A key influence on industrial rock, their early music was described by critics Stephen Thomas Erlewine and John Dougan as well as industrial metal and "quasi-metal, dancing to a tune of doom and gloom," which gradually evolved over the years, incorporating elements of electronic music, synth-pop, gothic rock, and alternative rock, though always emphasizing Coleman's "savagely strident vocals."
Finding modest commercial success, Killing Joke have influenced many later bands, such as Nirvana, Ministry, Amen, Lamb of God, Nine Inch Nails, Napalm Death, Amebix, Big Black, Godflesh, Tool, Prong, Metallica, Primus, Jane's Addiction, Soundgarden, Foo Fighters, Faith No More, Blacklist, Shihad and Korn, all of whom have at some point cited some debt of gratitude to Killing Joke.
Here Comes the Singularity
Killing Joke Lyrics
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Humanity shall function as a single cell
Machines design and clone a different race of man
Who is the architect, who is the hidden hand?
Kneel down and freedom's gone
Speak out - something's wrong
So when society breaks down in screaming insanity
Here comes the singularity
Military industrial complex on the rise
Let new Pearl Harbours take no-one by surprise
One million people marched against a traitor's war
No weapons found and no-one heard their call
Kneel down and freedom's gone
Speak out - something's wrong
So when society breaks down in screaming insanity
And when the sky cracks open
Here comes the singularity
Foundations and shareholders identified on lists
Big corporations dismantled brick by brick
Investment bankers crushed like lilies under feet
Let Baboeuf and Saint-Just pass judgement from the street
Kneel down and freedom's gone
Speak out - something's wrong
So when society breaks down in screaming insanity
And when the sky cracks open
Here comes the singularity
Kneel down and freedom's gone
The lyrics to Killing Joke's song Here Comes the Singularity present a dystopian vision of the future in which the world population has reached a critical mass and humanity must function as a single cell. In this future, machines have designed and cloned a different race of man, raising questions about who is controlling this process and what their motives may be. The lyrics also touch on themes of government corruption and military industrial complex, referencing the march against the Iraq War in 2003 and suggesting that new Pearl Harbours may take no-one by surprise. The chorus emphasizes the idea that society is breaking down into screaming insanity and that a singularity - a point of no return - is approaching.
The lyrics offer a commentary on social and political realities of our time which are further amplified by their apocalyptic imagery. There is a sense of despair and disillusionment in the lyrics that suggests the world is beyond repair, that the systems that govern society are too corrupt to save. Yet, the call to speak out and the reference to Baboeuf and Saint-Just - figures of the French Revolution who agitated for radical change from the bottom up - suggests that there is still hope for revolution, for a wholesale dismantling of the existing order.
Line by Line Meaning
World population mass has reached the critical
The world population has reached a point where it is no longer sustainable
Humanity shall function as a single cell
Humans must work together as a unit to survive
Machines design and clone a different race of man
Technology is advancing to the point where it can create a new species of humans
Who is the architect, who is the hidden hand?
Who is responsible for the changes happening to humanity?
Speak out - something's wrong
There is something wrong with society and it needs to be addressed
So when society breaks down in screaming insanity
If society collapses, it will do so in chaos and madness
Here comes the singularity
The point at which technology surpasses human control and understanding is imminent
Military industrial complex on the rise
The power and influence of the military and industry are increasing
Let new Pearl Harbours take no-one by surprise
The government could use a staged or real attack to further its own interests
Foundations and shareholders identified on lists
The people behind powerful organizations are being exposed
Big corporations dismantled brick by brick
Large companies are being taken apart piece by piece
Investment bankers crushed like lilies under feet
The people in charge of money are losing their power and influence
Let Baboeuf and Saint-Just pass judgement from the street
The people should take control and judge those in power themselves
Contributed by Eva A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Inside Bilderberg
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