1) British hardrock ba… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name:
1) British hardrock band
2) Dutch guitarpop band
3) British folk group
1) Blue Murder was the hard rock brainchild of ex-Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy guitarist John Sykes. The original 1988 lineup of the band, also included ex-The Firm bass player Tony Franklin and drummer Cozy Powell (although he was almost immediately replaced by Carmine Appice). Ray Gillen was also briefly in the 1988 line-up before Sykes decided to take the vocal duties himself in addition to guitar.
Hoping to capitalize upon the success of Whitesnake's multi-platinum 1987, Geffen Records signed Sykes to form a new band. After auditioning several vocalists (including Tony Martin and Ray Gillen), Sykes was encouraged to handle vocal duties himself.
Their self titled debut did moderately well, peaking at #69 on the Billboard Top 200, and spawned the singles "Jelly Roll" (#15, Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks) and "Valley of the Kings", which received substantial airplay on MTV's Headbanger's Ball.
In 1993, the follow-up Nothing But Trouble was released. While the original lineup recorded much of the album, Sykes' hesitancy at handing the vocal chores resurfaced; he recruited Baton Rouge singer Kelly Keeling. After spending more than a year laying down the vocal tracks for the album, John was not convinced that the vocals were to his liking. He proceeded to go over the lead vocal tracks with his own until Kelly had only one lead vocal track left, "I'm On Fire".
Perhaps stemming from Keeling's ouster, Franklin and Appice left midway through the recording sessions, to be replaced by bassist Marco Mendoza and drummer Tommy O'Steen.
As Nothing But Trouble was released well after the grunge explosion of 1991, it received virtually no promotion from Geffen. The album's lead-off track "We All Fall Down" reached #35 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, but the album was a commercial failure.
A live recording, Screaming Blue Murder, was to be the band's final release before their 1992 split.
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2) Blue Murder was a Dutch band formed after the split up of Soviet Sex back in 1982. The members on the first albums are:
MAARTEN VAN DER PLOEG: voc, guitar
PHIL VAN TONGEREN: voc, synthesizer
RYU TAJIRI: voc, synthesizer
ROGIER VAN DER PLOEG: guitar
ANNEMIEK LELYVELD: bass
MONIEK VOULON: drums
Also on drums on the latter albums: Jos den Brok, and in 1986 Kors Eijkelboom. In 1987 the group falls apart. In the Amsterdam Melkweg arena was their final concert.
Blue Murder plays guitarpop, like Talking Heads.
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3) Blue Murder is an occasional folk supergroup, containing various members of Swan Arcade, Coope Boyes and Simpson, Waterson:Carthy and The Watersons.
Riot
Blue Murder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They just went crazy set this whole damn town alight
Chorus
Whisky to water, turn water to wine
Run for your life run for your life
There's been a riot
They cut him down to the ground
Still they didn't find the knife
They say it's murder-murder in the first degree
They have no suspect, now those hound dogs follow me
Chorus
Whisky to water-turn water to wine
Run for your life run for your life
There's been a riot-nowhere to run
There's been a riot-nowhere to hide
They've got an innocent boy for an innocent crime
They cut him down to the ground when he
Didn't have nowhere to hide
You gotta fight to survive-run for your life
No way did I commit this crime
No way am I about to die
No way can I forgive myself
For the things I've never done
There's no way you're gonna make me pay
No way I'm coming back today
No way you're gonna bring me back alive
There's been a riot they say it's murder
There's been a riot
He's just an innocent boy for an innocent crime
There's been a riot no way you'll get me
To come back alive
The Blue Murder song "Riot" recounts the aftermath of a violent disturbance that has swept through Mainstreet. The opening lines describe a scene of chaos and destruction as the town has been set alight by rioters. The lyrics suggest that order has been lost and the presence of lawlessness dominates the atmosphere. Throughout the lyrics, we hear how a boy is being accused of murder, which has led to him being hunted down by the authorities. The song's protagonist believes that he is being falsely accused of the crime and that the authorities are using him as a scapegoat to appease the community's anger.
As the song proceeds, we encounter an increasing sense of desperation and terror. The boy has been cornered and killed by the police, and his death is used to generate fear and suppress dissent in the community. The chorus, which repeats a plea to run for your life, serves as a reminder of the dangers of turbulent times.
The final verse continues the theme of desperation as the singer rejects the blame heaped upon him for a crime he did not commit. He declares his innocence and refuses to give in to the oppressors, even if it means losing his life. The fatalistic tone suggests that there is no escape from the consequences of a world gripped by chaos and anarchy.
Line by Line Meaning
There's been a riot down on mainstreet tonight
A violent disturbance broke out on the mainstreet tonight.
They just went crazy set this whole damn town alight
The people involved in the riot went out of control and set the entire town on fire.
Whisky to water, turn water to wine
An expression that signifies the impossibility of doing something.
Run for your life run for your life
A warning to escape as quickly as possible to save one's own life.
The boy was running he had nowhere left to hide
A boy was trying to escape but had no place to hide.
They cut him down to the ground
They shot him and he fell to the ground.
Still they didn't find the knife
The boy did not have any weapon on him.
They say it's murder-murder in the first degree
Officials have declared the incident a premeditated killing of someone.
They have no suspect, now those hound dogs follow me
Authorities are looking for a culprit and are suspicious of innocent people.
There's been a riot-nowhere to run
There is no place to run and escape from the riot.
There's been a riot-nowhere to hide
There is no place to hide from the violence.
They've got an innocent boy for an innocent crime
Authorities have arrested an innocent boy for a crime he did not commit.
You gotta fight to survive-run for your life
One must put up a fight to stay alive amidst the riot.
No way did I commit this crime
The singer did not commit the crime.
No way am I about to die
The singer does not want to die.
No way can I forgive myself
The artist cannot forgive themselves for something they did not do.
For the things I've never done
The artist is feeling guilty for something they did not do.
There's no way you're gonna make me pay
The singer refuses to pay for a crime they did not commit.
No way I'm coming back today
The singer has no intention of returning today.
No way you're gonna bring me back alive
The artist would rather die than being brought back alive.
He's just an innocent boy for an innocent crime
The boy is innocent of the crime he is being accused of.
There's been a riot they say it's murder
The riot was sparked by a murder.
There's been a riot no way you'll get me
The singer cannot be caught by authorities.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN JAMES SYKES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind