In 1988, an Ottawa, Ontario police officer instigated a criminal investigation of the Dayglos after his daughter brought home a copy of Here Today, Guano Tomorrow.
Two albums featured in the resulting trial; the covers and the lyrical content being showcased by the prosecution. Here Today, Guano Tomorrow had a cover showing a picture of a hamster eating from a box of chocolates on nice satin sheets, along with a glass of wine. A gun points at the hamster, and the back cover shows a depiction of the resulting carnage.
The previous album, Feed Us A Fetus, was perhaps a little less graphic, with a depiction of a baked fetus on the table in front of Ronald and Nancy Reagan.
This resulted in the criminal prosecution of Fringe Product, their label at the time, for distribution and possession with intent to distribute of obscene material—the first such prosecution since the offense entered the criminal code in 1959. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty.
The Dayglos had musical revenge in the title song of their next album, Two Dogs Fucking, in which the priggishness of Ottawa's public officials leads directly to the extinction of the human race.
On occasion, Dayglo albums having included political aspects, Holy Shiite is no exception with song titles such as "America Eats Her Young", "Christina Bin Laden", "Scientology", and "Where's Bin Laden?".
SUICIDE
Dayglo Abortions Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Something I would never say
But now when I take a look at the world
There couldn't be a better way
I killed my mother when I was ten
I fucked my sister with vaseline
Hung my daddy with a telephone wire
The chorus of Dayglo Abortions's song "Suicide" is a clear indication of the disturbing nature of the song. The lyrics "It used to be a dirty word/Something I would never say/But now when I take a look at the world/There couldn't be a better way" hint at the mindset of someone who has given up on life and sees suicide as a viable option. The first two lines suggest a change in attitude towards suicide that the singer has had, which has led them to believe that taking their own life is the best way to deal with the world's problems.
The verses of the song are even more harrowing, as they detail the singer's heinous acts, including killing their mother at the age of ten, having intercourse with their sister using vaseline, and hanging their father with a telephone wire. The final line of the verse "Now there's nobody left so I may as well fire" indicates that the singer has no family left and has no reason to live. The song is a chilling narrative of a disturbed individual's journey towards suicide and is a stark reminder that mental health is an issue that should not be overlooked.
Line by Line Meaning
It used to be a dirty word
In the past, suicide was regarded as something shameful
Something I would never say
Individuals wouldn't discuss suicide in public, as it was considered taboo
But now when I take a look at the world
Currently, the world seems too difficult to live in
There couldn't be a better way
The only escape from the pain and hopelessness is to commit suicide
I killed my mother when I was ten
The artist has had violent tendencies for a long time, which may be related to their current mindset
I fucked my sister with vaseline
The singer has engaged in incestuous behavior, which may be a sign of their psychological distress
Hung my daddy with a telephone wire
The singer has a history of violence towards their family members
Now there's nobody left so I may as well fire
The artist has no one left to harm or hurt, and therefore sees no reason to continue living
Contributed by Joseph Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.