Michael Aston (vocals) was the poetic, goth-leaning side of the twin brothers while Jay Aston’s distinctive banshee-like, wailing vocals supplied Gene Loves Jezebel with one of their many trademark quirks.
Originally called Slav Aryan, Gene Loves Jezebel began in 1980 with the brothers, guitarist Ian Hudson, and a drum machine. The Astons grew up in Porthcawl, South Wales, making the move to London in 1981. With a new home, and shortly thereafter, the new name, the trio played several live shows and was signed by Situation Two. In May 1982, the label released Gene Loves Jezebel's demo and a single "Shaving My Neck." The band then added bassist Julianne Regan followed, Regan was replaced by Ian Hudson on Bass (and Albi DeLuca took over the guitar role) and went on to form All About Eve, Gene Loves Jezebel underwent a dozen or so line up changes between 1981-1985 alone! The band was really about the twins after all.
The band released two more singles in 1983 before their debut album Promise peaked at number 8 in the U.K.'s indie charts. In 1984, the group recorded a John Peel radio session for BBC and toured America with fellow Welsh artist John Cale. The second album, Immigrant, was released in mid-1985. However, during an agonizing American tour for Immigrant, founding member Ian Hudson suffered a nervous breakdown and was replaced by former Gen X guitarist James Stevenson.
During 1986, the group moved contract to Situation Two's parent company, Beggar's Banquet Records and distribution rights in USA to Geffen Records. The subsequent promotion increased pop-chart success for the group. The single "Sweetest Thing" briefly hit the Top 75 in U.K. and the album, Discover, reached number 32 in UK Albums Chart. At this time, the group also found heavy rotations on college and alternative radio stations across America. The band had slowly turned their attention to dance music. The slick and catchy guitar hooks of singles "Desire" and "Heartache" leapt to #6 and #72, respectively, on Los Angeles' famous New Wave station, KROQ. Later that year, Chris Bell became the band's fifth drummer.
Gene Loves Jezebel's fourth album, The House of Dolls, was released late in 1987 and yielded the singles, "20 Killer Hurts" and "The Motion of Love" that grazed the U.S. pop charts. The third single from The House of Dolls, "Suspicion", for the first time, surfaced on The Billboard Hot 100. Despite rising mainstream success, the new pop-oriented direction proved to be too polished and commercial for the poetic and more goth-like brother, Michael. He parted ways with Jay in 1989.
While Michael pursued his solo work, Jay continued using the Gene Loves Jezebel name and recorded two albums, Kiss of Life in 1989, followed by Heavenly Bodies. reached #68 on Billboard's Hot 100. Three years later, Jay Aston and company released Heavenly Bodies, which did well in Europe and on American college radio. Unfortunately, after dispointing record sales record sales and the collapse of Savage Records (David Bowie) American label folded one year later, and, after a few more live shows, so did Gene Loves Jezebel.
While Jay performed occasional acoustic shows under his own name, Michael played with members of Scenic, then formed a new band called the Immigrants (re-named Edith Grove) and later released a pimarily acoustic solo album, Why Me, Why This, Why Now. Michael and Jay began working together again throughout the 90's , and also recorded two songs for a GLJ best-of compilation "from the mouths of Babes' on Michael Aston's label Bonnaire records , released in September 1995.
A reunion tour followed in 1997, but the brothers' reconciliation was short-lived. In October 1997, Jay sued his twin brother over rights to the name "Gene Loves Jezebel" after leaving the band. After a protracted court battle, Jay eventually dropped all charges "with prejudice" meaning Michael can never be challenged for the name again and consequently Michael owns the exclusive rights to the mark. Michael also trademarked "Gene Loves Jezebel" and toured both the U.S. and the U.K. extensively supporting Gene Loves Jezebel releases: Love Lies Bleeding (1999) - Live in Voodoo City (1999) - Giving Up the Ghost (2001) – and Exploding Girls (2003)
Heroine
Gene Loves Jezebel Lyrics
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You are everything to me
You are the sulfur rushing through my veins
You are everything to me
And, I don't want anybody else
And, I don't need anybody else
It's all in my name
You are the poison barbed with open pores
Your sickness lines within my skin
Easy up now
Down that twisted stair
Shot and shot again in my memory
And I don't need anybody else
And I don't want anybody else
It's all, it's all in your name
In the song "Heroine" by Gene Loves Jezebel, the lyrics revolve around the idea of addiction and the all-consuming nature of it. The lyrics "You are the adrenaline rushing through my veins, You are everything to me, You are the sulfur rushing through my veins, You are everything to me" create a sense of dependency and obsession with the subject of the song, who is likely a drug or a person representing a drug.
The lines "And, I don't want anybody else, And, I don't need anybody else, It's all in my name" suggest that the addiction has taken over the singer's life so completely that they have no room or desire for anything else. They have become one with their addiction, and it is now an integral part of their identity.
The second half of the song continues with this theme, describing the side effects of the addiction in lines such as "You are the poison barbed with open pores, Your sickness lines within my skin," and further illustrating the singer's inability to break free from it. The lines "And I don't need anybody else, And I don't want anybody else, It's all, it's all in your name" suggest that the addiction has become a sort of god or higher power for the singer, controlling every aspect of their life.
Overall, "Heroine" is a powerful and haunting portrayal of addiction and its grip on a person's life.
Line by Line Meaning
You are the adrenaline rushing through my veins
You are the source of my excitement and energy
You are everything to me
You are my entire world
You are the sulfur rushing through my veins
You are volatile and unpredictable, but I can't resist you
And, I don't want anybody else
I am completely devoted to you and don't desire anyone else
And, I don't need anybody else
I am so consumed by you that I don't require anyone else in my life
It's all in my name
Everything I am and do revolves around you
You are the poison barbed with open pores
You are intoxicating and addictive, even though you hurt me
Your sickness lines within my skin
Your toxicity is embedded in me, and I can't escape it
Easy up now
Take it easy, slow down
Down that twisted stair
Descend into the dark and twisted depths of our relationship
Shot and shot again in my memory
The memories of our turbulent past keep haunting me
And I don't need anybody else
I am so consumed by you that I don't require anyone else in my life
And I don't want anybody else
I am completely devoted to you and don't desire anyone else
It's all, it's all in your name
Everything I am and do revolves around you
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BUFFY SAINTE MARIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind