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.
War Party
GWAR Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In this land of death
And boils and bees and RPG's
And piles of prisoners masturbated on
Now you are on fire
You curse the choice you made
Your Humvee a pyre your life to expire
Your face and a name and a corpse that's bathed in flames
Come join the War Party
And see exotic lands
Your blood has stained the desert sands
Aaaaahhh...
I hear your body burning
A piping and piteous sound
The crows tears apart your corpse after the flames have gone down
You're dragged through the streets
With a chain 'round your neck
Hung from a bridge on the outskirts of town
They never find your head
Come and join the War Party
And see exotic lands
Your blood has stained the desert sands
Your blood is running through your hands
Still you expect pity
And you shall receive none
Why did death come hard for you
You gave it to some
You joined the War Party
Your purpose was clear
You did your job with skill, you raped and you killed
Why so surprised that you finally got billed?
You put the gun to your shoulder
You put lead through a brain
You left bodies to molder
You spread havoc and pain
They will call you a hero
I call you an ignorant slave
Because before you died you acted surprised
So soon you were shown to your grave
Come now and join the War Party
And see exotic lands
Your blood has stained the desert sands
Your blood is running through your hands
All men die
So don't ask why
What the fuck else did you think you were for?
You were made to decay
It's better that way
This is the price of your war
Join up now because soon you'll have no choice
The lyrics to GWAR's song "War Party" describe the gruesome realities of war and the callousness that can arise in those who engage in it. The verses are filled with vivid imagery of death and destruction, from the sound of piteous shrieking, boils and bees, RPGs and piles of prisoners masturbated on, to the main subject being on fire, wreaking despair about the choices he made, his Humvee a pyre, and ultimately, his face and name and corpse being bathed in flames.
The chorus invites the listener to "come join the War Party" and promises exotic lands, but with the realization that their blood will stain the desert sands, and their life may expire sooner rather than later. The song is a commentary on the paradoxical allure and tragedy of war, as well as a biting critique of the use of violence to solve problems.
The last verse is the most poignant, as it describes the arrogance of those who expect pity for the crimes they committed in the name of war, and the realization that death is an inevitable consequence. The lyrics suggest that all those who engage in war, willingly or not, will eventually come to their graves, and it's better for them to accept this fact and avoid hastening their time by fighting in conflicts that do not serve their interests.
Line by Line Meaning
I hear your piteous shrieking
I can hear you screaming in distress and agony.
In this land of death
You find yourself in a place of darkness, despair and fatality.
And boils and bees and RPG's
You face numerous threats in the form of tank-mounted grenade launchers, insects and skin infections.
And piles of prisoners masturbated on
You are subject to cruel and inhuman treatment, including sexual abuse and the dehumanization of your fellow captives.
Now you are on fire
You have been set ablaze and are experiencing excruciating pain.
You curse the choice you made
You regret the decision to join this conflict.
Your Humvee a pyre your life to expire
You find yourself trapped in a vehicle that is now engulfed in flames, your life quickly slipping away.
Your face and a name and a corpse that's bathed in flames
You will be remembered only as a lifeless body, consumed by fire, lost in the chaos of war.
Come join the War Party
The aggressive and violent faction of society is inviting you to join their cause.
And see exotic lands
You'll have the opportunity to travel to unfamiliar territory and experience a new way of life.
Your blood has stained the desert sands
In the pursuit of war, you've spilled blood on dry, desolate terrain.
Aaaaahhh...
At this point, what else do you have to lose?
I hear your body burning
The sound of your body being incinerated is still ringing in my ears.
A piping and piteous sound
The noise is shrill and distressing.
The crows tears apart your corpse after the flames have gone down
Even after death, you continue to be violated and mutilated by scavengers.
You're dragged through the streets
Your lifeless body is being pulled by your captors through the thoroughfares of the city.
With a chain 'round your neck
A metal link is fastened around your neck, constraining your movement as you are being dragged.
