His last project, Deadboy & the Elephantmen, recorded and released a few independent demo CDs before being signed to Southern metal label Rotten Records and releasing its debut If This Is Hell Then I'm Lucky. Next the band signed with acclaimed independent blues/rock label Fat Possum in 2005 and releasing the 2006 album We Are Night Sky. The band originally consisted of Riggs and a backing band, an incarnation that was very reminiscent of Agents of Oblivion. But towards its end, Deadboy became a stripped-down, bluesy post-punk duo of Riggs and drummer Tessie Brunet. Brunet bitterly quit in 2006 for undisclosed reasons, coinciding with Dax abandoning the Deadboy project and originally started doing gigs under the name "T-Daks and his White Plastic Soul" before finally settling on his own name.
Dax frequently plays acoustic solo gigs, and since Deadboy started has often used session musicians both live and in the studio.
Theme
Dax Riggs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
tomorrow knows this to be so revelation at the peep show
sweating vision like a mojo
a little rock n roll in stereo
Everybody sang deadboy
and the elephant men
deadboy
I dreamed I kissed a screamin banshee
snow white and divine among terrible
strangers myself and a bottle of wine
These wolves know secret names
for the fire and the rain falling slowly like the first time
Everybody sang deadboy
and the elephant men
deadboy
and the elephant men
Awake and dance
awake the phantoms and invite them to dance
awake the phantoms and invite them to dance
In the song Theme by Dax Riggs, the lyrics seem to be exploring themes of time and mortality. The opening line, "Yesterday is a corpse that you know don't ya?", sets the tone for the song's introspective musings on past, present, and future. The following lines, "tomorrow knows this to be so revelation at the peep show / sweating vision like a mojo", create a sense of urgency and a feeling of being caught in between the past and the future.
The song then takes a more surreal turn, with the lines "I dreamed I kissed a screamin banshee / snow white and divine among terrible strangers myself and a bottle of wine". These lyrics could be interpreted in a number of ways, but they seem to suggest a feeling of being at once overwhelmed and entranced by the mysteries of life, death, and the unknown.
Throughout the song, there are repeated references to "deadboy and the elephant men". This could be a reference to a number of things, such as the 1971 film Deadboy and the Elephant Men or the noise rock band of the same name. Whatever the reference, it adds to the song's sense of unease and mystery, as if there are forces at work that are beyond our understanding.
In summary, Theme by Dax Riggs is a lyrically dense song that explores themes of mortality, time, and the unknown. Through surreal imagery and repeated references to "deadboy and the elephant men", the song creates a sense of unease and mystery that is both unsettling and enthralling.
Line by Line Meaning
Yesterday is a corpse that you know don't ya?
You cannot change the past, it is dead and gone.
tomorrow knows this to be so revelation at the peep show
Tomorrow is aware that yesterday is a lost cause, and that the only way to move on is to have a vision of the future.
sweating vision like a mojo
The vision of the future is potential energy that can be harnessed like a magical spell.
a little rock n roll in stereo
The future is full of possibilities, including the power of music to influence and inspire.
Everybody sang deadboy, and the elephant men
Everyone is united in the universal experience of confronting death and decay.
I dreamed I kissed a screamin banshee, snow white and divine among terrible strangers myself and a bottle of wine
The dream is an escape from reality, where the dreamer is surrounded by death and chaos, seeking solace in alcohol and the embrace of a supernatural being.
These wolves know secret names for the fire and the rain falling slowly like the first time
The wolves represent primal instincts that are aware of the power of nature to destroy or bring new life, which can be harnessed by knowing their true names and nature.
Awake and dance, awake the phantoms and invite them to dance
The only way to confront death and chaos is to face them with a sense of joy and abandon, inviting the phantoms of the unknown to dance with you in life's great journey.
Contributed by Adam N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.