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.
Crowds
Bauhaus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What do you long from me
A slim Pixie, thin and forlorn
A count, white and drawn
What do you make of me
What can you take from me
Pallid landscapes off my frown
Let me rip you up and down
For you I came to forsake
Lay wide despise and hate
I sing of you in my demented songs
For you and your stimulations
Take what you can of me
Rip what you can off me
And this I'll say to you
And hope that it gets through
You worthless bitch
You fickle shit
You would spit on me
You would make me spit
And when the Judas hour arrives
And like the Jesus Jews you epitomize
I'll still be here as strong as you
And I'll walk away in spite of you
And I'll walk away
Walk away
Walk away
The lyrics to Bauhaus's song Crowds speak to the overwhelming pressure to conform and fit in with society's expectations. The singer is asking, "What do you want of me? What do you long from me?" showing a sense of vulnerability and confusion. They feel like a "slim Pixie, thin and forlorn" or "a count, white and drawn," indicating a sense of not fitting in with the crowd.
Despite feeling like an outsider, the singer acknowledges that they are still subject to the expectations of others. They ask, "What can you take from me?" and offer up their own pain and suffering, saying, "Pallid landscapes off my frown, Let me rip you up and down." The line "Let me rip you up and down" can be interpreted as a way of saying, "I will show you my pain and suffering, but in doing so, I will also confront you with your own pain and suffering."
The final lines of the song are a defiant statement of independence. Despite being called a "worthless bitch" and a "fickle shit," the singer declares that they are strong enough to walk away. They say, "And when the Judas hour arrives, And like the Jesus Jews you epitomize, I'll still be here as strong as you, And I'll walk away in spite of you. And I'll walk away, Walk away, Walk away." This repetition emphasizes the singer's determination and the power they hold to break free from the expectations of others.
Line by Line Meaning
What do you want of me
What are your desires and expectations from me?
What do you long from me
What are your deepest desires that you expect me to fulfill?
A slim Pixie, thin and forlorn
You want me to be a delicate and sorrowful creature
A count, white and drawn
You desire me to be a nobleman, pale and worn out
What do you make of me
What do you think of me?
What can you take from me
What qualities or possessions of mine can you extract?
Pallid landscapes off my frown
I am unhappy and you want to take away my sadness
Let me rip you up and down
Allow me to mock and tear you apart for your desires
For you I came to forsake
I abandoned my own desires for you
Lay wide despise and hate
I give you all my contempt and anger
I sing of you in my demented songs
I express my obsession and insanity for you in my music
For you and your stimulations
You inspire me with your provocation and arousal
Take what you can of me
Take advantage of any aspect of myself that you desire
Rip what you can off me
Take what you want from me and destroy me
And this I'll say to you
I have a message for you
And hope that it gets through
I hope you will listen and understand
You worthless bitch
You are a useless and disgusting person
You fickle shit
You are unfaithful and unreliable
You would spit on me
You would show extreme disrespect and contempt towards me
You would make me spit
You would forcefully humiliate and degrade me
And when the Judas hour arrives
When the moment of betrayal comes
And like the Jesus Jews you epitomize
Similar to the Jews who condemned Jesus, you represent treachery and hypocrisy
I'll still be here as strong as you
I will remain emotionally tough and resilient despite your actions
And I'll walk away in spite of you
I will leave and detach myself from you as an act of defiance
And I'll walk away
I will exit the situation
Walk away
Continue to distance myself from you
Walk away
Leave you behind and move on
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DANIEL GASTON ASH, DAVID JAY, KEVIN HASKINS, PETER JOHN MURPHY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@wuantanfry
What do you want of me
What do you long from me
A slim Pixie, thin and forlorn
A count, white and drawn
What do you make of me
What can you take from me
Pallid landscapes off my frown
Let me rip you up and down
For you I came to forsake
Lay wide despise and hate
I sing of you in my demented songs
For you and your stimulations
Take what you can of me
Rip what you can off me
And this I'll say to you
And hope that it gets through
You worthless bitch
You fickle shit
You would spit on me
You would make me spit
And when the Judas hour arrives
And like the Jesus Jews you epitomize
I'll still be here as strong as you
And I'll walk away in spite of you
And I'll walk away
Walk away
Walk away
@iamkob
Sorry to be the creepy old guy but I have loved this song for over 25 years! Still as good today as it was back then!
@JuditaHoffman.
Are you really apologizing for loving this classic song, which is great reminder of one whole era?
@thiscorrosion900
Just lie and tell people you're the creepy young guy.
@legend2myth958
It's the sound of that beautiful sensation you get telling someone rightfully and righteously to get lost, same here first heard it around 87 and its insurmountable
@ericisprobablyfullofshit7797
What's creepy about liking this song, at any age?
@jeremyhancock2244
If that's the case I guess I'm creepy also. I feel your pain
@CaptainSidx
The many times I could have sang this song. Passion with sad and angry words. <3
@keaveygreen6557
Me everytime somebody ever so slightly inconveniences me:
@SLIPKNOTmaggot262
Too real
@AXELmetroidFAN
The very best of bauhaus in 3 minutes