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.
Severence
Bauhaus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The birds of leaving call to us,
Yet here we stand
Endowed with the fear of flight.
Overland
The winds of change consume the land,
While we remain
In the shadow of summers now past.
Have fallen and turned to dust,
Will we remain
Entrenched within our ways.
Indifference,
The plague that moves throughout this land
Omen signs
In the shapes of things to come.
Tomorrow's child is the only child.
The song Severance by gothic rock band Bauhaus is a powerful and poetic reflection on the human condition of fear, change and the value of life. The opening lines, "The birds of leaving call to us, yet here we stand, Endowed with the fear of flight" introduces the thematic thread woven through the song, which, in essence, is about how we are constantly called to leave our comfort zones and explore new possibilities, yet too often, we are too afraid or attached to our old ways to do so. The fear of the unknown, of losing the familiar, grips us tightly, binding us to old patterns, even as the winds of change sweep across the land.
The song speaks to the temporal nature of existence, the inevitability of death, and the importance of paying attention to the signs that life is offering us. It speaks of the danger of indifference, of being indifferent to the signs of change, of remaining entrenched in our ways and not learning from the experiences of the past. The final verse of the song, "Tomorrow's child is the only child" serves as a poignant reminder that the future of the world rests in the hands of those who come after us, who will inherit the world we leave behind. As such, the song Severance is both a call to action and a warning, urging us to pay attention to the signs of change, to overcome our fears and embrace the unknown, and to cherish the value of life.
Line by Line Meaning
The birds of leaving call to us,
We are being beckoned by distant opportunities, but we are struggling to take the leap and embrace change.
Yet here we stand
Despite the call to leave, we are rooted in our current circumstances and are hesitant to make any drastic changes.
Endowed with the fear of flight.
We are burdened with the anxiety of the unknown and the possibility of failure if we take risks.
Overland
As we stand still, the world around us continues to evolve and progress.
The winds of change consume the land,
Change is sweeping across the world, and we are experiencing it whether we want to or not.
While we remain
Despite the changes happening around us, we are still stagnant and unyielding.
In the shadow of summers now past.
We are living in the remnants of the past without embracing the present or the future.
When all the leaves
As time passes and seasons change,
Have fallen and turned to dust,
The old ways and ideas have become irrelevant and obsolete.
Will we remain
Will we be steadfast in our outdated beliefs and practices?
Entrenched within our ways.
Refusing to adapt or change, we will become stuck in a cycle of outdated habits.
Indifference,
The lack of concern or interest in what is happening around us,
The plague that moves throughout this land
Is spreading throughout our society and hindering progress.
Omen signs
Signs that foretell future events,
In the shapes of things to come.
Are appearing and warning us of what is to come if we do not adapt and change our ways.
Tomorrow's child is the only child.
The future belongs to those who embrace change and adapt to the evolving world. The next generation will inherit a world that we leave behind.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@angharad588
Both the original DCD and the Bauhaus version tear my heart out. There are no words that are worthy.
@ninastojdl9274
Absolutely gut wrenching, lump in my throat, kind of music. I always listen to it alone. The song is one of those rarities which grabs you by the heart and does not let go. Both the DCD version and Bauhaus's rendition are equally amazing. Play back to back and repeat. 🎧
@burlolly5990
Compelling song
@BernieClemenz
yes
@zamfira83
Couldn’t agree more. Well said!!
@peregrinec5477
I saw this live in Seattle and then a day or two later in Vancouver B.C. in like 1998... I didn't know it was coming. I nearly passed out...I swear I didn't take a breath for several moments....My brain just stopped working....
@pamelavain2422
Peregrine C I saw them perform this last night. Same! It was phenomenal and grabbed ahold of me and didn’t let go. I woke up smiling just thinking about it.
@Kataklyzim
Same here. I caught them in Philly on their reunion tour. Knew every song they played frontwards, backwards, sideways, studio version and live version.
Then they broke out into this, and a glowing halo lowered and I witnessed the greatest thing outside of the birth of my kids as Pete, his voice, the band just literally stopped time for what seemed an eternity lost inside this song. Amazing moment that I'll take to the grave with me.
@mattilove6028
I was at the Seattle show at the paramount was incredible
@heinrichkleist3473
You lucky bastard!