Founded in Detroit in 1989, Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore and is known for its elaborate live performances. Originally known as JJ Boyz and Inner City Posse, the group introduced supernatural- and horror-themed lyrics as a means of distinguishing itself stylistically. The duo founded the independent record label Psychopathic Records with Alex Abbiss as manager, and produced and starred in the feature films Big Money Hustlas and Big Money Rustlas. They formed their own professional wrestling promotion, Juggalo Championship Wrestling, and later collaborated with many hip hop and rock musicians.
The songs of Insane Clown Posse center thematically on the mythology of the Dark Carnival, a metaphoric limbo in which the lives of the dead are judged by one of several entities. The Dark Carnival is elaborated through a series of stories called Joker's Cards, each of which offers a specific lesson designed to change the "evil ways" of listeners before "the end consumes us all". The original lineup of Insane Clown Posse was John Utsler (John Kickjazz), Joe Bruce (Violent J) and Joey Utsler (Shaggy 2 Dope). John Utsler left before Carnival of Carnage was released in 1992.
Insane Clown Posse's performance style is often described as horrorcore hip hop, which "utilize shocking (and blatantly over-the-top) narratives to give an over-exaggerated, almost cartoon-like version of urban deprivation in Detroit", according to author Sara Cohen. Bruce and Utsler describe many of their lyrics as being tongue-in-cheek. The group's early work features a raw, minimalistic sound, which later evolved into a more rock-oriented style. The group's lyrics serve as morality tales, with songs focusing on subjects such as cannibalism, murder and necrophilia. Insane Clown Posse's debut album, Carnival of Carnage, features a politically-oriented focus, criticizing elitism and prejudice against those who live in the ghetto, while the album's liner notes criticize the Gulf War. The group's lyrics have opposed racism, bigotry, domestic violence, and child abuse.
Insane Clown Posse has covered songs by Geto Boys, Sly Fox, and Above the Law. Bruce and Utsler refer to Ice Cube, Awesome Dre, Geto Boys, and Esham as influences on their own music, while Bruce has expressed admiration for Gong, Pearl Jam, and Michael Jackson. Mike E. Clark's production for the group incorporates elements such as "carnival organ riffs, power chords and shotgun blasts...banjolike plucking and Van Halen-esque guitar squeals", while Bruce and Utsler sometimes alternate between rapping and screaming. Bruce has credited pop music as an influence on some of the group's material, even terming the music "Wicked Pop". Bruce has also stated "We do our own genre of music". In his review of The Tempest, Allmusic's David Jeffries writes that Bruce and Utsler "[rap] in a carnival barker fashion that fits with their circus motif, their Insane Clown disguises, and Mike E. Clark's big top-inspired production." Insane Clown Posse has influenced similar acts, such as Axe Murder Boyz, Blaze Ya Dead Homie and Boondox.
The Killing Fields
Insane Clown Posse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[Violent J]
Laying in my bed, I think of many horror tales
Yet I barely move, my bed is made of nails
I try to roll, my skin slowly tears away
My flesh is stuck to my bed as I begin my day
Walking out the house, this morning, the sky is red
They're trying to die, they're leaping off of roof tops
Uh, they only scream in pain as their body flops
I'd rather stay inside my home and only pray to die
But my house is been on fire since like '85
I can only stand a night of the fatal smoke
But see you never die, you only burn and choke
So I leave out the house and walk the land
Wild pigs run and feed off the dying man
And look around you, there's bodies hanging from the trees
But they're not dying, they're only crying "please"
I hear the thunder in the sky, so I run in hide
The deadly rain may soon come down, you got to get inside
The lunatics see the lightning, they're screaming, yes
It's raining blood, the streets are a bloody mess
About once or twice a week though it thunder storms
That's when giant heavy red and black clouds form
It's raining blood, livers, and kidneys from the sky
Prepare 'cause when you die, you're coming to the killing fields
"What shall that be? What shall that be? When that fine moment
comes. When the curtains are drawn, the windows are shut, the
doors close, and you've written what you've written, you said
it, that's it. What will you look to be? What about it, mister,
when you've had your last beer. You laughed at family and
laughed at your little wife. She begged you not to go out to
that bar."
