Along with guitarist Billy Duffy bassist Jamie Stewart and drummer Ray Mondo, Ian (now going by the surname "Astbury"), formed a new band, The Death Cult and later dropped Death from the name.
**The Cult**
The Cult was one of the most successful British rock bands of the late 1980s and early 1990s. With the 1984 release of their first album Dreamtime, The Cult were the darlings of the Indie post-punk scene, their chart topping "Spiritwalker" single having held at number one for three months. Their second album, Love, evoked memories of 1960s psychedelia such as The Doors, and the Pretty Things. It also featured their now classic hit "She Sells Sanctuary", which introduced them to an international audience. On their third album, Electric, The Cult made a radical transformation to hard rock reminiscent of AC/DC and Aerosmith with the help of Rick Rubin. This further broadened their audience as rock began making a comeback in the late 1980s. Guns N' Roses, who were heavily influenced by Electric, opened for The Cult on their 1987 North American tour, before going on to sell millions of copies of their debut album Appetite for Destruction.
Although The Cult went on to greater heights with their mainstream hit single "Fire Woman," (on the follow up 1989 Sonic Temple album), they began to get criticized by many hardcore fans on artistic merits. Soured on the band's more commercial direction, The Cult were now characterized as pretentious and as having sold out, particularly among their British fan legion.
**1990s**
The dent in their reputation was amplified by the loss of many Sonic Temple fans, when their next album (Ceremony, 1991) delivered dissapointingly in the wake of an oncoming grunge fad.
In 1994, The Cult returned with their untitled album and a musical change of pace. Gone was much of their overblown rock trappings, replaced instead by Astbury's growing interest in electronica and introspective lyrics. To support the album they set out on tour, but in Brazil, Astbury's creative differences with guitarist Billy Duffy reached their peak, and Astbury walked out on The Cult.
Inspired by his sudden change in direction, Astbury immediately assembled another group of musicians and began writing new songs. He called the group The Holy Barbarians, and in 1996 the band released an album, "Cream". Although the Barbarians were not a commercial success, they were well received by many who had regained respect for Astbury as an artist.
Personal difficulties and a drive for further introspection drove Astbury away from his new group, as he began working on a solo album (eventually released as Spirit/Light/Speed), to mixed reviews and low sales.
In 1999, Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy regrouped The Cult to head one of the most financially successful tours that year. A new contract with Atlantic Records was inked, and in 2001 came the release of Beyond Good And Evil. Early radio success was being had by the single Rise, until the band had a falling out with Atlantic and they killed any and all commercial promotions and radio play for BG&E. The fight with Atlantic was described by Ian as Soul Destroying and a disillusioned Astbury, brought The Cult onto another hiatus in 2002.
*2000s*
Having long been influenced by Jim Morrison, in 2002 Ian Astbury filled his hero's footsteps by becoming lead singer in an updated version of The Doors, with original members Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek, known as The Doors of the 21st Century, renamed in 2005 to become Riders On The Storm. In 2003, Astbury also performed with surviving members of MC5 at the 100 Club in London, before finally reforming The Cult with Billy Duffy again in 2006, for a series of live dates and rumours of reissues and another greatest hits compilation in the works.
It's Over
Ian Astbury Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's over your head
The stone has been bled
The skin has been shed
Life travels faster than sound
Life travels faster than sound
It's over my head
It's over your head
It's over your head
The stone has been bled
The skin has been shed
It's over our heads
Don't say that it's over
Love lies limply in the clover
Stamp out all light with your jack beetle boots
Don't you know the pig has eaten the truth?
Don't say that it's over
Love lies limply in the clover
Stamp out all light with your jack beetle boots
Don't you know the pig has eaten the truth?
It's over my head
It's over your head
The stone has been bled
The skin has been shed
Life travels faster than sound
Life travels faster than sound
It's over my head
It's over my head
It's over your head
It's over your head
The stone has been bled
The skin has been shed
It's over our heads
Don't say that it's over
Love lies limply in the clover
Stamp out all light with your jack beetle boots
Don't you know the pig has eaten the truth?
Don't say that it's over
Love lies limply in the clover
Stamp out all light with your jack beetle boots
Don't you know the pig has eaten the truth?
It's over my head
It's over my head
It's over your head
It's over your head
The stone has been bled
The skin has been shed
It's over our heads
Don't say that it's over
Love lies limply in the clover
Stamp out all light with your jack beetle boots
Don't you know the pig has eaten the truth?
Don't say that it's over
Love lies limply in the clover
Stamp out all light with your jack beetle boots
Don't you know the pig has eaten the truth?
Don't say that it's, say that it's over
Don't say that it's, say that it's over
Don't say that it's over
Don't say that it's, say that it's, say that it's, say that it's, say that it's over
Say that it's over
Say that it's over
Say that it's over
Don't say that it's, say that it's, say that it's, say that it's, say that it's over
It's so fucking over
It's so fucking over
It's so fucking over
It's so fucking over
It's so fucking over
Don't say that it's, say that it's, say that it's, say that it's, say that it's over
It's so fucking over
It's so fucking over
Don't say that it's over
The song It's Over by Ian Astbury resonates feelings of hopelessness that everyone can relate to at some point in their life. The repeated phrase "it's over my head, it's over your head" reflects the burden that we carry in our lives and how everything can ultimately become too much for us to handle. The line, "the stone has been bled, the skin has been shed," alludes to the stress and difficulty that life presents us with. The repetition of the phrase, "life travels faster than sound," is a poignant reflection that the pace of life is never in our control.
Astbury's use of metaphors is also evident in the song. The line "love lies limply in the clover" suggests that love has been disregarded and neglected, while "stamp out all light with your jack beetle boots" implies the destruction of hope and an unwillingness to move forward. The phrase "don't you know the pig has eaten the truth" highlights the notion that sometimes, the truth is obscured or lost, and we are left with uncertainty and doubt.
Overall, the song captures the essence of how life can become overwhelming and how we can lose sight of hope and believe that everything is over. It's a powerful reminder that we need to pick ourselves up and keep going, even when things seem bleak.
Line by Line Meaning
It's over my head
I can't comprehend what's happening; it's beyond my understanding
It's over your head
You can't comprehend what's happening; it's beyond your understanding
The stone has been bled
We've taken everything we can from this situation, there's nothing left
The skin has been shed
We've stripped down to our core, revealing our innermost selves
Life travels faster than sound
Time moves quickly, and we can't keep up
Don't say that it's over
Don't give up hope, don't accept defeat
Love lies limply in the clover
Our love is withering away, losing its vibrancy and strength
Stamp out all light with your jack beetle boots
You're crushing any hope that remains, destroying our chances at happiness
Don't you know the pig has eaten the truth?
The lies and deceit have overpowered the truth, leaving us in darkness and confusion
It's over our heads
We're both struggling to make sense of the situation
Say that it's over
Admit defeat, accept that it's done
It's so fucking over
There's no denying it, it's completely finished
Contributed by Colin D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.