy movie "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" soundtrack.

At some point, the band were joined by Chris P Notes on Keyboards.

Albums
1985 Sun Family
1987 The Greatest Story Ever Told
1988 Live Free or Die
1989 Days of Madness
1991 No More Innocence
1993 Prime Time
2019 That's Not The Real World

www.balaamandtheangel.co.uk

Nothing There At All
Balaam and the Angel Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh I don’t care
what you wear
I don’t buy what you’re selling
Stop the tease
It’s junkie sleaze
You don’t hear but I keep on telling

I don’t care

what you wear
cos I really don’t give a damn
cos it’s all or nothing
You don’t see
What I see
Cos I really don’t give a damn
Cos you’re all or nothing

What is this
In your kiss
I don’t do that for nothing
In my car
It drives so far
But I’d do that for you

Cos I don’t care
what you wear
cos I really don’t give a damn
cos it’s all or nothing
You don’t see
What I see
Cos I really don’t give a damn
Cos you’re all or nothing

So you can’t stay
You won’t change your way
you say it’s all for the taking
Cos your shoes are cheap
And you ain’t that deep
Feels to me like your faking

So I don’t care
what you wear
cos I really don’t give a damn
cos it’s all or nothing
You don’t see
What I see
Cos I really don’t give a damn
Cos you’re all or nothing

Cos I don’t care
what you wear
cos I really don’t give a damn
cos it’s all or nothing

No I don’t care
what you wear
cos I really don’t give a damn
cos it’s all or nothing

Cos you’re all or nothing
Cos It’s all or nothing.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Nothing There At All" by Balaam and the Angel seem to critique someone who values material possessions and pretends to be more profound than they really are. The singer of the song dislikes this attitude and doesn't take it seriously, as they state multiple times that they don't care what the other person wears. The singer seems to be pointing out that the other person's behavior is fake, illustrated by the line "Feels to me like you're faking." The line "What is this in your kiss?" is particularly poignant, as it suggests that even the physical connection between the two individuals does not have any deeper meaning.

The chorus of the song emphasizes the theme of all or nothing, which could mean that they want a genuine relationship/connection where material possessions don't matter. The singer doesn't seem to be interested in shallow or insincere relationships, but rather, someone who truly wants to connect with them. "Nothing There At All" is an anthem against materialism and pretentiousness, a call to people to live a more authentic life.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh I don’t care
I am indifferent

what you wear
about your attire

I don’t buy what you’re selling
I am not convinced by your proposition

Stop the tease
Please discontinue leading me on

It’s junkie sleaze
Your behavior is reminiscent of baser human tendencies

You don’t hear but I keep on telling
You don't listen yet I persist in trying to convey my message

It drives so far
My automobile is very efficient

Cos you’re all or nothing
You are only capable of extremes

What is this
What exactly is happening here?

In your kiss
I can comprehend the nature of your sentiments in your actions

I don’t do that for nothing
I do not act without an ulterior motive