[Violent J]
As I feed off a dead pig, I'm thinking back
To when I had a heart beat, and how I would act
I would steal from the poor, I'd laugh at the sick
But in the killing fields, you get your fucking neck ripped
So as I walk along, I meet a lot of strange folks
Some people with no eyes, and gashed open throats
And if they notice your eyeballs are working well
They try to dig em out your skull, and go for self
Now in the summertime, it's like a whole 'nother realm
Water victims, fire, and oceans overwhelm
To walk outside, the heat will surely cook your brains
Try to run across the street your hair will burst in flames
Victims in a panic run from the heated light
Underneath the city, into the sewer pipes
Into the fire storm this becomes your new land
But there's no food, so you feed off the other men
And now it's been seven months, I'm barely fed
I chase a Billy Billy goat with a human's head
He's steady screaming "Let me be! Let me be!"
But while I chase him there's another demon chasing me
All of time moves backwards, I'm growing old
And the clouds are burning fire, and so I'm told
That there's a lot of living souls such as the rich
That choose to live like a bitch, I'll see you in the Killing Fields
"You've had your big time of lust and sin and filth. What is
the end going to be when you realize that time is up? You've
crossed the finish line going in the wrong direction. What
shall it be? What about it, ya man? When you spent your life
in a few years time? You're burned out shell at 25 years of
age. What shall it be? What about it?
You could go to hell (what shall it be?)
Come, come on down, down (you're going to the killing fields)
The Killing Fields by Insane Clown Posse is a song that paints a picture of a horrific post-apocalyptic future. The song is a reflection on the implications of living a life filled with sin and indulgence, so terrible that it renders death a preferred alternative. The song starts with a description of a terrible day, where the sky is red, and the streets are filled with the bodies of the living dead. The singer contemplates their bed made of nails while being unable to move, only to find their skin slowly tearing away.
In this world, the living desperately seek death, to the extent of jumping off rooftops, screaming in agony as their bodies hit the ground. The streets are blood-soaked, and bodies hang from the trees, living in endless torment. The track is gruesome, with descriptions of people feeding on dead pigs, people with no eyes, and gashed open throats among other horrors.
The song is a reflection of the duo's belief in living a life devoid of sin, and it paints a vision of the price one might pay for living in sin in the afterlife. It is a call to repentance and a warning that the consequences of a life of immorality are dire.
Line by Line Meaning
Laying in my bed, I think of many horror tales
As I lay in bed, my mind is filled with nightmarish thoughts
Yet I barely move, my bed is made of nails
I am barely able to move as my bed is made of sharp nails
I try to roll, my skin slowly tears away
Even the slightest movement causes my skin to tear away from the sharp nails
My flesh is stuck to my bed as I begin my day
My skin is stuck to the nails as I try to rise, starting my day in pain
Walking out the house, this morning, the sky is red
As I leave my home, I notice the sky is a foreboding red
The streets are crowded with the bodies of the living dead
The streets are filled with the living dead, struggling to survive
They're trying to die, they're leaping off of roof tops
Many of them attempt to end their misery by jumping off roofs
Uh, they only scream in pain as their body flops
Their screams of agony echoing through the air as they fall helplessly
I'd rather stay inside my home and only pray to die
The outside world is so terrifying that I prefer to stay inside and await my death
But my house is been on fire since like '85
My home has been engulfed in flames for years, leaving me with no safe haven
I can only stand a night of the fatal smoke
The deadly smoke only allows me to stay inside for one sleepless night
But see you never die, you only burn and choke
However, death isn't an escape and suffering continues even in death
So I leave out the house and walk the land
I have no choice but to leave the house and face the horrors outside
Wild pigs run and feed off the dying man
Wild pigs roam the land, feeding on the bodies of those who have perished
And look around you, there's bodies hanging from the trees
There are corpses hanging from the trees, their suffering still not over
But they're not dying, they're only crying "please"
These people still suffer and beg for mercy, despite their death
I hear the thunder in the sky, so I run in hide
Thunder signals the coming of deadly rain, forcing me to hide
The deadly rain may soon come down, you got to get inside
The rain is dangerous and can be deadly, necessitating the need to shelter
The lunatics see the lightning, they're screaming, yes
The mentally unstable welcome the coming storm with shouts of joy
It's raining blood, the streets are a bloody mess
When the storm comes, it rains blood and the streets are covered in gore
About once or twice a week though it thunder storms
Thunderstorms occur once or twice a week in this world
That's when giant heavy red and black clouds form
When a storm brews, the ominous clouds are black and red
It's raining blood, livers, and kidneys from the sky
When the storm unleashes its wrath, it rains body parts
Prepare 'cause when you die, you're coming to the killing fields
One can only brace themselves as death is not an escape and they will only enter a world of suffering
As I feed off a dead pig, I'm thinking back
As I feast on a pig carcass, my thoughts go back to my past life
To when I had a heart beat, and how I would act
When I still had a beating heart and how I acted cruelly
I would steal from the poor, I'd laugh at the sick
My past actions included stealing from the poor and mocking the ill
But in the killing fields, you get your fucking neck ripped
However, in this world, those who act cruelly meet violent ends
So as I walk along, I meet a lot of strange folks
As I travel, I encounter many strange and violent individuals
Some people with no eyes, and gashed open throats
People are often disfigured or have unexplainable injuries
And if they notice your eyeballs are working well
If someone notices that you have functioning eyes, they may try to gouge them out
They try to dig em out your skull, and go for self
They will attempt to extract your eyes for their own use and benefit
Now in the summertime, it's like a whole 'nother realm
During summer, the horrors of this world are even more pronounced
Water victims, fire, and oceans overwhelm
Water overwhelms and kills many people, while fire and oceans also pose a threat
To walk outside, the heat will surely cook your brains
Just stepping outside could result in your brain boiling from the intense heat
Try to run across the street your hair will burst in flames
Running across the street can result in your hair catching on fire
Victims in a panic run from the heated light
People run in terror from the unbearable light and heat
Underneath the city, into the sewer pipes
People are forced to take refuge in the city's sewer system to avoid death
Into the fire storm this becomes your new land
Firestorms are common and have taken over much of the land
But there's no food, so you feed off the other men
Food is scarce and people are forced to cannibalize each other to survive
And now it's been seven months, I'm barely fed
After seven months of surviving in this world, I am barely alive
I chase a Billy Billy goat with a human's head
My desperation has led me to chase a mutated goat with a human's head for food
He's steady screaming "Let me be! Let me be!"
The goat, like many others, is sentient and begs to be left alone
But while I chase him there's another demon chasing me
In this world, danger is ever-present and sometimes catching prey leads to being preyed upon
All of time moves backwards, I'm growing old
Time moves backwards in this world, causing me to age quickly
And the clouds are burning fire, and so I'm told
The clouds themselves are on fire, perpetuating the cycle of destruction
That there's a lot of living souls such as the rich
Even the wealthy suffer in this world, no one is immune from the horrors
That choose to live like a bitch, I'll see you in the Killing Fields
Those who made choices based in cowardice will suffer the same fate as everyone else
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOSEPH BRUCE, MIKE E. CLARK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ridiculous Sinner
LYRICS
Laying in my bed, I think of many horror tales
Yet I barely move, my bed is made of nails
I try to roll, my skin slowly tears away
My flesh is stuck to my bed as I begin my day
Walking out the house, this morning, the sky is red
The streets are crowded with the bodies of the living dead
They're trying to die, they're leaping off of roof tops
Uh, they only scream in pain as their body flops
I'd rather stay inside my home and only pray to die
But my house is been on fire since like '85
I can only stand a night of the fatal smoke
But see you never die, you only burn and choke
So I leave out the house and walk the land
Wild pigs run and feed off the dying man
And look around you, there's bodies hanging from the trees
But they're not dying, they're only crying "please"
I hear the thunder in the sky, so I run in hide
The deadly rain may soon come down, you got to get inside
The lunatics see the lightning, they're screaming, yes
It's raining blood, the streets are a bloody mess
About once or twice a week though it thunder storms
That's when giant heavy red and black clouds form
It's raining blood, livers, and kidneys from the sky
Prepare 'cause when you die, you're coming to the killing fields
"What shall that be? What shall that be? When that fine moment
comes. When the curtains are drawn, the windows are shut, the
doors close, and you've written what you've written, you said
it, that's it. What will you look to be? What about it, mister,
when you've had your last beer. You laughed at family and
laughed at your little wife. She begged you not to go out to
that bar."
As I feed off a dead pig, I'm thinking back
To when I had a heart beat, and how I would act
I would steal from the poor, I'd laugh at the sick
But in the killing fields, you get your fucking neck ripped
So as I walk along, I meet a lot of strange folks
Some people with no eyes, and gashed open throats
And if they notice your eyeballs are working well
They try to dig em out your skull, and go for self
Now in the summertime, it's like a whole 'nother realm
Water victims, fire, and oceans overwhelm
To walk outside, the heat will surely cook your brains
Try to run across the street your hair will burst in flames
Victims in a panic run from the heated light
Underneath the city, into the sewer pipes
Into the fire storm this becomes your new land
But there's no food, so you feed off the other men
And now it's been seven months, I'm barely fed
I chase a Billy Billy goat with a human's head
He's steady screaming "Let me be! Let me be!"
But while I chase him there's another demon chasing me
All of time moves backwards, I'm growing old
And the clouds are burning fire, and so I'm told
That there's a lot of living souls such as the rich
That choose to live like a bitch, I'll see you in the Killing Fields
"You've had your big time of lust and sin and filth. What is
the end going to be when you realize that time is up? You've
crossed the finish line going in the wrong direction. What
shall it be? What about it, ya man? When you spent your life
in a few years time? You're burned out shell at 25 years of
age. What shall it be? What about it?
You could go to hell (what shall it be?)
Come, come
John Emerick
Laying in my bed, I think of many horror tales
Yet I barely move, my bed is made of nails
I try to roll, my skin slowly tears away
My flesh is stuck to my bed as I begin my day
Walking out the house, this morning, the sky is red
The streets are crowded with the bodies of the living dead
They're trying to die, they're leaping off of roof tops
Uh, they only scream in pain as their body flops
I'd rather stay inside my home and only pray to die
But my house is been on fire since like '85
I can only stand a night of the fatal smoke
But see you never die, you only burn and choke
So I leave out the house and walk the land
Wild pigs run and feed off the dying man
And look around you, there's bodies hanging from the trees
But they're not dying, they're only crying "please"
I hear the thunder in the sky, so I run in hide
The deadly rain may soon come down, you got to get inside
The lunatics see the lightning, they're screaming, yes
It's raining blood, the streets are a bloody mess
About once or twice a week though it thunder storms
That's when giant heavy red and black clouds form
It's raining blood, livers, and kidneys from the sky
Prepare 'cause when you die, you're coming to the killing fields
"What shall that be? What shall that be? When that fine moment
comes. When the curtains are drawn, the windows are shut, the
doors close, and you've written what you've written, you said
it, that's it. What will you look to be? What about it, mister,
when you've had your last beer. You laughed at family and
laughed at your little wife. She begged you not to go out to
that bar."
As I feed off a dead pig, I'm thinking back
To when I had a heart beat, and how I would act
I would steal from the poor, I'd laugh at the sick
But in the killing fields, you get your fucking neck ripped
So as I walk along, I meet a lot of strange folks
Some people with no eyes, and gashed open throats
And if they notice your eyeballs are working well
They try to dig em out your skull, and go for self
Now in the summertime, it's like a whole 'nother realm
Water victims, fire, and oceans overwhelm
To walk outside, the heat will surely cook your brains
Try to run across the street your hair will burst in flames
Victims in a panic run from the heated light
Underneath the city, into the sewer pipes
Into the fire storm this becomes your new land
But there's no food, so you feed off the other men
And now it's been seven months, I'm barely fed
I chase a Billy Billy goat with a human's head
He's steady screaming "Let me be! Let me be!"
But while I chase him there's another demon chasing me
All of time moves backwards, I'm growing old
And the clouds are burning fire, and so I'm told
That there's a lot of living souls such as the rich
That choose to live like a bitch, I'll see you in the Killing Fields
"You've had your big time of lust and sin and filth. What is
the end going to be when you realize that time is up? You've
crossed the finish line going in the wrong direction. What
shall it be? What about it, ya man? When you spent your life
in a few years time? You're burned out shell at 25 years of
age. What shall it be? What about it?
You could go to hell (what shall it be?)
Come, come on down, down (you're going to the killing fields)
Madha
God this is a masterpiece. Thise vivid hellscape imagery over this disonant, bleak and ethereal instrumental. Just an amazimg track.
Mister Lunacy
Init, 100%
Sir Smoke a lot
Arent you fancy with the words
Andrew Weaver
There is a section of a "map" I have these nightmares in. Kinda like a video game. It's a combination of Iraq, this song and parts of Athens, Al. There are manic opportunists, zombies, desperate people just trying to survive that hurt my heart and offer distraction, people from my past that I am attempting to move by foot through alleys that have haunted my dreams since I was in 1st grade. Always so urgent. And so vivid I've actually made drawings of the map ask much as I can remember. Sucky part of this is I'm the only one in uniform with protection, weapons and the know how to stay alive. I HAVE PTSD, PTSD DOES NOT HAVE ME. Whoop whoop, mmfcl, I love and thank you
Matthew Micallef
@Hello World That's true... these tracks sure rock into the decades though! ..up until the amazing jeckel brothers album for sure
John Williams
Violent J has the perfect voice for horrorcore..One of the many reasons ICP is so successful .
Hello World
@Zap Rowsdower Exactly, its more the lyrical narratives he presented in these early albums that really made it unique.
Zap Rowsdower
Plus his storytelling
Canadis
ICP are straight up dope but this track right here is pure genius!
truthisalonelywarrior foreal
yes. its perfect. genius status