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 Is 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
Strewn with time's dead flowers
Bereft in deathly bloom
Alone in a darkened room
The count
Bela Logosi's dead
Undead undead undead
The lyrics to Bauhaus's song Bela Lugosi Is Dead are a powerful and evocative tribute to the iconic horror movie actor of the same name. The opening lines set the scene with a vivid description of the aftermath of Lugosi's passing: "White on white translucent black capes, Back on the rack, Bela Lugosi's dead." The idea that his distinctive black cape is now hanging unused and forgotten perfectly captures the sense of loss and emptiness permeating the song.
The following lines suggest that Lugosi's death has set off a series of eerie and unsettling events: "The bats have left the bell tower, The victims have been bled." The implication is that Lugosi's death has somehow unleashed a wave of terror and death upon the world.
The rest of the song is a haunting meditation on death and the afterlife. The image of the "virginal brides" filing past Lugosi's tomb, "bereft in deathly bloom," creates a sense of both reverence and foreboding, while the repeated refrain of "undead undead undead" serves as a reminder that in the world of horror, death is never truly the end.
Line by Line Meaning
White on white translucent black capes
White capes made of translucent material, with a black hue, making them almost invisible.
Back on the rack
The capes have been put back onto the rack, possibly in a costume shop, waiting to be used again.
Bela Lugosi's dead
The famous actor Bela Lugosi, who played the original Dracula, has passed away.
The bats have left the bell tower
The bats, who were associated with Bela Lugosi's Dracula, have flown away from their usual spot in the bell tower.
The victims have been bled
The victims of Dracula, who Bela Lugosi played, have been drained of their blood.
Red velvet lines the black box
Inside the black coffin, lined with luxurious red velvet, lies Bela Lugosi's body.
Bela Lugosi's dead
Reiteration that Bela Lugosi has indeed died, adding a sense of finality.
Undead undead undead
The concept of the undead, or creatures that have returned from the dead, is emphasized multiple times.
The virginal brides file past his tomb
The famous scene from the movie Dracula, directed by Tod Browning and starring Bela Lugosi, is referenced where Dracula's brides walk past his tomb.
Strewn with time's dead flowers
The flowers that were present during Bela Lugosi's funeral, have withered and died with the passage of time.
Bereft in deathly bloom
Despite the flowers being dead, they still add to the ominous atmosphere of the graveyard, where Bela Lugosi's tomb is situated.
Alone in a darkened room
A sense of isolation is conveyed, possibly referring to the loneliness Bela Lugosi might have felt later in life, despite his initial popularity.
The count
A reference to Dracula, who was known as The Count in the original novel by Bram Stoker.
Bela Logosi's dead
The final confirmation that the actor has passed away, and will no longer be associated with his iconic role of Dracula.
Undead undead undead
Reiteration of the concept of undead beings.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DANIEL GASTON ASH, DAVID JOHN HASKINS, KEVIN MICHAEL DOMPE, PETER JOHN MURPHY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind