The band was the result of the collaboration between Hunter Jackson and Dave Brockie, then the singer for a punk band called Death Piggy. Jackson was working on a movie at the time the two met. The movie, entitled Scumdogs of the Universe, featured a plot involving terrifying intergalactic barbarians. Jackson and Brockie combined their ideas, re-named the band Gwar, and have been performing as ghoulish intergalactic warriors ever since. Their costumes are generally made of foam latex, styrofoam, and hardened rubber. It should be noted that the costumes they are wearing actually cover very little with the rest of their bodies being accentuated with makeup. They further their production in concert by dousing, spraying, and at times nearly drowning their audiences with imitation blood, semen, gore, and other bodily fluids. All the fluids are made of water and dye that washes out easily. It is rumored that corn syrup or a similar product has been used as a thickener.
Another trademark of GWAR's live show is their mutilations of celebrities and figures in current events. Victims of GWAR's antics have included O.J. Simpson, George W. Bush, Paris Hilton, and many others. The band also makes frequent references to political and historical figures, fantasy literature, and mythology. For instance, the song "Whargoul" makes reference to Minas Morgul, a setting in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books; and the title of their sixth album, Ragnarok, comes from Norse mythology.
GWAR, though by no means a small-time band, have not enjoyed as much mainstream recognition as many other bands. Around the time of their second album (Scumdogs of the Universe), they enjoyed a fair deal of success, due in part to Beavis and Butt-head. After that, however, GWAR's popularity waned and they were even featured on the VH1 program "Where Are They Now." Though not at the peak of their popularity, GWAR was recently invited to play on the Sounds of the Underground tour, which was very well received.
Gwar were, at one time, banned from performing in their home city of Richmond, Virginia due to their raucous stage performances. During that time they would appear in their home town under the pseudonym Rawg and play sans costumes. The ban was later lifted and the band can now play in Richmond again in full gory attire. GWAR was banned earlier in North Carolina for obscenity reasons (Brockie was arrested for wearing his "Cuttlefish of Cthulu" prosthetic penis; this incident was the inspiration for GWAR's America Must Be Destroyed album). Band members and associates often have cookouts at their house, dubbed "Gwar-BQ's." The video for "Saddam a Go-Go" from This Toilet Earth appeared in the hit movie Empire Records. Gwar was/is primarily a band of former art students, and this is reflected in the obscure references made in some of their songs. Gwar fans are known as Bohabs or Scumdogs.
The origin and meaning of the band's name has been left intentionally vague by its members, although the most widely accepted explanation (though false and denied by the band members) is that GWAR is an acronym for "God What an Awful Racket!" One rumor states that the name may have come from Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' graphic novel Watchmen, in which a poster reads, "Pink Triangle LIVE at the Gay Women Against Rape Benefit Concert." Other unsubstantiated rumors state that GWAR! is the sound monsters make in old horror movies, or that a fan at a club yelled "You should call your band..." and vomited before he could finish, making a sound close to the word GWAR. A final possibility, and the most viable as of yet, coming from sources close to the band suggests strongly that the name comes from the answer David Brockie gave to Hunter Jackson when asked what the band should be called. David Brockie simply responded with a mostly unintelligble word and isolated a single sound out of the rubble therefore creating GWAR.
On Sunday March 23, 2014, Brockie was found dead in his apartment by a band member. According to police, Brockie was found deceased and sitting upright in a chair.
Gwar's management confirmed the reports of Brockie's death on the official Gwar website at 4am on March 24, 2014. In an official statement released later that day, Gwar's manager Jack Flanagan said "It is with a saddened heart, that I confirm my dear friend Dave Brockie, artist, musician, and lead singer of GWAR passed away at approximately 6:50 PM EST Sunday March 23, 2014. His body was found Sunday by his band mate at his home in Richmond, VA. Richmond authorities have confirmed his death and next of kin has been notified. A full autopsy will be performed. He was 50 years old, born August 30, 1963. My main focus right now is to look after my band mates and his family. More information regarding his death shall be released as the details are confirmed." News of Brockie's death spread quickly with many of his fellow musical peers and bandmates responding through social media.
Mike Bishop, former member of Gwar, was one of the first to confirm Brockie's death. Bishop said "Dave was one of the funniest, smartest, most creative and energetic persons I've known. He was brash sometimes, always crass, irreverent, he was hilarious in every way. But he was also deeply intelligent and interested in life, history, politics and art. His penchant for scatological humors belied a lucid wit. He was a criminally underrated lyricist and hard rock vocalist, one of the best, ever! A great front man, a great painter, writer, he was also a hell of a bass guitarist. I loved him. He was capable of great empathy and had a real sense of justice.”
The Virginia State Medical Examiner's Office confirmed that Dave Brockie's death was caused by an accidental heroin overdose on Tuesday, June 3 2014.
After the death of Dave Brockie, the character of Oderus Urungus was given a Viking funeral at the 2014 Gwar-B-Q, held at Hadad's Lake park. Concurrently, Michael Bishop formally rejoined Gwar and assumed lead vocal duties in the persona of Blöthar the Berserker. The band resumed touring, and on October 20, 2017 released the first album
sans founding members, The Blood Of Gods.
Captain Crunch
GWAR Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everybody needs a lotta stuff to eat
Everybody gonna be a body one day
Having fun? (mortal scum)
Rest assured it's not for long
When you least expect your world reels
You fall to the ground
Will heaven protect it?
And now, bodies waken
Soul a-quakin', you see your jellied corpse a-bakin'
Your world teeters on the brink of madness
We shall kick that bitch over with gladness
You enter the sex plague
You cannot breed
And you await death
Your anus bleeds
When you're all dead
We'll still be here
Having butt sex
Cause I'm so queer!
Disciples of sin!
The lyrics of GWAR's song Captain Crunch are a commentary on the human condition and the ultimate futility of our existence. The song opens with the line "Everybody needs somebody to abuse," which sets the tone for the rest of the lyrics. The idea is that we all need someone or something to dominate, whether it's people, animals or the environment. The second line, "Everybody needs a lotta stuff to eat," comments on our constant need for resources and our insatiable appetite.
The chorus of the song is where the lyrics take a darker turn, with the phrase "Having fun? (mortal scum) Rest assured it's not for long." This seems to imply that human life is short and ultimately meaningless. The next lines, "When you least expect your world reels, you fall to the ground, will heaven protect it?" are a commentary on the unpredictability of life and the inability of religion to provide ultimate protection or meaning. The song culminates in a depiction of the end of human life, with the lines "You cannot breed, and you await death, your anus bleeds."
In conclusion, the song Captain Crunch is a scathing critique of the human condition, a commentary on our primal desires, and a grim reminder of the ultimate futility of our existence.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody needs somebody to abuse
Every person holds a desire to cause harm or hurt to others around them.
Everybody needs a lotta stuff to eat
Materialistic desires are present in every individual, where people wish to gain more and more within their possessions.
Everybody gonna be a body one day
Each and every person born into this world is going to die one day, and their physical form will seamlessly cease to exist.
Having fun? (mortal scum)
Are you enjoying your time here in this world as mortals?
Rest assured it's not for long
Be sure; this enjoyment will not last long, as life is yet to come to an end.
When you least expect your world reels
Your life will take a turn for the worst when you are not prepared, and everything around you will spin out of control.
You fall to the ground
You will fall to the ground in shock when sudden change hits you.
Will heaven protect it?
Do you think the idea of 'heaven' is going to save you from destruction?
(No) A strange new world that you found
No, you have stumbled upon a new world entirely, where you are tormented.
And now, bodies waken
Now, that people start waking up to reality.
Soul a-quakin', you see your jellied corpse a-bakin'
You feel the fear of the unknown. Your body is your binding cage, and the fear of the inevitable end jolts through your veins.
Your world teeters on the brink of madness
You find yourself moving towards the edge of insanity as your life falls apart bit by bit.
We shall kick that bitch over with gladness
We will destroy this world with happiness, finding joy in destruction and chaos.
You enter the sex plague
You get caught up in the web of excess and lust.
You cannot breed
You are now unable to procreate, leading to a sudden pause in the cycle of life.
And you await death
You are now waiting for the end to come; to release you from pain and fear.
Your anus bleeds
Your life is falling apart, and your body is now starting to reflect it.
When you're all dead
When everybody has perished and pass on from this world.
We'll still be here
We'll remain, reveling in the chaos we sow.
Having butt sex
We will celebrate our sexuality with no inhibitions and social boundaries.
Cause I'm so queer!
Because I am unique, proud, and unrestricted.
Disciples of sin!
We are the worshippers and advocates of evil deeds and blasphemy.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GWAR GWAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind