Born to an American international banker father and a Scottish mother, Bria… Read Full Bio ↴Born to an American international banker father and a Scottish mother, Brian Molko's family moved frequently during his childhood, including spells in Scotland, Liberia, Lebanon and Luxembourg. Molko has referred to his mother's home town of Dundee, Scotland as "where I grew up". He attended Goldsmiths College in London, where he studied drama. He describes his childhood as a period when he felt very lonely and alienated. He started to wear make-up at the age of 11. He was an actor in a school drama theater.

While Molko was brought up in a strict household that disapproved of artistic expression (his father wanted him to become a banker) he rebelled by affecting an androgynous image, wearing nail polish, lipstick and eyeliner, and listening to punk and glam rock. In his late teens, he came out as bisexual.

Molko and Stefan Olsdal both attended the International School of Luxembourg in Luxembourg, but they were never friends. When Molko moved to London to study drama at Goldsmiths College, where he graduated with a degree, he met Olsdal at South Kensington Tube Station. Molko invited Olsdal to one of his gigs in a club, which he played with Steve Hewitt. Olsdal was impressed with Molko's voice, and together they formed Ashtray Heart; eventually they changed the name to Placebo. Together with drummer Robert Schultzberg (a friend of Olsdal's from Sweden) performed together in 1996. Schultzberg did not fit in the band, however, and was soon replaced with Steve Hewitt, who played on Placebo's demo tracks.

Molko's musical influences include David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Dead Kennedys, Bad Religion, Sonic Youth, PJ Harvey, Nick Drake, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Joy Division, The Cure and The Pixies. Molko taught himself to play guitar. At the age of 16 he got a Telecaster replica as a present from his parents. Soon After, he bought a real telecaster. He plays other instruments such as bass, harmonica, keyboard, saxophone, drums and turntables. Occasionally, Molko works as a disc jockey at clubs, he's definately not very good at it. Nowadays Molko listens to electro-clash artist Peaches, his old favourite, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and many others.

Along with Hewitt and Olsdal, he had a small role in the 1998 film Velvet Goldmine, for which Placebo performed the T. Rex song 20th Century Boy. He played Malcolm, a singer of the fictional glam rock band, The Flaming Creatures.

In 2005, Molko's long-term partner, Helena Berg, gave birth to his first child, Cody. He said he named the child after his long-time friend who died in a car accident.

He has performed as a guest vocalist on tracks by:
Timo Maas - Pictures, Like Siamese and First Day
Alpinestars - Carbon Kid
Trash Palace - The Metric System, Je t'aime, moi non plus (duet with Asia Argento)
the AC Acoustics - Crush
Kristeen Young - No Other God
Dream City Film Club - Some
Jane Birkin - Smile.

He also wrote the English lyrics to 'Pink water' version 3, a song by Indochine from the album that is due to be released at the end of 2006. Molko is friends with David Bowie, with whom he sang Placebo's Without You I'm Nothing and 20th Century Boy live. He has used a Fender Jaguar, Fender Thinline Telecaster, Gibson SG in the past and currently plays Gretsch guitars .

He lives in London but frequently travels to Paris.

The April 17th, 2007 Placebo show in Omaha, Nebraska, at the Sokol Auditorium was canceled after Molko was rushed to the emergency room after fighting flu symptoms for a number of days. The band has promised to re-schedule that show near the end of the summer.

Lazarus
Brian Molko Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It's horrid to see you again
Now that you're back from the dead
It's horrid to see you again
So bored of being you
It's horrid to see you again
Now that you're back from the dead
It's horrid to see you again
So bored of being

Alive
Alive
Alive

It's horrid to see you again
Acting like you're on some kind of cross
It's horrid to see you again
An emotional retard
It's horrid to see you again
Unaware that I may not be lost
It's horrid to see you again
So bored of being
Alive
Alive
Alive

It's horrid to see you again
Walking around with that egg on your face
It's horrid to see you again
So full of apathy
It's horrid to see you again
Caught in a trap that you cannot escape
It's horrid to see you again
So bored of being
Alive

Alive
Alive

Overall Meaning

The song "Lazarus" by Brian Molko is a scathing indictment of someone who has come back from the dead and is now alive but seems to have learned nothing from their previous life. The singer, who is singing the song, is clearly not happy to see this person again and describes them as being "horrid" to see. The repetition of the phrase "It's horrid to see you again" emphasizes the singer's disgust and anger towards this person.

The first verse is particularly cutting, with the singer describing this person as "so bored of being alive". This is a powerful line, suggesting that this person is taking their second chance at life for granted and not using it to its fullest potential. The chorus reinforces this sentiment, with the repetition of "Alive, Alive, Alive" highlighting the singer's frustration with this person's lack of appreciation for life.

The second verse takes a more personal tone, with the singer describing this person as "acting like you're on some kind of cross" and an "emotional retard". There is clearly a history between these two people and the singer seems to be suggesting that this person has not grown or matured since their previous life.

Overall, "Lazarus" is a powerful and emotive song that deals with themes of life, death, and second chances. It is a scathing indictment of someone who has been given a second chance but has not learned anything from their previous life. The repetition of the phrase "It's horrid to see you again" reinforces the singer's disgust, while the repetitive chorus highlights the singer's frustration with this person's lack of appreciation for life.

Line by Line Meaning

It's horrid to see you again
Brian is expressing disgust at the sight of the person he's addressing.

Now that you're back from the dead
The person Brian is addressing has come back into his life.

So bored of being you
Brian is tired of dealing with the person he's addressing.

Alive
Brian is highlighting the fact that the person he's addressing is alive.

Acting like you're on some kind of cross
The person Brian is addressing is behaving like a martyr.

An emotional retard
Brian believes that the person he's addressing has difficulty understanding and expressing emotions.

Unaware that I may not be lost
The person Brian is addressing does not realize that Brian is not lost and does not need their help.

Walking around with that egg on your face
The person Brian is addressing is walking around with a look of foolishness or embarrassment on their face.

So full of apathy
The person Brian is addressing is indifferent to the world around them.

Caught in a trap that you cannot escape
The person Brian is addressing is in a situation that they cannot get out of.

Contributed by Luke A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.