Death in June emerged in 1981, reuniting singer/multi-instrumentalist Douglas P. and bassist Tony Wakeford; drummer Patrick Leagas completed the original lineup, which made its live debut late the following year with an opening slot for the Birthday Party.
The 12-inch Heaven Street soon followed, and in 1983 Death in June issued their first full-length effort, The Guilty Have No Pride. From the outset, the group was criticized for its adoption of fascist imagery, and charges of Nazism dogged Pearce throughout his career. However, Pearce is openly homosexual and has also collaborated with various ethnic Jews throughout his discography; the official Death in June web site used to sport an Israeli flag, and Death in June played live in Israel on June 18, 2004 for a predominantly Jewish audience.
Upon completing the Burial LP, Wakeford left the lineup to form Sol Invictus. Following the release of 1985’s Nada!, only Pearce remained, with Leagas exiting to form his own project, Sixth Comm.
Beginning with the 1986 double album The World That Summer, Pearce continued Death in June primarily as a solo concern, aided by a revolving group of collaborators including Current 93’s David Tibet, Boyd Rice and Coil’s John Balance. The abrasive electronics and martial rhythms of early efforts gave way to an increasingly expansive sonic approach over the course of subsequent outings including 1987’s Brown Book, 1989’s The Wall of Sacrifice and 1992’s But, What Ends When the Symbols Shatter?, the latter evoking Pearce’s longstanding interest in traditional European folk music.
The first British act to perform in Croatia following the outbreak of Yugoslavia’s civil war, Death in June documented their experiences on 1993’s Something Is Coming. Subsequent efforts include 1995’s Rose Clouds of Holocaust, 1998’s Take Care and Control, 2000’s Operation Hummingbird, and 2001’s All Pigs Must Die.
The official web site of Death in June is maintained at http://www.deathinjune.net.
Official Death In June merchandise can be bought here http://www.plastichead.com/catalogue.asp?ex=backlist&category=merch&target=DEATH+IN+JUNE.
She Said Destroy
Death in June Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Into that darkness
Like jackals howling
Like flowers unfolding
Into that darkness
Into that darkness
The banners in tatters
Into that darkness
Into that darkness
As if seeking there
Hope's bloody prey
The dead dog sinking
Turning and turning
Into that darkness
Into that darkness
The bodies collapsed
Swollen with gas
Into that darkness
Into that darkness
In the hovels and gutters
Her face to the storm
Into that darkness
Into that darkness
Still broken, still bleeding
The crack of the neck
The gut shriek of thunder
The blood call of lightning
She said destroy in black New York...
Into that darkness
Into that darkness
Like jackals howling
Like flowes unfolding
Into that darkness
Into that darkness
The virgin has blessed
The call of the beast
Into that darkness
Into that darkness
As if seeking there
Hope's bloody prey
The dead dog sinking
Turning and turning
She said destroy in black New York...
The lyrics of Death in June's song She Said Destroy take the listener through a dark and atmospheric journey, filled with vivid imagery of destruction and chaos. The repetitive use of the phrase "into that darkness" creates a sense of descent into a deep and ominous void, while the comparisons of jackals howling and flowers unfolding hint at both violence and rebirth.
The description of banners in tatters and bodies swollen with gas suggest a war-torn landscape, while the image of a virgin being blessed and the mention of hope's bloody prey hint at religious overtones. The verse that mentions a face to the storm, still broken and bleeding, and the gut shriek of thunder and blood call of lightning further adds to the sense of impending doom and chaos.
The repeated refrain of "She said destroy in black New York" suggests that the chaos and destruction being described might be linked to a specific location, although the song remains open to interpretation and can be interpreted in different ways depending on the listener's perspective.
Line by Line Meaning
Into that darkness
Venturing into the unknown or a dark place
Like jackals howling
A feeling of despair or pain
Like flowers unfolding
Something beautiful and powerful growing from the darkness
The banners in tatters
Symbols of hope in disrepair
The virgin is blessed
Even in dark times, there can be a sense of holiness or purity
As if seeking there
Searching for a better outcome or resolution
Hope's bloody prey
Hope can be a painful pursuit
The dead dog sinking
A symbol of defeat or loss
Turning and turning
Continuing to struggle or spin in a cycle
The bodies collapsed
Death and suffering everywhere
Swollen with gas
Bodies disfigured and bloated
In the hovels and gutters
The poorest and most forgotten places
Her face to the storm
Facing and enduring hardship
Still broken, still bleeding
Pain may continue even after suffering
The crack of the neck
The sound of death
The gut shriek of thunder
A sound of terror or danger
The blood call of lightning
Violent and destructive forces at work
She said destroy in black New York...
A call to destruction, to let go of all hope and embrace the darkness
The call of the beast
The desire to give in to primal or violent urges
Contributed by Thomas O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
David Segovia
Into that darkness
Into that darkness
Like jackals howling
Like flowers unfolding
Into that darkness
Into that darkness
The banners in tatters
The virgin is blessed
Into that darkness
Into that darkness
As if seeking there
Hope's bloody prey
The dead dog sinking
Turning and turning
Into that darkness
Into that darkness
The bodies collapsed
Swollen with gas
Into that darkness
Into that darkness
In the hovels and gutters
Her face to the storm
Into that darkness
Into that darkness
Still broken, still bleeding
The crack of the neck
The gut shriek of thunder
The blood call of lightning
She said destroy in black New York...
Into that darkness
Into that darkness
Like jackals howling
Like flowes unfolding
Into that darkness
Into that darkness
The virgin has blessed
The call of the beast
Into that darkness
Into that darkness
As if seeking there
Hope's bloody prey
The dead dog sinking
Turning and turning
She said destroy in black New York...
ᑎIᑎᗩ ᒪIᕮᗷT ᗪIᕮ Pᕮᑎᕮᑎ
Let's be honest - this song can not be confused with any other bands' songs. It is unique.
MARK A GUZMAN ARTIST
Its very diffrent from any gothic song i ever heard geniuse in thier own way i have this album on cd its one of my treasures 😃
Lacylle
Exactly what i look for in a song!
David Segovia
Into that darkness
Into that darkness
Like jackals howling
Like flowers unfolding
Into that darkness
Into that darkness
The banners in tatters
The virgin is blessed
Into that darkness
Into that darkness
As if seeking there
Hope's bloody prey
The dead dog sinking
Turning and turning
Into that darkness
Into that darkness
The bodies collapsed
Swollen with gas
Into that darkness
Into that darkness
In the hovels and gutters
Her face to the storm
Into that darkness
Into that darkness
Still broken, still bleeding
The crack of the neck
The gut shriek of thunder
The blood call of lightning
She said destroy in black New York...
Into that darkness
Into that darkness
Like jackals howling
Like flowes unfolding
Into that darkness
Into that darkness
The virgin has blessed
The call of the beast
Into that darkness
Into that darkness
As if seeking there
Hope's bloody prey
The dead dog sinking
Turning and turning
She said destroy in black New York...
Greta Narduzzi
i've listened to a lot of music in my life but when i discovered this song i felt like it was the first time i had fallen in love
Edit: two years passed and it’s still my favorite song ever
Wendy Ropero Hernández
Christine and the queens
Rabbi Porkchop
rafanellys I was going to say the same thing but you beat me by five hours. Tragedy
Jean Denver
Amen sister
Alessandro Cappiello
RIDAI! A! GIULIO! I! BAMBINI!
Rob
My first fave DIJ song. The combination of voice, guitar and drums here is epic.