Bauhaus first broke up in 1983. Peter Murphy began a solo career while the other members continued as Tones on Tail and later as Love and Rockets. Both enjoyed greater commercial success in the United States than Bauhaus had, but disappeared from the charts in their homeland. The band reunited for a 1998 tour and on a more permanent basis in 2005. The group announced plans to disband again following the release of their final album Go Away White in 2008.
The release of Go Away White signaled the end of the band and there was no supporting tour. Drummer Kevin Haskins said in an interview that they “were getting along really well, but there was an incident that occurred.” As a result, “some of us just felt that we didn’t want to carry on as a working unit.” In an interview with SuicideGirls, bassist David J said about the breakup: “You have a test tube, and you pour in one chemical, and you pour in another chemical, and something happens. It starts to bubble. Pour in another chemical, and it starts to bubble a bit more. You pour in a fourth chemical, and it bubbles really violently, and then explodes. That’s my answer.” Peter Murphy claimed in another interview that he “he was most satisfied with the bonding on an emotional level. It was good to be working together and to put the past behind us and it was very positive. The result was coming out really fast, so it was exciting and it was very enjoyable,” but in the end “That rocky character worked and I think it was a bit right to finish it, really.”
Murphy also stated in his MySpace blog that “there’s a lot more to it than this ‘incident’ that I’ve heard bandied about. In any group’s business there are constant incidents, so what? Committing to being in a band takes tolerance, love, and a massive commitment. I’ve walked on that stage at times when I could emotionally barely manage to and give it all just the same. If I’d let some disagreement or bad word distract me from that goal, then I’d need to question my integrity. Anton Corbijn once related to me how Bono of U2 talked about one of the reasons that U2 had survived was that they’re unlike many English bands; there was a kinship and priority given to each other as family. I personally sympathize with that. ‘There is no love where there is no Love.’”
A Bauhaus reunion was aborted in 2022 after Peter Murphy forced the band to cancel the tour as he entered rehab.
(2) Bauhaus was also the name of an Italian jazz rock band. They made recordings in 1974 but they weren’t released until almost thirty years later.
Bela Lugosi's Dead
Bauhaus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Back on the rack
Bela Lugosi's dead
The bats have left the bell tower
The victims have been bled
Red velvet lines the black box
Bela Lugosi's dead
Undead, undead, undead
Undead, undead, undead
The virginal brides file past his tomb
Strewn with time's dead flowers
Bereft in deathly bloom
Alone in a darkened room
The count
Bela Lugosi's dead
Bela Lugosi's dead
Bela Lugosi's dead
Undead, undead, undead
Undead, undead, undead
Undead
Oh Bela
Bela's undead
Oh Bela
Bela's undead
Bela's undead
Oh Bela
Bela's undead
Oh Bela
Undead
"Bela Lugosi's Dead" is a song by the British post-punk band Bauhaus. Released in 1979, the song is considered one of the band's signature songs and a classic of the gothic rock genre. The song features atmospheric and evocative lyrics that paint a vivid picture of a gothic horror landscape.
The song begins with the line "white on white translucent black capes, back on the rack", which describes a eerie, ghostly image of white cloaks and blackness. The lyrics then announce that Bela Lugosi is dead, the famous actor who played the iconic role of Dracula, which sets the tone for the dark and ominous atmosphere of the song. The image of bats leaving the bell tower and victims being bled sets the scene for a gory horror story. The line "red velvet lines the black box" describes the luxurious yet sinister setting of Lugosi's funeral.
The second part of the song depicts the aftermath of Lugosi's death, with the virginal brides filing past his tomb strewn with time's dead flowers. The count is alone in a darkened room and the repetition of the line "Bela Lugosi's dead" emphasizes the finality of his passing. However, the refrain of "undead, undead, undead" suggests that Lugosi lives on in the form of his iconic character, Dracula, and is immortalized in horror pop culture.
Overall, "Bela Lugosi's Dead" is an eerie and powerful song that effectively conjures up a gothic horror world, paying tribute to one of cinema's most iconic figures.
Line by Line Meaning
White on white translucent black capes
The colorless figure hovers, draped in transparent darkness.
Back on the rack
Returned to its place of storage, out of sight.
Bela Lugosi's dead
The Hollywood vampire legend has passed away.
The bats have left the bell tower
The creatures of the night have moved on from their customary abode.
The victims have been bled
The prey has been drained of their blood by the supernatural predator.
Red velvet lines the black box
The interior of the casket is adorned with plush and cushioned comfort.
The virginal brides file past his tomb
Innocent women walk solemnly by the final resting place of the deceased.
Strewn with time's dead flowers
The site is littered with long-forgotten floral remnants of the past.
Bereft in deathly bloom
The area is emptily overcome with uneasy stillness and the shadow of death.
Alone in a darkened room
The only company present is one's solitude and the obscurity of the space.
The count
The vampire aristocrat.
Bela Lugosi's dead
The Hollywood vampire legend has passed away.
Bela Lugosi's dead
The Hollywood vampire legend has passed away.
Bela Lugosi's dead
The Hollywood vampire legend has passed away.
Undead, undead, undead
Unsurprisingly, he remains undead.
Undead, undead, undead
He will continue existing as a member of the living dead.
The virginal brides line up
The chaste women queue in succession.
Down the hallway
Through a corridor of some sort.
Eternal lives forever
The undead continue enduring eternally.
And deathless
Immortality is their destiny, deathless is their state.
They never grow old
Aging is not for the undead, they are forever young.
And they never die
Death is not their end, they simply persist.
But they're strange
Despite their perseverance, they remain bizarre creatures.
And they're never kind
The vampire's nature isn't one of sympathy or benevolence, they are cold at heart.
Oh Bela
Oh, how we remember Bela Lugosi.
Bela's undead
The legendary icon remains immortalized as a member of the undead.
Oh Bela
Oh, how we remember Bela Lugosi.
Bela's undead
The legendary icon remains immortalized as a member of the undead.
Bela's undead
The legendary icon remains immortalized as a member of the undead.
Oh Bela
Oh, how we remember Bela Lugosi.
Undead
Reminiscent of the Hollywood vampire legend, who lives on in legend due to his incredible performance as Dracula.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Daniel Gaston Ash, Kevin Michael Dompe, David John Haskins, Peter John Murphy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind