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 βwere getting along really well, but there was an incident that occurred.β As a result, βsome of us just felt that we didnβt want to carry on as a working unit.β In an interview with SuicideGirls, bassist David J said about the breakup: βYou 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. Thatβs my answer.β Peter Murphy claimed in another interview that he βhe 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,β but in the end βThat rocky character worked and I think it was a bit right to finish it, really.β
Murphy also stated in his MySpace blog that βthereβs a lot more to it than this βincidentβ that Iβve heard bandied about. In any groupβs business there are constant incidents, so what? Committing to being in a band takes tolerance, love, and a massive commitment. Iβve walked on that stage at times when I could emotionally barely manage to and give it all just the same. If Iβd let some disagreement or bad word distract me from that goal, then Iβd 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 theyβre unlike many English bands; there was a kinship and priority given to each other as family. I personally sympathize with that. βThere is no love where there is no Love.ββ
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 werenβt released until almost thirty years later.
Mask
Bauhaus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dreamed trapped thoughts of suffocation day
He's seen in iron environments
With plastic sweat out of chiselled slits for eyes
From the growth underneath the closed mouth
You'll catch if you listen
Rack-trapped cubist vowels
From a dummy head expression
The transformation is invested
With the mysterious and the shameful
While the thing I am becomes something else
Part character part sensation
The shadow is cast
"Bauhaus's "Mask" is a surreal and haunting exploration of identity and transformation. It begins with the "man of shadows," a figure who seems to be trapped within his own mind, imagining suffocation and existing within artificial environments. The image of his "chiselled slits for eyes" adds to the sense of confinement and entrapment.
The lyrics then move into the idea of transformation, which is both mysterious and shameful. There's a sense that the singer is becoming something other than themselves, or perhaps revealing a hidden aspect of their identity. The reference to a "dummy head expression" emphasizes the idea of putting on a facade or mask, which is a common theme throughout the song. The closing line, "The shadow is cast," seems to suggest that the transformation is complete, and the singer is now fully embodying this new identity.
Overall, "Mask" is a complex and abstract exploration of the ways in which we construct and perform our sense of self. The imagery is dreamlike and surreal, adding to the overall sense of unease and disorientation."
Line by Line Meaning
The man of shadows thinks in clay
A person who lives in darkness and isolation creates their own reality in their mind
Dreamed trapped thoughts of suffocation day
Thoughts of being trapped and suffocated consume the mind
He's seen in iron environments
The person is surrounded by cold and unyielding environments
With plastic sweat out of chiselled slits for eyes
The person's expressionless face is given away by small indications of emotion
From the growth underneath the closed mouth
The hidden desires that are unspoken
You'll catch if you listen
If you pay close attention, you can detect these hidden desires
Rack-trapped cubist vowels
The distorted and trapped expression that comes out of their mouth
From a dummy head expression
The expression being emotionless and not authentic
The transformation is invested
The change that occurs is significant and meaningful
With the mysterious and the shameful
The transformation signifies something that is kept secret and shameful
While the thing I am becomes something else
The identity of the person is altered through the change
Part character part sensation
The transformation involves both the psychological and physical aspect
The shadow is cast
The transformation is complete and the shadow is the only evidence of the previous form
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DANIEL GASTON ASH, DAVID JAY, KEVIN HASKINS, PETER JOHN MURPHY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
kittykait
The man of shadows thinks in clay
Dreamed trapped thoughts of suffocation day
He's seen in iron environments
With plastic sweat out of chiselled slits for eyes
From the growth underneath the closed mouth
You'll catch if you listen
Rack-trapped cubist vowels
From a dummy head expression
From a dummy head expression
The transformation is invested
With the mysterious and the shameful
While the thing I am becomes something else
Part character part sensation
The shadow is cast
Lexi
Can we just talk about how this whole album is amazing please and thank you .
Ursula Schlapbach
Brilliant!
Ursula Schlapbach
Great Video too!
Lexi
@Ursula Schlapbach oh yeah def
crimsonngb
Yeah this is defitnely my 2nd favorite album from them right behind in the flat field
BrunoAdolfski
it's my favorite
Ryan Taylor
It's amazing that no one has sounded anything even remotely like this before or since.
SAMHAIN STUDIOS
Ryan Taylor Ryan Taylor The closest thing that does it for me is Post-rock group, Silver Mt. Zionβs βMountains Made of Steam,β and itβs still not even close.
Horror Tonic
The Cure have a few songs off pornography, but yea, their sound was and still is unique
Andyface79
Bowie?