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.
Silent Hedges
Bauhaus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Needing some other kind of madness
Looking into purple eyes
Sadness at the corners
Works of art with a minimum of steel
Pure sensation
The beautiful down grade
Going to hell again
Self confidence leaks
From a thousand wounds
Faults of civilization
Burning the private paradise of dreams
Minus hands of the electric clock
Clock
Clock
Clock
What happens when the intoxication of success has evaporated?
Pure sensation
The beautiful down grade
Going to hell again
Going to hell again
Again
Again
Again
The lyrics to Bauhaus's song Silent Hedges seem to convey a sense of disillusionment and dissatisfaction with the nature of modernity and society. The lines following the repeated chorus of "pure sensation, the beautiful down grade, going to hell again" seem to suggest a weariness and disappointment with the superficiality and futility of contemporary life. The "silent hedges" could be interpreted as representing the barriers and constraints that society puts up, making it difficult for individuals to express themselves freely or to pursue their desires. The reference to "purple eyes" and "sadness at the corners" brings to mind a sense of weariness and detachment, as if the persona is observing the world from a distance and finding it lacking.
The next lines, "works of art with a minimum of steel," could be interpreted as a critique of industrialization and the excessive focus on efficiency and productivity at the expense of creativity and beauty. The electric clock, with its incessant ticking, seems to represent the regimentation and pressure of modern life. The persona seems to suggest that self-confidence is hard to maintain in such an environment, and that the flaws and failings of society are taking a toll on the private worlds of individuals. Overall, the lyrics of Silent Hedges seem to express a sense of alienation and disillusionment, a feeling that modern life is lacking in substance and meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
Following the silent hedges
Wandering aimlessly through the quiet and reserved surroundings.
Needing some other kind of madness
Craving for a different form of insanity or deviation from the norm.
Looking into purple eyes
Staring into eyes that are filled with melancholy and sorrow.
Sadness at the corners
A deep-seated sorrow or despair lurking in the corners of the mind.
Works of art with a minimum of steel
Artistic creations that are devoid of harshness or severity.
Pure sensation
Experiencing an unadulterated and untainted feeling.
The beautiful down grade
The process of falling or descending into beauty and splendor.
Going to hell again
Revisiting a place of sorrow and despair.
Self confidence leaks
The depletion of one's self-assurance and poise.
From a thousand wounds
From the cumulative effect of countless instances that have caused damage.
Faults of civilization
The flaws and shortcomings of organized society.
Burning the private paradise of dreams
Destroying the sanctity of one's own aspirations and desires.
Minus hands of the electric clock
The deliberate disregard for the constraints of time and schedule.
Clock
Symbolic repetition of the ticking of the clock that counts down the seconds of one's life.
What happens when the intoxication of success has evaporated?
Reflecting on the implications of losing the euphoria of achievement.
Again
Repeating the cycle of pain and anguish.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ASH, HASKINS, JAY, MURPHY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind