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.
I'm In Love
GWAR Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now that one + one is two, I don't want to
cum inside of you. Now I kiss your lips,
now I mount your hips. Now I read
your mind, your slimey hind--Sublime!
I'm feeling the peeling, mind reeling.
I race unto the plague. I'll bring you
a big coat of butter--to slick your
dead dog...
Paw in fist we stalk through the
rutabaga garden. We've been to the clinic,
we know our love is clean. We walk to-
gether, but fill up seperately. We share
a cheese ball. We just do it all. The
butter so bitter, the shitter. Well it
gapes vacantly. The higher the litter,
the shitter, has justly righted three...
(The Death of Pookie)
You begin to bore me, with your breath
like rubber. You scream "Don't stop",
I hope you don't pop. I'm in love, with
a shove, meaty glove.
The lyrics of GWAR's song "I'm in Löve" are a satirical and grotesque portrayal of a twisted, dysfunctional relationship. The opening lines appear to be sweet and romantic, as the singer professes their love for their partner. However, the song quickly takes a dark turn as the singer describes their sexual exploits, which involve "mounting hips" and "slimy hind," and culminates in a disturbing reference to a "dead dog." The lyrics also contain references to bodily fluids, clinic visits, and cheese balls, further emphasizing the song's dark and strange undertones.
While the lyrics may appear shocking and offensive at first glance, they are actually a reflection of GWAR's satirical and irreverent style. The band is known for their outrageous costumes, over-the-top stage shows, and politically incorrect humor. Their music often features graphic and explicit lyrics, but these are meant to provoke and challenge societal norms and values, rather than to be taken literally.
Line by Line Meaning
When I first met you, I knew I loved you.
From the moment I met you, I already knew that you were the one for me.
Now that one + one is two, I don't want to cum inside of you.
Now that we have become a couple, I do not want to take a risk in impregnating you.
Now I kiss your lips, now I mount your hips. Now I read your mind, your slimey hind--Sublime! I'm feeling the peeling, mind reeling.
We have become intimate with each other, and I feel in tune with all aspects of your being, both inside and out.
I race unto the plague. I'll bring you a big coat of butter--to slick your dead dick way. I'm in love with a dead dog...
I will do anything to please you and show you my affection. Even if it means bringing you butter to lubricate your intimate areas.
Paw in fist we stalk through the rutabaga garden. We've been to-gether, but fill up separately.
We are a team in everything we do, but we still maintain our independence and individuality.
We share a cheese ball. We just do it all. The butter so bitter, the shitter. Well it gapes vacantly. The higher the litter, the shitter, has justly righted three... (The Death of Pookie)
We share everything together, good and bad, enjoying each other's company. Even when things are not pleasant, we still make it work.
You begin to bore me, with your breath like rubber. You scream 'Don't stop', I hope you don't pop. I'm in love, with a shove, meaty glove.
I still love you, but sometimes I become disinterested. Your clinginess and persistence, while endearing at first, become overwhelming. However, I still desire you physically and we continue with our sexual relationship.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN LENNON, PAUL MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind