The Beasts of Bourbon's music has often been compared to that of a rougher Rolling Stones (whose 'Cocksucker Blues' they covered), The Gun Club (who they played with and who some Beasts filled in for) and The Birthday Party. In Germany, the band were described as 'Muddy Waters on crack'. Their music is a tough amalgam of country music, blues, rock and roll and punk parsed through the garage sound of The Stooges and the drunken mayhem of Australian pub rock. It often touches on themes of depravity, morbidity, despair, drug abuse and violence.
The group were initially thrown together by vocalist Tex Perkins to fulfill a booking his previous band, Tex Deadly and the Dum-Dums, could no longer make. The band began playing together in small venues in Sydney. The initial version of the group included Spencer P. Jones of The Johnnys, Boris Sudjovic and Kim Salmon of The Scientists and James Baker of The Hoodoo Gurus. Recruited in large part because they were often found in the Southern Cross, an inner-city Sydney bar, these members form what is considered by some to be the 'classic' line-up. This lineup was featured on the band's first album, The Axeman's Jazz, recorded in 1984 in a single afternoon for one hundred dollars by Tony Cohen. The album was an excursion into deranged Gothic country and western, with a strong sense of irony and irreverence toward country music's clichés. A cover of "Psycho" was a hit on alternative radio. Although the album became an underground success, the band continued, for the time being, to be just a side project for its members until 1988.
The Beasts of Bourbon grew from simply being a side project to become a true supergroup of the Australian pub rock scene. The original line-up fell apart in 1984 when the Scientists left Australia to tour overseas; fill-ins included Stu Spasm of Lubricated Goat and Brad Shepard of The Hoodoo Gurus. When both the Johnnys and the Scientists fell apart, however, the original line-up reunited in 1987, to record another album, Sour Mash in 1988. The swamp-rock of The Axeman's Jazz had given way to a fusion of blues-based pub rock and punk with great effect. Black Milk, recorded in 1990, expanded on this idea.
The band grew particularly confident and powerful while touring Europe on the back of Sour Mash and grew in popularity. In 1991, Baker and Sujdovic left to be replaced by Brian Hooper and Tony Pola - the bassist and drummer of Kim Salmon's new band, The Surrealists. This line-up (considered by other fans to be the 'classic' line-up) recorded the highly popular album The Low Road in 1991. The band disintegrated in Europe while touring to support the album.
A double album of live tracks and rarities, titled The Belly of the Beasts - Live '91 & '92 and shit we didn't put out the first time was released to mark the group's ten years together, and the group toured extensively in support of the album. Following the tour, it appeared as if the Beasts would announce their demise. Salmon left the group to concentrate on the Surrealists and Perkins' group The Cruel Sea was achieving huge success with their album The Honeymoon is Over.
In 1996, the group reformed with former Divinyl Charlie Owen on guitar and released Gone in 1997. The album received lukewarm reviews, but managed to produce a minor single in the form of Saturated. In 1997 the band went on hiatus.
In 2003, they reformed to record a live album, Low Life, released on Spooky Records. In 2006, they reformed to play in the Big Day Out Festival around Australia and New Zealand.
In late December 2006 it was announced that Albert Productions had signed an exclusive worldwide recording deal with the band and they are set to unleash their new album ‘Little Animals’ on April 21st 2007.
Tex Perkins said ” The Alberts label releases have been a huge influence on the Beasts of Bourbon, so to be signed to this legendary label is not only a great honour and the start of an exciting new chapter in the bands history, it feels like…..Destiny”
Recently the group played alongside other Autralian bands and artists at the [Rockin' for Rights] concert which protested the unfair Workchoices legislation of the Howard Government.
After a show in Berlin in April 2008, the group cancelled their remaining tour dates and ended the band. Rumours say that a heated drunken argument between Tex Perkins and Spencer P Jones forced Spencer to return to Australia immediately with no intention of continuing the Beasts project.
Door To Your Soul
Beasts of Bourbon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm a door to your soul
I wanna walk right through
To meet the real you
It's a door I like going through
See you on the other side
No one else here fills me with pride
Well it's the tunnel of love
As I float right down
The bright light at the end
Is What's pulling me there
Like a moth to a flame
Expose that naked flame
We'll be together
We'll be together for eternity
It's the door to your soul
Like a black hole
Like a whole world wide
Get sucked inside
Like a moth to a flame
Door to your soul
I wanna walk right through
These lyrics from the Beasts of Bourbon's song Door to Your Soul describe a deep friendship or romantic relationship in which the singer feels intimately connected to the person they are addressing. The singer describes themselves as simply a part of the other person and a doorway to their deepest thoughts and feelings. They express a desire to truly know the real person and walk through the door to their soul.
The singer also mentions the tunnel of love, a metaphorical journey that they are taking towards the other person. It seems that the bright light at the end of the tunnel is metaphorical of reaching the end goal of understanding the person on a deep, spiritual level. The use of the metaphor of the moth to the flame also describes the intensity of this connection and the pull of desire towards the other person.
Overall, the song Door to Your Soul is a poignant expression of a powerful romantic or platonic relationship in which there is an intense desire for deep understanding and connection.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm just a part of you
I am a manifestation of your emotions, desires, and fears.
I'm a door to your soul
I am the entryway to the depths of your being, the gateway to the core of who you are.
I wanna walk right through
I desire to explore the true essence of who you are, to discover the hidden secrets within.
To meet the real you
To encounter the genuine, unfiltered version of yourself, unclouded by pretense or facade.
It's a door I like going through
I find it exhilarating to delve into the labyrinthine chambers of your soul, to discover the complexities and contradictions residing within.
See you on the other side
I anticipate the revelation of your innermost self and our profound connection that results from it.
No one else here fills me with pride
Experiencing the true and unfiltered you fills me with a sense of validation and emotional fulfillment that cannot be obtained from anyone else.
Filled with pride
My spirit is lifted and heart imbued with joy when I am with you.
Well it's the tunnel of love
Our journey together through the hidden depths of your being is like a romantic adventure, full of twists, turns, and surprises.
As I float right down
As I surrender myself to this journey, I feel buoyant and carefree, letting myself be carried along by the current of your essence.
The bright light at the end
The ultimate destination of our journey, the place where your true self is revealed in all its glory.
Is What's pulling me there
The allure of discovering the core of your being is an irresistible force that draws me forward, propelling my heart ever closer to yours.
Like a moth to a flame
Just as a moth cannot resist the pull of light, so too am I drawn to the irresistible force of your true essence.
Expose that naked flame
Reveal the true core of your being, casting your light upon me and warming me with the intensity of your authenticity.
We'll be together
Our connection goes beyond a mere physical or emotional bond, uniting us on a deeper, spiritual level.
We'll be together for eternity
Our connection will endure beyond time and space, transcending the limitations of our mortal existence and existing on a cosmic scale.
It's the door to your soul
Our journey together is a pathway to discovering the hidden depths and complexities of your being, revealing the true beauty and wonder of your soul.
Like a black hole
Your soul is a complex and multifaceted entity, swirling with mysteries and secrets that draw me in like a black hole.
Like a whole world wide
Within the confines of your soul lies an entire world, full of diverse landscapes and characters, waiting to be explored and discovered.
Get sucked inside
I find myself inexorably pulled into the depths of your soul, unable to resist the allure of its mysteries and complexities.
Door to your soul
You are opening the door to the deepest parts of yourself, inviting me to explore, discover, and connect on a level that surpasses mere physicality or emotional intimacy.
I wanna walk right through
I am eager and excited to embark on this journey, to walk through the doorway to your soul and discover the wonders that await me therein.
Contributed by Jordyn S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.