Einstürzende Neubauten is an ever-changing musical entity, originally forme… Read Full Bio ↴Einstürzende Neubauten is an ever-changing musical entity, originally formed in Berlin, Germany, on the 1st April 1980. Neubauten were initially seen as part of the second wave of industrial bands, filling the space left when Throbbing Gristle terminated their mission. Neubauten's early output fit the term "industrial" well, as it (ab)used the sounds of machinery, metal-on-metal, construction-site equipment, and treated tape loops, creating harsh soundscapes and rhythmic textures reminiscent of krautrock. Their inclusion on the record label Some Bizarre, with acts like Foetus, Coil, and Test Dept., consolidated this position as new industrial pioneers.

However, Neubauten soon outgrew the confines of even the broad scope of industrial music. In their 25-plus years, they have produced a dozen studio albums, live records, a remix album and EP, scored theatre pieces, and more.

Lead vocalist Blixa Bargeld is perhaps the best-known member of the group, both for his work with Neubauten and as guitarist for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. His fellow founding members Alexander Hacke and N.U. Unruh have likewise been active in various musical roles outside the group over the years.

Bassist Mark Chung was a member of the group from 1981 to 1994. He founded the publishing house Freibank Music Publishing to handle business affairs for Neubauten and other groups, and has continued in this role (concurrently serving as a senior vice-president of Sony Music International for nine years). Percussionist FM Einheit, was a member from 1981 to 1995, and has also been active as a solo artist and member of groups such as Gry.

Since 1997 the group has also included guitarist Jochen Arbeit and percussionist Rudi Moser.

Neubauten's most recent work has been available exclusively to subscribers to their online home, www.neubauten.org. Neubauten completed the third incarnation of their online project in November 2007 and were touring Europe in 2008 in support of their latest album Alles Wieder Offen.

Currently Einstürzende Neubauten is celebrating their 30th anniversary with a tour through Europe and the United States. In October/November 2010 the band is releasing Strategies Against Architecture IV, the fourth album in the archival compilation series by Neubauten which collates the band’s output from 2002-2010.

Three Thoughts
Einstürzende Neubauten Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

First
I thought:
The advent of the iron age
Made the elongation of the male sex
Unavoidable
And its main aim
The penetration
The knife, the sword, the spear

Second
I thought:
Gunpowder, firearms
The main aim shifted
To ejaculation
And - bombs:
The mystification of the orgasm

Third,
I think:
Simulation
Through screen or helmet

Makes this
Pornography

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Einstürzende Neubauten's song "Three Thoughts" describe the evolution of human weapons and how they institutionalized the significance of penetration and ejaculation. The first stanza refers to the iron age, which is seen as the dawn of mankind's fascination with elongating their weapons in order to penetrate their opponents. This, in turn, made the elongation of the male sex unavoidable, with the main target being penetration. The second stanza refers to the invention of gunpowder and firearms, which shifted the focus of warfare to the ejaculation of bullets and explosives rather than the penetration of swords and spears. The orgasm became mystified through the destructive forces of bombs, making this the primary objective of warfare. The third stanza is a commentary on how modern technology, such as virtual reality helmets and screens, has made pornography more accessible, effectively simulating sexual experiences. The implication is that humankind has always placed an emphasis on the pursuit of pleasure, often at the expense of others.

Line by Line Meaning

First
Initially, it occurred to me that with the emergence of the iron age, the male genitalia inevitably had to undergo elongation and its primary use was to achieve penetration through various tools such as the knife, sword, and spear.

Second
Later, my second thought was that due to the evolution of gunpowder and firearms, the primary aim of the elongated male sex shifted towards ejaculation and resulted in the creation of bombs. It further led to the romanticizing of orgasm and its mystification in the society.

Third
As of now, I am of the opinion that the advancements in technology have enabled us to experience pornography through screens or helmets as a form of simulation.

Contributed by Alexis B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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