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.
Too Much 21st Century
Bauhaus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A better singer
A better actor
Better job
Better money
Better get her
Better lover
Too much luck
Too much conceit
Give me one religion
It's too much
Too much passion, information
Too much selfish
Too much fake
Too much computer
Too much to take
It's too much
Too much effort
Too much pig
Too much control, control
It's too much
They all wanna be something better
A better singer
A better actor
Better job
Better money
Better get her
Better lover
Better not
Really, a better human
It's too much
It's too much
Ah yeah, ah yeah
In Bauhaus's song Too Much 21st Century, the lyrics describe a society that seems to be obsessed with becoming something better or having something better. The opening verse showcases this desire for improvement where everyone wants to be a better singer, actor, have a better job, better money, a better lover, etc. However, this desire for improvement turns into too much of everything, from luck to selfishness to passion, information, fake, computer, effort, pig, control, and so on. This overwhelming obsession for something better or too much of anything has made it challenging to find peace and satisfaction in life. Consequently, the singer suggests that all they need is a simple solution- one religion to balance everything out.
Overall, the lyrics seem to represent the anxiety, pressure, and struggles that the contemporary generation goes through to meet the societal expectations of success and happiness. This kind of thinking can lead one to feel incredibly unfulfilled, as there is always something erring that needs to be corrected or enhanced.
Line by Line Meaning
They all wanna be something better
People are constantly striving for self-improvement.
A better singer
They want to improve their ability to communicate and express themselves through music.
A better actor
They want to improve their ability to communicate and express themselves through acting.
Better job
They want a job that provides greater financial security or fulfillment.
Better money
They want more money to attain a better quality of life.
Better get her
They want to attain the attention and affection of the one they desire.
Better lover
They want to improve their ability to provide emotional or physical fulfillment to their partner.
Better not
They don't want to do something for fear of negative consequences.
Too much luck
There is an excess of good fortune in the world.
Too much conceit
There is an excess of egotism in the world.
Give me one religion
A single unifying spiritual belief system would reduce conflict and division in the world.
It's too much
The quantity or intensity of something is overwhelming.
Too much passion, information
There is an excess of intense emotion and knowledge in the world.
Too much selfish
There is an excess of self-centeredness in the world.
Too much fake
There is an excess of inauthenticity in the world.
Too much computer
There is an excess of technology in the world.
Too much to take
The quantity or intensity of something is too overwhelming to handle.
Too much effort
There is too much work or strain required to achieve something.
Too much pig
There is an excess of selfishness or greed in the world.
Too much control, control
There is an excess of power and authority over individuals and society.
Really, a better human
Instead of external self-improvement, we should strive to improve ourselves as a person and human being.
Ah yeah, ah yeah
An expression of approval or agreement.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DANIEL GASTON ASH, DAVID JOHN HASKINS, KEVIN MICHAEL DOMPE, PETER JOHN MURPHY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind