Riverside, California, situated on the desert's edge, is one of the least h… Read Full Bio ↴Riverside, California, situated on the desert's edge, is one of the least habitable places on the fringe of the Los Angeles megalopolis. Perhaps it is appropriate that such a place should have given rise to a number of industrial bands, including Penal Colony, Hate Dept., and Interzone. It is also where Ryan Gribbin and Roger Jarvis picked up their keyboards and their keen sense of social consciousness and created Kevorkian Death Cycle.

Originally working as Grid, they began their career as crusaders for the right to die, with their earliest tapes bearing many songs rallying around the Kevorkian banner.

Changing their name to Kevorkian Death Cycle (the name is politically motivated -- not merely an attempt at shock), the band released their first full length CD on the now extinct Ras Dva label, Collection for Injection, and began to appear on numerous compilations. Coupled with nationwide appearances (including a successful 1997 tour with Spahn Ranch and a sold out appearance at CMJ's New York City music marathon), the underground community was soon all abuzz about KDC. Combining social issues with throbbing synthetics and dance floor beats, this duo appealed both to the body and to the mind.

In 1998, Kevorkian Death Cycle signed to Metropolis Records, and issued their sophomore release, Dark Skies, in the fall. Still keeping with the darker side of industrial, KDC added more beats and electro attacks to their political formula, creating an astonishing sounding release. The band also had the opportunity to appear in concert with the fathers of the genre, Front 242; and embarked on a nationwide tour, culminating a series of dates with Front Line Assembly.

Kevorkian Death Cycle released their third CD in 1999 entitled A+O(M), and embarked on a two month tour of North America, loosely called the "Free Jack" tour - Jack as in Dr. Jack Kevorkian. The release explored a more electro side of KDC, and contained the dance floor favorites "Death To the Flesh", "Pulse", and a cover of Frankie Goes To Hollywood's "Relax".

The highly sought after debut, Collection For Injection was re-issued in 2000, and a re-mix single of "Relax" featuring mixes by KDC, Assemblage23, and Nikki Shifter, as well as a new version of "Kill For Christ" from the debut was released in 2001.

Spring Heel Jack
Kevorkian Death Cycle Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Brother, ease my mind
Take away the pain but don't leave me behind
There's something wrong with the world outside
There's so many places but nowhere to hide
I've seen the sign
The strangest sights
I've traveled through time
It's a struggle for my life

You make me feel death is happy Spring Heel Jack
And the world claws a hole into me tonight

To see if I can look inside and find
The pieces of a puzzle that fight just right
I don't need no answers to just die
I need what I need but only when I feel it
And the only thing I need is you

You make me feel death is happy Spring Heel Jack
And the city claws a hole into me tonight

To see if I can look inside and find
The light from the stars the buildings hide
But I don't need no answers just to die
You make me feel death is happy Spring Heel Jack
It's easy to be with you on your side, Jack
You can't catch me
I'll take out this
I'll find you first, suffering
You can't hide with my knife

Brother, dig it out
You can't hide
Dig it out
You can't hide
I'm your shadow
You can't hide
Your brother Jack

Jack the ripper

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Kevorkian Death Cycle's song "Spring Heel Jack" suggest a feeling of despair and a need for comfort or protection. The singer asks their brother to ease their mind and take away their pain, but also to stay with them so they don't feel left behind. They feel that there is something wrong with the world outside and nowhere to hide from it. They have had strange experiences, including traveling through time, and they feel like they are struggling for their life. The refrain of the song is directed at Spring Heel Jack, who is described as making the singer feel like death is happy. The city claws a hole into them, but with Spring Heel Jack on their side, they feel like they can withstand it.

The imagery in the lyrics is very evocative. The mention of Spring Heel Jack refers to a legendary figure from Victorian England who was said to have the ability to jump extraordinary heights and distances. The reference to this figure adds to the sense of danger and unpredictability that is suggested by the lyrics. The idea of traveling through time is also an interesting image, and it adds to the idea that the singer is feeling disoriented and out of control. The repetition of the idea that the singer doesn't need answers, only to feel what they need to feel, suggests a kind of existential crisis.

Overall, the song "Spring Heel Jack" conveys a sense of darkness and uncertainty, and it uses vivid imagery to create a mood of desperation and fear.

Line by Line Meaning

Brother, ease my mind
The singer is asking for comfort and peace from whoever they are addressing as 'brother'

Take away the pain but don't leave me behind
The singer wants their pain to stop, but not at the cost of being abandoned

There's something wrong with the world outside
The singer believes that something is not quite right with the world

There's so many places but nowhere to hide
Despite the abundance of physical spaces, the artist feels as though there is nowhere they can escape to

I've seen the sign
The artist has observed or experienced something significant

The strangest sights
The singer has witnessed unusual things

I've traveled through time
The singer has experienced the passage of time in an unusual or extraordinary way

It's a struggle for my life
The artist is finding it difficult to survive or maintain their existence

You make me feel death is happy Spring Heel Jack
The artist feels as though death is a desirable outcome or release, and attributes this feeling to 'Spring Heel Jack'

And the world claws a hole into me tonight
The artist is experiencing an overwhelming sense of despair or negativity that is 'clawing' at them

To see if I can look inside and find
The singer wants to examine their internal state in order to gain insight or understanding

The pieces of a puzzle that fight just right
The artist is searching for the correct pieces of information or knowledge that fit together perfectly

I don't need no answers to just die
The singer does not require explanations or justifications for their desire to die

I need what I need but only when I feel it
The singer knows what they need, but only feels motivated to pursue it under certain conditions

And the only thing I need is you
The singer is directing this line toward 'Spring Heel Jack', and suggests that they are the only thing the singer needs

It's easy to be with you on your side, Jack
The artist feels a sense of ease, comfort, or camaraderie when they are with 'Spring Heel Jack'

You can't catch me
The artist feels as though they are safe from harm or danger

I'll take out this
The singer plans to eradicate or overcome a particular obstacle or problem

I'll find you first, suffering
The singer feels as though they need to locate 'Spring Heel Jack' and provide them with some source of suffering or pain

You can't hide with my knife
The artist suggests that they are capable of causing harm or violence to 'Spring Heel Jack' with a knife

Brother, dig it out
The artist is again directing their words toward someone they refer to as 'brother', and seems to be urging them to take action

You can't hide
The artist is emphasizing the idea that their target cannot escape or evade them

I'm your shadow
The singer is suggesting that they follow their target closely, and possibly share some sort of connection or identity with them

Your brother Jack
The artist claims a familial relationship with their target, 'Spring Heel Jack'

Contributed by Charlie T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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