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.
The Passion of Lovers
Bauhaus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That were hers to keep
And in her fear
She sought cracked pleasures
The passion of lovers is for death said she
Licked her lips
And turned to feather
I came aware of all that she keep
The little foxes so safe and sound
They were not dead
They'd gone to ground
The passion of lovers is for death said she
The passion of lovers is for death
The passion of lovers is for death said she
The passion of lovers is for death
She breaks her heart
Just a little too much
And her jokes attract the lucky bad type
As she dips and wails
And slips her banshee smile
She gets the better of the bigger to the letter
The passion of lovers is for death said she
The passion of lovers is for death
The passion of lovers is for death said she
The passion of lovers is for death
The passion of lovers is for death said she
The passion of lovers is for death
The passion of lovers is for death said she
The Passion of Lovers by Bauhaus is a dark and poetic song that explores themes of fear, pleasure, and death through vivid imagery and haunting melodies. The lyrics paint a picture of a woman who is both alluring and dangerous, with "nut painted arms" that suggest a connection to nature and a willingness to embrace the unknown. The first verse alludes to her desire for "cracked pleasures" and her belief that the passion of lovers is ultimately tied to death.
As the song progresses, the woman's character becomes more complex, with references to "little foxes" that are not really dead, but merely hiding. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for the woman's own ability to evade danger and conceal her true intentions beneath a seductive exterior. She breaks her heart "just a little too much" and attracts the "lucky bad type," suggesting that she is willing to take risks and even harm herself in pursuit of pleasure.
Line by Line Meaning
She had nut painted arms
She had arms that were painted brown with the intent to keep them that way
That were hers to keep
The brown painted arms belonged to her alone
And in her fear
When she was afraid
She sought cracked pleasures
She looked for pleasures that were damaged, broken, or flawed in some way
The passion of lovers is for death said she
She believed that the intense passion between lovers inevitably leads to death
Licked her lips
She licked her lips with anticipation or desire
And turned to feather
She became light and swift, like a feather or bird taking flight
And as I watched from underneath
As I observed from a lower or subservient position
I came aware of all that she keep
I became aware of all the things she kept hidden or private
The little foxes so safe and sound
Her small secrets were well-protected and secure
They were not dead
These secrets were not gone or finished, despite being hidden away
They'd gone to ground
They had simply been buried or concealed
She breaks her heart
She continually hurts herself emotionally
Just a little too much
Beyond what would be considered healthy or reasonable
And her jokes attract the lucky bad type
Her sense of humor draws in people who are fortunate but also prone to causing trouble
As she dips and wails
As she moves and cries out emotionally
And slips her banshee smile
She smiles in a way that is reminiscent of a wailing banshee or spirit
She gets the better of the bigger to the letter
She completely outmaneuvers or outwits those who are more powerful or larger than her
The passion of lovers is for death said she
Again, she insists that love and passion lead inevitably to death
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DANIEL GASTON ASH, DAVID JAY, KEVIN HASKINS, PETER JOHN MURPHY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@wuantanfry
She had nut painted arms
That were hers to keep
And in her fear
She sought cracked pleasures
The passion of lovers is for death said she
Licked her lips
And turned to feather
And as I watched from underneath
I came aware of all that she keep
The little foxes so safe and sound
They were not dead
They'd gone to ground
The passion of lovers is for death said she
The passion of lovers is for death
She breaks her heart
Just a little too much
And her jokes attract the lucky bad type
As she dips and wails
And slips her banshee smile
She gets the better of the bigger to the letter
The passion of lovers is for death said she
@chrissybean13
Ancient Earth work fort and barrow
Discreetly hide their secret abodes
The most fearful hide deep inside
And venture not there upon Yuletide
For invasion of their hollow hills
That music hold and Oberon fill
Is surely recommended not
For fear of death, in fear of rot
Hollow hills
Hollow hills
Hollow hills
Hollow hills
Baleful sounds and wild voices ignored
Ill luck disaster the one reward
Violated sanctity of supermen's hills
So sad, love lies there still
So sad
So sad
Hollow hills
Hollow hills
Witches too and goblin too and speckled sills
Lament repent oh mortal you
So sad
So sad
@benedettobruno1669
Always and forever, thank you to Great Britain and the British people whose creativity, since the 1960s, has given the rest of the World hundreds of unique bands such as the Bauhaus and music of unparalleled beauty, quirkiness and atmosphere. What would our lives have been without British bands? Thank you from Sicily.
@angelicosmic
You are very welcome.
@zyang9276
I totally think the same! Greetings from Mexico. VIVA LA GREAT BRITAIN!
@leilavalens3617
Indeed. Rule Britannia! Britannia rules the airwaves!
@ileanapilaf3546
don t worry my italian friend, you guys contributed too, with like... organized crime and spagetti mario!
@DIVINEMOTHMAN
Benedetto Bruno it’s the weather it makes us want to hang ourselves or make music.Hi from the uk.
@OMercifulZadkiel
No other voice can hold to the unique intensity found in Murphy's. That sound gets in your bones.
@trips347
Exactly
@waynedunn1108
One of the best goth bands ever i thank my brother for getting me in to bauhaus
@EMPERORTITSWORTH
EMPEROR TITSWORTH COVERS BAUHAUS - THE PASSION OF LOVERS
https://youtu.be/J7jDR7j9Bcs