Hung from a bridge on the outskirts of town
Your body will be displayed in a public place as a warning to others who dare to defy the rules of war.
They never find your head
Your body is so brutally disfigured that your head is missing and can not be recovered.
Still you expect pity
Even in defeat, you cling to the hope that others may show compassion towards you.
And you shall receive none
Sorry to disappoint you, but no amount of pleading will change the outcome.
Why did death come hard for you
Death is a common and inevitable outcome in this place; why are you surprised?
You gave it to some
You freely took the lives of others, yet you balk when faced with death yourself.
You joined the War Party
You opted to align yourself with the warmongers and contributed to this pervasive atmosphere of instability.
Your purpose was clear
Your objective was to inflict harm on others and to foster chaos in society.
You did your job with skill, you raped and you killed
Be proud of yourself; you managed to perpetrate unspeakable acts against innocent people and do it well.
Why so surprised that you finally got billed?
You knew what you were getting into when you signed up, so don't act surprised when the ledger must be balanced.
You put the gun to your shoulder
You picked up a powerful weapon and prepared to use it against others.
You put lead through a brain
You willingly and deliberately took the lives of other human beings.
You left bodies to molder
You denied others their fundamental right to life, and now their remains will wither and waste away.
You spread havoc and pain
You contributed to the turmoil and disorder that grips this land.
They will call you a hero
Some will blindly glorify and praise you for your actions, no matter the cost.
I call you an ignorant slave
However, I see you as a victim of a larger system of violence and exploitation, not a hero.
Because before you died you acted surprised
You refused to accept that your actions had consequences and were, in fact, surprised when faced with the inevitable.
So soon you were shown to your grave
Death came quickly and mercilessly, and now you have been buried among the countless others who lost their lives in this pointless conflict.
All men die
Death is an inevitability for all, regardless of status or circumstance.
So don't ask why
Do not question the immutable law of nature.
What the fuck else did you think you were for?
Did you really think your purpose in life was to spread death and destruction?
You were made to decay
Your physical form is not invincible and is subject to degradation over time.
It's better that way
In death, you cease to inflict harm onto others and become part of the natural cycle of life and death.
This is the price of your war
Your life is the collateral damage of a larger conflict, and you have paid the ultimate price.
Join up now because soon you'll have no choice
The situation will only deteriorate further, and you will ultimately have little agency over your own fate.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GWAR GWAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nenofalletta
It's a shame that in 2 years we've lost not one but two members of this band. I will never forget when I saw them live and I came out of the concert drenched in Blue and Red food coloring.
@lustlizard261
+Nino Falletta Fucking A brother. Best damned show I ever been too. I came in wearing a white T-shirt walked out wearing a tye-dye shirt. Amazing.
WIth Machine Head and Devil Driver.
@jessiehughes9432
We don't live forever...this will happen...miss all the Heathans! 👍🏼👍🏼
@sammer28
Nice one. You killed Robin Williams
@jollyrot3145
I was so lucky to see GWAR play live before Dave Brockie passed away, literally less than a year later :( We ended up seeing Cradle of Filth play a show twice back to back, one in San Diego, one in Los Angeles, simply because GWAR wasn’t allowed to play in mine and my friends hometown in San Diego 😂 they played an absolute brutal and sadistic show in LA, I left covered in god knows what. Zero regrets, I’m now 36 years old, still to this day the best show I’ve ever seen live.
@SaltyBuildersCry
These lyrics should win a Nobel prize in political sciences 👏
@Personmebe
GWAR had been around for longer than Rammstein and Lamb of God combined, there is no comparison, GWAR will come out on top every time.
@kevinwillems8720
Why are they fighting, they're friends
@ShawnJonesHellion
umm they don't sound anything alike. one is hillbillies metal one is pop industrial
@hogmjr
Gwar was actually one of the first bands to bring lamb of god with them on tour. Brockie and blythe were good friends.