The group's earliest incarnation included German drummer En Esch and British vocalist Raymond Watts, the latter of whom left and rejoined the group several times over its history. The trio recorded the band's earliest albums in Germany before Konietzko and Esch moved to the United States, where they found much greater success with seminal industrial record label Wax Trax!. German guitarist Günter Schulz joined in 1990; both he and Esch continued with the band until KMFDM broke up in 1999. Konietzko resurrected KMFDM in 2002 (Esch and Schulz declined to rejoin) on Metropolis Records, and by 2005 he had assembled a consistent line-up that included American singer Lucia Cifarelli, British guitarists Jules Hodgson and Steve White, and British drummer Andy Selway. Konietzko and Cifarelli moved back to Germany in 2007, while the rest of band stayed in the U.S. In addition to these core members, dozens of other musicians have worked with the group across its nineteen studio albums and two dozen singles, with sales totaling in excess of two million records worldwide.
Critics consider KMFDM to be one of the first bands to bring industrial music to mainstream audiences, though Konietzko refers to the band's music as "The Ultra-Heavy Beat". The band incorporates heavy metal guitar riffs, electronic music, samples, and both male and female vocals in its music, which encompasses a variety of styles including industrial rock and electronic body music (EBM). The band is fiercely political, with many of its lyrics taking stands against violence, war, and oppression. KMFDM normally tours at least once after every major release, and band members are known for their accessibility to and interaction with fans, both online and at concerts. Members, singly or working together and with other musicians, have recorded under many other names, primarily Watts' PIG, Konietzko's Excessive Force, and Esch and Schulz's Slick Idiot.
KMFDM (Discogs): https://www.discogs.com/artist/11606-KMFDM
KMFDM (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/officialkmfdm
KMFDM (MySpace): https://myspace.com/officialkmfdm
KMFDM (Official Site): http://www.kmfdm.net
KMFDM (Reddit): https://www.reddit.com/r/kmfdm
KMFDM (SoundCloud): https://soundcloud.com/kmfdm_official
KMFDM (Store): http://kmfdm.fulfillmentmerch.com
KMFDM (Tumblr): https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/kmfdm
KMFDM (Twitter): https://twitter.com/kmfdmofficial
KMFDM (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/user/officialkmfdm
---Current Members---
Sascha Konietzko – vocals, guitar, bass, programming, keyboards, synthesizer, percussion
Lucia Cifarelli – vocals, keyboards
Jules Hodgson – guitar, bass, keyboards
Andy Selway – drums
Steve White – guitar
---Former Members---
En Esch – vocals, drums, guitar, programming
Raymond Watts – vocals, programming
Günter Schulz – guitar, programming
Mark Durante – guitar, steel guitar
Tim Skold – vocals, guitar, bass, drums, programming
Classic KMFDM Discography (1984-1999)
---Studio Albums---
1984 - Opium
1986 - What Do You Know, Deutschland?
1988 - Don't Blow Your Top
1989 - UAIOE
1990 - Naïve
1992 - Money
1993 - Angst
1995 - Nihil
1996 - Xtort
1997 - Symbols
1999 - Adios
---Compilations---
1986 - 84-86 (compilation)
1994 - Naïve/Hell to Go (remix)
1996 - Retro (compilation)
1998 - Agogo (compilation)
---Singles---
1987 - Kickin' Ass
1988 - Don't Blow Your Top
1988 - More & Faster
1989 - Virus
1990 - Godlike
1991 - Naïve + The Days of Swine and Roses (split with My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult)
1991 - Split
1992 - Vogue
1992 - Money
1992 - Help Us/Save Us/Take Us Away
1992 - Sucks
1993 - A Drug Against War
1994 - Light
1994 - Glory
1995 - Juke Joint Jezebel
1995 - Juke Joint Jezebel (The Moroder Mixes)
1995 - Brute
1995 - Trust
1995 - Year of the Pig
1996 - Power
1996 - Rules
1997 - Anarchy
1998 - MDFMK
---Side Projects/Collaborations---
1991 - Excessive Force - Conquer Your House
1992 - Excessive Force - Conquer Your World
1992 - En Esch - Cheesy
1993 - Excessive Force - Blizkrieg
1994 - Excessive Force - Gentle Death
1994 - KMFDM vs. PIG - Sin Sex & Salvation
---Modern KMFDM Discography (2002-present)
---Studio Albums---
2002 - Attak
2003 - WWIII
2005 - Hau Ruck
2007 - Tohuvabohu
2009 - Blitz
2011 - WTF?!
