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.
Pig City
Die Warzau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Try to imagine how they feel - don't know if you can
We're all alone here in pig city
Rock solid invitation to the merry-go-round
Don't miss the imitation of the sight and sound
No children go home until they are cold enough
We're all alone here in pig city
No moving in the dark if dark you are
No money for food but a brand new car
No one ever learns until they are told enough
Baby, you can't rely on the light of day
They know who you are, they'll come anyway
Tell you you're not right - that you're not good enough
We're all alone here in pig city
It's like a gun pointed at your head
Try to turn and run - they'll get him instead
Don't think that it's wrong, maybe you're not man enough
Everyone on the streets is a hunted man
Try to run and hide, they know who I am
No one is safe until they are cold enough
We're all alone here in pig city
The song "Pig City" by Die Warzau discusses the isolation and lack of individuality in society. The opening lines, "Everyone on the street is a monkeyman / Try to imagine how they feel - don't know if you can," suggest that people have become so homogenized, they are no longer individuals but instead have become a part of a larger, collective group or "monkeyman." The line "We're all alone here in pig city" suggests that even though people are surrounded by others, the lack of individuality and connection leads to isolation.
The next verse, "Rock solid invitation to the merry-go-round / Don't miss the imitation of the sight and sound / No children go home until they are cold enough," further highlights the lack of uniqueness and monotony in our lives. The imagery of a "merry-go-round" suggests that life is just a repeating cycle, and people are just going through motions. The line "No children go home until they are cold enough" is particularly striking, as it implies a disregard for the well-being of individuals and a focus on maintaining the status quo.
The chorus of the song, "Baby, you can't rely on the light of day / They know who you are, they'll come anyway / Tell you you're not right - that you're not good enough / We're all alone here in pig city," reinforces the idea that individuality is not encouraged or respected in society. People are judged and criticized for being different and are pressured to conform. The final verse "Everyone on the streets is a hunted man / Try to run and hide, they know who I am / No one is safe until they are cold enough" suggests that people are constantly watched and under surveillance, and they are punished for not conforming to the norms of society.
Overall, the lyrics of "Pig City" highlight the dangers of conformity and the importance of individuality in society. It warns against the dangers of losing one's identity and becoming a part of a larger group or "monkeyman."
Line by Line Meaning
Everyone on the street is a monkeyman
All the people in this city act alike and blindly follow society's rules like caged animals
Try to imagine how they feel - don't know if you can
It's hard to comprehend the despair and monotony that comes with conforming to societal norms
We're all alone here in pig city
Despite being surrounded by other people, individuals are isolated and disconnected from each other in this city
Rock solid invitation to the merry-go-round
The illusion of excitement and adventure in this city seems stable and permanent
Don't miss the imitation of the sight and sound
Don't ignore the artificial and manufactured nature of this city's entertainment
No children go home until they are cold enough
The harshness of this city's reality is only fully realized when someone becomes numb to it through repeated exposure
No moving in the dark if dark you are
No matter how vulnerable someone may feel, they can't hide their true self or intentions in this city
No money for food but a brand new car
People in this city prioritize material possessions and status symbols over basic necessities
No one ever learns until they are told enough
People in this city don't question or seek out knowledge on their own, they only learn what they're taught
Baby, you can't rely on the light of day
The surface level goodness and safety of this city is only an illusion, as danger and corruption lurk beneath the surface
They know who you are, they'll come anyway
People in power in this city will use their influence to exert control over others, regardless of their personal desires or efforts to resist
Tell you you're not right - that you're not good enough
People in this city are constantly judged and criticized by others who hold power, leaving individuals feeling inadequate and unworthy
It's like a gun pointed at your head
The oppressive and inescapable nature of this city is like a constant threat to one's existence
Try to turn and run - they'll get him instead
Even those who attempt to resist or escape this city will be caught and harshly punished
Don't think that it's wrong, maybe you're not man enough
Those who question the status quo in this city are often ostracized and belittled, being told they're not strong enough to handle the harsh reality
Everyone on the streets is a hunted man
The oppressive nature of this city causes individuals to feel like they're constantly being pursued and threatened
Try to run and hide, they know who I am
People in this city don't have the luxury of anonymity or escape, as those in control have eyes and ears everywhere
No one is safe until they are cold enough
Only after becoming numb to the pain and fear in this city can someone feel truly safe, but that comes at great cost to their emotional wellbeing
Contributed by Elena W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.