Rock Machine's first made their mark by bucking the cover-band trend in India. They are considered one of the principal forces responsible for overcoming the bias against original music by bands in India. Based in Bombay (now known as Mumbai), Rock Machine was one of the first Indian rock bands to develop an extensive fan base across the country, a region they toured relentlessly.
In 1988, the band released "Rock 'n' Roll Renegade", India's first all-original rock album. The album was hugely successful among Indian rock fans and Rock Machine's touring made them very popular among college audiences. The band stood out for their slick, well-produced and highly dynamic live performances.
The early 1990s saw a major shift in the entertainment landscape in India. The arrival of MTV made new American and British music more accessible to Indian rock listeners. Rock Machine became a favorite on MTV when their first video "Top of the Rock" became a spectacular hit. Their Seeking to shed their college-band name and image, as well as mould their sound into a more mature and evolved one, the band decided to change their name—a radical move considering that by this time Rock Machine was the first name on practically every Indian rock fan's lips.
Indus Creed came into existence in 1993. Gone were the 80s-style clothes and songs. The band adopted a name that signalled a more global and hip image. Their sound changed, with the band incorporating softer, more acoustic instruments, including a tabla player. Their third album, titled Indus Creed, was promoted extensively on MTV and Channel V, which gave heavy airplay to each of their artistically shot videos, including "Pretty Child", "Trapped" and "Sleep". "Pretty Child" created history by winning an Asia-wide MTV Video Music Award (Asian Viewer's Choice) in 1994. Indus Creed had truly arrived.
Other notable achievements of the pioneering band included touring the USSR, the UK and the Middle East; playing to over 50,000 people in Bombay when they opened for Bon Jovi; and being invited to jam onstage with GN'R guitar player Slash for MTV India's launch in Bangalore.
Mark Menezes left the band in 1992 and was replaced by Bobby Duggal, who left in 1995 and was replaced by Adrian Fernandes. Indus Creed disbanded in 1999, when Uday Benegal and Jayesh Gandhi moved to New York City with their new Indo-rock band Alms For Shanti. Alms For Shanti released two albums—the first one was self-titled; the follow-up, a Hindi-language version called "Kashmakash".
Uday Benegal moved back to Bombay in 2008. He regrouped with Mahesh Tinaikar and Zubin Balaporia in 2010 to relaunch Indus Creed along with two new recruits—Rushad Mistry (bass) and Jai Row Kavi (drums). The reunion was met by fans and the media with massive enthusiasm, which was quickly followed by a tour called "The Reboot Tour."
Indus Creed are currently working on a new album which they plan to release sometime in 2011.
Cry
Indus Creed Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
beneath the sadness, tilling stones
machines humming, insouciant drone
Flowers are flowers, in garden graves
from far off lands, mistaken faith
you're imprisoned, make belive
what happened today
what happened baby
you look like you've seen a ghost
Under the ground, beneath the bones
beneath the sadness, tilling stones
you head is spinning, hands are red
Flowers are flowers, in garden graves
from far off lands, shaken faith
root lie shivering, over exposed
What happened baby
what happened today
what happened baby
you look like you've seen a ghost
Cry, cry the same cry
words that hide the pain inside
cry, cry the same old cry
The lyrics to Indus Creed's song "Cry" depict a world filled with sadness, pain, and confusion. The first verse talks about machines humming a constant and uncaring tune, while the dead lie buried beneath the earth, their sorrows and secrets tilled alongside them. The flowers in garden graves are a symbol of hope and life, but they too are mistaken for faith from faraway lands. The second verse is more personal, with the singer feeling imprisoned and stuck in a make-believe world. Their head is spinning, and their hands are red, indicating a sense of overwhelming emotion or violence. The roots also lie shivering, overexposed and vulnerable.
The chorus repeats the phrase "What happened baby" as if the singer is questioning the state of the world or someone they know who has been affected by it. The line "you look like you've seen a ghost" adds to the sense of unease and despair. The final lines urge the listener to cry, but also acknowledge that the tears only hide the pain inside. Overall, the lyrics paint a bleak but powerful picture of a world weighed down by grief and confusion, while still holding onto the tiniest glimmer of hope.
Line by Line Meaning
Under the ground beneath the bones
The source of the problem lies deep within, buried beneath many layers.
beneath the sadness, tilling stones
The cause of the sadness is being constantly cultivated, turned over and over again.
machines humming, insouciant drone
Despite the pain, the machinery of life continues to run with indifferent apathy.
Flowers are flowers, in garden graves
Even in death, beauty still exists, but it is overshadowed by the finality of the grave.
from far off lands, mistaken faith
The cause of the pain is rooted in an illusion, a misguided belief in something that is not true.
you're imprisoned, make belive
You are trapped in a false reality, a world of your own making and imagination.
What happened baby
There has been a significant event or change that has led to the current state of distress.
what happened today
The cause of the problem occurred recently, possibly even on this very day.
you look like you've seen a ghost
The emotional pain you are experiencing is so great that it is visibly affecting you in a significant way.
you head is spinning, hands are red
The situation is causing intense physical and emotional turmoil, leaving you dizzy and possibly even wounded.
root lie shivering, over exposed
Even the roots of who you are as a person are being affected by the pain, causing instability and vulnerability.
Cry, cry the same cry
You are stuck in a cycle of pain and despair, unable to move on or find a way out.
words that hide the pain inside
You are using language to conceal the true depth of the anguish you are experiencing from others.
cry, cry the same old cry
The expression of pain has become routine and familiar, but that does not make it any less real or debilitating.
Contributed by Kylie L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.