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.
The Years Without Light
GWAR Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Defiling the writhing masses.
I saw your death,
Impaled on iron fences.
Your fate was sealed.
Your doom, to died on TV
Because your death,
Your bloody death will never please me.
I would you would.
What it means to stand where I stand;
Atop a heap of heads and hands.
Now its time to divide the line, to make up what's left of mind.
Now you know, you know its almost time.
Your world, your doom, your life, your destiny.
To live for GWAR and die, die, die for me.
You must not let them stop what you do,
You may be destroyed before I enter you
And you will do as I tell you to.
The years without light.
In "The Years Without Light," GWAR describes their experience as performers and how they thrive in their role. As they look out into their audience, they see themselves as the all-powerful leaders who control the masses, causing a frenzy in their wake. The lyrics describe how they relish in the power they hold over the audience and how it fuels their performances. The lines "Your fate was sealed. Your doom, to die on TV" illustrate how they view their fans as expendable and how they revel in the violence that occurs during their shows.
GWAR seems to be speaking directly to their fans in the line, "You don't know what it's like, yes you never could possibly understand. I wish you would." They seem to be challenging their fans to try and understand their perspective, to stand where they stand and see the world as they do. The lyrics also suggest that GWAR's fans are willing to do anything for them, even die for their entertainment.
In the verses, GWAR acknowledges the possibility of being stopped, destroyed, or eradicated but they make it clear that their presence is necessary to maintain the balance of power. Thus, the final line "The years without light" could be interpreted as a bleak world without GWAR as their art is a form of light, even though it's a twisted and violent one.
Line by Line Meaning
Scanning the crowd.
Observing and scanning the mass of people in attendance.
Defiling the writhing masses.
Desecrating and violating the squirming multitude.
I saw your death,
The singer witnessed the person's eventual demise.
Impaled on iron fences.
Their death involved impalement on metal fencing.
Your fate was sealed.
The outcome of their destiny was determined.
Your doom, to died on TV
Their ill-fated demise occurred while being televised.
Because your death,
The reason the singer is displeased is due to the person's death.
Your bloody death will never please me.
The artist will never find satisfaction in the person's gruesome passing.
You don't know what its like, yes you never could possibly understand.
The person being addressed cannot fathom the emotions and experiences of the artist.
I would you would.
The artist wishes the person could understand them.
What it means to stand where I stand;
The gravity of the singer's position goes beyond what the person can perceive.
Atop a heap of heads and hands.
Standing over a pile of severed body parts.
Now its time to divide the line, to make up what's left of mind.
It's now necessary to make a clear distinction and decide what remains of one's sanity.
Now you know, you know its almost time.
The person being addressed is growing aware and running out of time.
Your world, your doom, your life, your destiny.
Everything that belongs to them is associated with their inescapable downfall.
To live for GWAR and die, die, die for me.
The artist demands the person pledge their life to serving GWAR and dying for them.
You must not let them stop what you do,
The person must persevere and resist hindrance from others.
You may be destroyed before I enter you
If the person fails to comply, they may be subject to destruction.
And you will do as I tell you to.
The person must obey the singer's commands.
The years without light.
Refers to the artist's realm where no light is present and everything exists in eternal darkness.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GWAR GWAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind