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
Yohoho
KMFDM Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And a bottle of rum
I'm in the gutter
But I've got the gun
16 men on a dead man's chest
A little lead for a little rest
One's for shit
Now the hurt
Fans the flame
Yohoho
Here's the fun
You get to go
I get to come
Six bold strokes
And no new jokes
The lost & founds
Your only hope
Here's the lard
In leather glove
Answered dreams
Straight from above
Pull me in
Drag me down
You can be the kapt'n
As we're tumbling
Always down
Go slow
On the torture-show
Fear not what you can't see
The pulse
The pain
The ecstasy
A hollow space
An empty grave
The best laid plans are meant to fade
The lyrics to KMFDM's song "Yohoho" evoke the feeling of being in a dark, dangerous place, with the singer proclaiming they're in the gutter and armed with a gun. The phrase "Yohoho" is often associated with pirates and is used here as a nod to the traditional pirate ballad, "Fifteen Men on a Dead Man's Chest." The song touches on themes of betrayal and self-destruction, with lines like "six bold strokes and no new jokes" referring to a sense of repetition and stagnation.
The chorus of "Yohoho" creates a sense of contrast with the darkness of the rest of the lyrics. The line "Here's the fun / You get to go / I get to come" may be interpreted as an allusion to drugs, with the singer enjoying the high while others around them spiral into addiction.
Line by Line Meaning
Yohoho
A joyful exclamation or greeting
And a bottle of rum
Drinking alcohol is a part of this celebration
I'm in the gutter
The singer is in a difficult situation
But I've got the gun
The singer has taken control of the situation
16 men on a dead man's chest
Referencing the pirate song, the singer is surrounded by enemies
A little lead for a little rest
The singer will use violence to overcome their enemies
One's for shit
One of the options is undesirable
One's for shame
Another of the options is shameful
Now the hurt
The singer is feeling emotional pain
Fans the flame
The pain intensifies the singer's desire to harm their enemies
Here's the fun
This situation is enjoyable for the singer
You get to go
The singer is allowing their enemies to leave
I get to come
The singer revels in their own power and control
Six bold strokes
The singer has taken swift action against their enemies
And no new jokes
The situation has become serious and deadly
The lost & founds
The singer is not sure where to turn for help
Your only hope
The singer is the only one who can help themselves
Here's the lard
The singer is offering something luxurious
In leather glove
The singer is using a gentle approach to offer this luxury
Answered dreams
The singer has achieved their goals
Straight from above
The singer believes their success is the result of divine intervention
Pull me in
The singer wants to be involved in something exciting
Drag me down
The singer enjoys risky and dangerous situations
You can be the kapt'n
The singer is offering leadership opportunities
As we're tumbling
The situation is chaotic and dangerous
Always down
The situation is going from bad to worse
Go slow
The singer wants to prolong the excitement and danger
On the torture-show
The singer enjoys being on the edge of pain and pleasure
Fear not what you can't see
The singer embraces the unknown and takes risks
The pulse
The singer feels alive and excited
The pain
The singer enjoys physical and emotional pain
The ecstasy
The singer is in a state of intense pleasure
A hollow space
The singer feels empty and unfulfilled
An empty grave
The singer is facing their own mortality
The best laid plans are meant to fade
Even the most well-thought-out plan can fall apart
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aza Smith
Sounds like a cutscene theme from a Silent Hill game.