2013 - Kunst
2014 - Our Time Will Come
2017 - Hell Yeah
2019 - Paradise
2022 - HYËNA
2024 - LET GO
---Compilations---
2002 - Strum & Drang Tour Live (live)
2004 - WWIII Live 2003 (live)
2006 - Ruck Zuck (remix)
2008 - Brimborium (remix)
2008 - Extra Vol. 1 (compilation)
2008 - Extra Vol. 2 (compilation)
2008 - Extra Vol. 3 (compilation)
2009 - Krieg (remix)
2010 - Würst (compilation)
2010 - Greatest Shit (compilation)
2014 - We Are KMFDM (live)
---Singles---
2002 - Boots
2010 - Day of Light
2010 - Godlike 2010
2010 - Light 2010
2011 - Krank
2011 - Amnesia
2014 - Salvation
---Side Projects/Collaborations---
2000 - MDFMK - MDFMK
2001 - Schweinstein - Schweinstein
2001 - Slick Idiot - DickNity
2002 - Schweinstein - Son of Schweinstein
2003 - Slick Idiot - ReDickUlous
2004 - Slick Idiot - Screwtinized
2004 - Lucia - From the Land of Volcanoes
2006 - Slick Idiot - xSCREWciating
2006 - KGC - Dirty Bomb
2009 - Slick Idiot - Sucksess
2009 - Skold vs. KMFDM - Skold vs. KMFDM
2011 - OK●ZTEIN●OK - PROLET●KULT
2014 - En Esch - SPÄNK
Piggybank
KMFDM Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Spluttering decay
Crying out the lament every night and every day
Hiding in the twilight
X-ray shades
Suffering from constipation, tripping out in space
I've been recoiled into stone age
Covetous a dream
Sleeping in the morgue
A weird effect on me
Think I lost my consciousness, left reality
My inner circle's helter skelter, echoes lovin' ecstasy
I know I'll find a way to live, a way for you and me
Totally addicted under detrimental spell
And if I had a shotgun, I'd blow myself to hell
Let me be your piggybank for nothing but your smell
If I had a shotgun, I'd blow myself to hell
Squalid and deranged
I'm the outlaw of the kin
Will never be the same again, stuck in deadly sin
I slouch along the street
Instead of struttin' down the block
I still did not recover from that stunnin' cold shock
Away from phony people
Besides the way of life
I won't be blamed for loving you, I'll take you - be my wife
The lyrics of KMFDM's "Piggybank" describe a character who is struggling with their mental health, addiction, and a sense of isolation. The song's opening lines, "Hopelessly retarded, spluttering decay, crying out the lament every night and every day," suggest a feeling of stagnation and decay, a sense that the singer is stuck in a hopeless cycle of despair. They are "hiding in the twilight," wearing "x-ray shades" which may represent a desire to see through surface appearances and find deeper truths. However, they are also "suffering from constipation, tripping out in space," implying that their attempts to find meaning are leading them nowhere.
The chorus of the song adds to this sense of despair and hopelessness, with the repeated phrase "If I had a shotgun, I'd blow myself to hell." This line is tempered somewhat by the opening line of the second verse, "My inner circle's helter-skelter, echoes lovin' ecstasy," which seems to suggest that there may be some hope for the singer yet. However, the final lines of the song, "I won't be blamed for loving you, I'll take you - be my wife," leave the listener with a sense that the singer's obsession with another person is ultimately unhealthy and unfulfilling.
Overall, "Piggybank" is a song that portrays the dark side of addiction and mental illness, depicting a character who is struggling to find their way forward in a world that seems to have left them behind.
Line by Line Meaning
Hopelessly retarded
Feeling helpless and unable to function properly
Spluttering decay
Degenerating and deteriorating in a messy and ill-formed way
Crying out the lament every night and every day
Expressing feelings of sadness and sorrow constantly
Hiding in the twilight
Concealing oneself in the half-light, avoiding the sun's intensity
X-ray shades
Sunglasses with an advanced technology that allows the wearer to see through objects
Suffering from constipation, tripping out in space
Experiencing difficulty in releasing waste, while also feeling disoriented and disconnected from reality
I've been recoiled into stone age
Feeling as though one has regressed back to a primitive state
Covetous a dream
Having an intense and selfish desire for a goal that seems unattainable
Obnoxious and depraved, waking up in a scream
Behaving in a rude and immoral manner, leading to awakening in terror
Sleeping in the morgue
Metaphorically speaking about feeling dead or lifeless, lacking energy and vitality
A weird effect on me
Producing a strange and unsettling impact on one's mood and behavior
Think I lost my consciousness, left reality
Having an altered state of mind that makes it difficult to differentiate between what's real and what's not
My inner circle's helter skelter, echoes lovin' ecstasy
My close relationships are chaotic and confused, but they still have moments of happiness
I know I'll find a way to live, a way for you and me
Believing that there's a possibility for a better life for oneself and a loved one
Totally addicted under detrimental spell
Being utterly consumed and dependent on something that's harmful or unhealthy
And if I had a shotgun, I'd blow myself to hell
Expressing extreme self-hatred and the desire to end one's life if possible
Let me be your piggybank for nothing but your smell
Offering oneself entirely to another, with the promise of giving one's all to please them
Squalid and deranged
Dirty and insane, lacking normality and order
I'm the outlaw of the kin
Feeling like an outsider and a rebel within one's community
Will never be the same again, stuck in deadly sin
Having undergone an irreversible transformation due to sin, leading to a lost and hopeless state
I slouch along the street,Instead of struttin' down the block
Moving slowly and without confidence, lacking the swagger and energy of a confident person
I still did not recover from that stunnin' cold shock
Being unable to move on from a traumatic event that has left a lasting impact
Away from phony people
Preferring to keep a distance from insincere and fake individuals
Besides the way of life
Apart from the usual customs and norms of society
I won't be blamed for loving you, I'll take you - be my wife
Not wanting to be judged or criticized for loving someone and expressing the desire to make them their life partner
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: SASCH KEGEL KONIETZKO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind