Originally signed to Chris Parry's Fiction Records, the band released Disco Rigido in the late 1980s (distributed in the United States by Atlantic Records), which featured "Welcome To America", "Land of the Free" and "I've Got To Make Sense". Though the album falls solidly into the EBM genre, it contains hints of the experimentation and genre-bending that later recordings would feature (e.g. "Y Tagata en Situ").
A second album, Big Electric Metal Bass Face, built on the foundation laid with Disco Rigido and upped the ante with excursions into funk (listen to "Funkopolis" as well as the live take of "Coming Down"). Contributors to the band at the time included Chris Vrenna and James Woolley, who both served time in Nine Inch Nails during the mid-Nineties.
Marcus and Christie then teamed up with Jane Jensen to form Oxygiene 23, and released an album ("Blue") on Fifth Column Records.
Engine, a 1995 release on WaxTrax!, was a huge jump forward and found critical acclaim for its decimation of genre boundaries. Die Warzau could no longer be simply pigeonholed into the "industrial" category, as their music became more organic, rounder on the edges yet still retaining their trademark knack for insistent rhythm and pure, unrefined electronic noise. "Liberated" and "All Good Girls" became trademark songs for the group. Fellow WaxTrax! act Sister Machine Gun "inherited" an unused song from this period ("Hole In the Ground"), which they included on their Burn album.
Die Warzau as a group then went on hiatus for a number of years, with Marcus and Christie working on other projects--Jim Marcus founded the pure funk group Everplastic while Van Christie worked on Eco-Hed.
By 2005, though, the duo had reconvened and released Convenience (on their Chicago-based Pulseblack Records). A continuation of the path they started on with Engine, songs like "Radiation Babies", "Kleen" and "Linoleum" further blur any genre lines and leave something truly original. More output is expected from the group in 2006, including a collaboration with funk pioneer George Clinton.
Coming Down
Die Warzau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Deep into the night like a bullet from a gun
You can stand and fight or you can wait and see
I swear it's all the motherfucking same to me
It's moving
Like a straight politician
No changing sides
Why do I fight, why do I run
Nothing new in this city coming down, coming down
Coming down
Will I satisfy my security
Now well into the past, now it comes to me
These facts and all these times we're told
It's like some motherfucking mastermold
A dark red suit, in your hands the same, we
Fell upon the fire and now the city's flaming
In motion
No serial distress
Dump the enemy and raze this congress
Free my city in time, no fascist - the hulking frames of the huddled masses
Won't take this shit
Now the deed is done
Nothing new in this city coming down, coming down
Coming down
Some men teach and other men wonder
Fascists preach and rage like thunder
Tick-tack-tah like a little foot kick drum
Raise their stubby little hands in free form
Big, big eyes and a serious handgun
Taking sides in a big, big mansion, you can ride the tide or you can wait and see
I swear it's all the motherfucking same to me
Fat city rise up
Pigs fall down
Nothing new in this city coming down, coming down
Coming down
The Die Warzau song "Coming Down" seems to critique the corrupt and decadent world of politics and society, particularly in cities. The opening lines imply that those with power and money in the city ("buy-out city") have the right to run as they please, even if it means running deep into the night like a bullet from a gun. The lyrics suggest that one can either choose to stand and fight against this system or wait and see, but ultimately it won't make much of a difference: "I swear it's all the motherfucking same to me." In other words, the city is coming down - being destroyed from within - and there doesn't seem to be anything that can be done about it.
The song lyrically highlights this through its various references to power, corruption and decadence. For instance, lines like "Will I satisfy my security / Now well into the past, now it comes to me / These facts and all these times we're told / It's like some motherfucking mastermold" seem to be pointing toward a corrupt world in which leaders take advantage of people, especially by exploiting their fears and anxieties. Meanwhile, the chorus repeats that "nothing new in this city coming down," which could be read as a refrain of the destructive forces at work in this world.
Overall, "Coming Down" appears to be a protest against the oppressive and immoral nature of politics and society, particularly in cities. The song's lyrics suggest that the city is being destroyed from within by corrupt leadership, with little hope for change in the future.
Line by Line Meaning
Buy-out city got a right to run
The city is run by those with money and power.
Deep into the night like a bullet from a gun
The city runs with ruthless efficiency, continuing on without interruption.
You can stand and fight or you can wait and see
You can try to resist the forces at work, or simply watch things unfold.
I swear it's all the motherfucking same to me
The outcome will have no effect on the artist, who has become apathetic.
It's moving
The city is constantly in flux.
Like a straight politician
It moves predictably and without deviation.
No changing sides
The city adheres to a strict agenda, with no room for dissent or deviation.
Like a loose supposition
Yet the city is also somewhat uncertain and speculative, with many rumors and theories circulating.
Why do I fight, why do I run
The artist is uncertain of their own motivations and desires in the face of such overwhelming forces at work.
Nothing new in this city coming down, coming down
All of this is nothing new, and the city will continue to move forward and evolve.
Will I satisfy my security
The singer wonders if they will be able to find a sense of safety or comfort in the midst of all this chaos.
Now well into the past, now it comes to me
The artist has a sudden realization, perhaps based on prior experience.
These facts and all these times we're told
The singer is trying to make sense of the information they have received about the city's workings and history.
It's like some motherfucking mastermold
The city's systems and structures seem precisely engineered to achieve a certain result.
A dark red suit, in your hands the same, we
The city's leaders are all cut from the same cloth, with little real diversity or change in leadership.
Fell upon the fire and now the city's flaming
The city is now in a state of chaos and destruction, perhaps due to political unrest or outright violence.
No serial distress
Despite the chaos, things continue to move forward in a somewhat orderly manner.
Dump the enemy and raze this congress
The singer advocates for the removal of the city's corrupt or incompetent government and administrative bodies.
Free my city in time, no fascist - the hulking frames of the huddled masses
The singer advocates for a more democratic, inclusive system of government where the average person has more of a voice.
Won't take this shit
The artist is frustrated and unwilling to put up with the status quo any longer.
Now the deed is done
Something has been accomplished or achieved, though it's not clear what exactly.
Some men teach and other men wonder
The city has a variety of people and personalities, with some trying to impart knowledge and others simply observing.
Fascists preach and rage like thunder
There are also more extreme or authoritarian factions within the city, who are prone to violence and aggression.
Tick-tack-tah like a little foot kick drum
The city has a certain rhythm or beat to it, with everything moving at a specific pace or tempo.
Raise their stubby little hands in free form
The fascists in the city are quick to claim that they act in the name of freedom or liberty, but their actions often belie this claim.
Big, big eyes and a serious handgun
The fascists often employ both propaganda and violence to achieve their goals.
Taking sides in a big, big mansion, you can ride the tide or you can wait and see
The wealthy and powerful of the city are often insulated from the turmoil and strife below, and are content to let events unfold without intervening.
Fat city rise up
The city has become prosperous and powerful, but this has come at a cost.
Pigs fall down
The artist hopes that the corrupt and incompetent elements of the city's leadership will be removed or exposed for their misdeeds.
Contributed by Stella K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@theimaginarygallery5935
What happened to the skinny blonde singer? They sound so similar.
@Alienated29
I'm not sure who you're referring to. DW was founded by Jim Marcus and Van Christie. They've had the same vocalist the whole time. I got on the DW bandwagon back in 2007 or so. They've just had different members for drums, guitar, etc.
@theimaginarygallery5935
That is what I thought..but the promo pic of the 2 guys (like on wikipedia) Jim on left has big blonde dreads and Christie to the right looks like a Glam Rock star. The G-spot video guy and live singer looks way different than that pic. It must be old.
@Alienated29
I get what you mean.
Technically Van Christie wasn't playing at the concert seen above. However he did play guitar at Coldwaves 2. It was great to see them both share the stage.
About Jim's weight however, he's always been of a medium build, muscular and thick. Christie, to me, was the skinny one. Just from what I've seen of the few pictures that exist.
I love digging up stuff from DW. They've been pretty persistent with their message over the years.