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.
Intravenous
Killing Joke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the sea looked so dead
(I wondered what this place would look like
In the next twenty years)
But where I'm living
All the shop shelves are full
Goods to help me shut out
Scenes of this dying world
And every time I tried to hide
The churning of my guts inside
Everybody failed to heed the warning
Mother, mother I just stand by
They push the needle deep inside
Pump poison in your veins
Intravenous
Holidays were different
All the things I learnt
All the boys were sunning
While the skin cancer burnt
Just for one split second
I saw the great work of man
As he turned the forests
Into deserts of sand
And every time I tried to hide
The churning of my guts inside
Everybody failed to heed the warning
Mother, mother I just stand by
They push the needle deep inside
Pump poison in your veins
Intravenous(x2)
The lyrics to Killing Joke's song, "Intravenous," paint a stark picture of a dying world, a world where nature has been destroyed and humans are dependent on material goods to block out the horror of what they've done. The singer looks across the North Sea and sees a dead, lifeless expanse, wondering what the world will look like in twenty years. The shops are full of things to distract and numb, allowing people to avoid thinking about the destruction they've caused.
The lyrics take a more ominous turn when the singer describes the use of intravenous drugs to achieve this state of numbness. The line "they push the needle deep inside, pump poison in your veins, intravenous" is a powerful and unsettling image of people injecting themselves with drugs to escape the reality of the world they've created.
The song also highlights the contrast between the destruction of the natural world and the unthinking hedonism of modern society. The singer describes sunny holidays where boys are "sunning while the skin cancer burns," oblivious to the damage they are causing themselves. In contrast to this, the singer recognizes the destruction of the forests and the turning of once-lush landscapes into wasteland.
Overall, "Intravenous" is a powerful commentary on the state of the world and the dangers of living in denial. The song encourages listeners to wake up to the reality of the destruction they've caused and to see the world for what it is, rather than relying on material goods or drugs to block out the horror.
Line by Line Meaning
I looked across the North Sea
I cast my gaze at the large water body named North Sea
And the sea looked so dead
I noticed the sea appeared lifeless or barren
But where I'm living
In my current residence, however,
All the shop shelves are full
The shelves of stores abound with various items
Goods to help me shut out
Products to enable me block off
Scenes of this dying world
The sights of this world in decline
And every time I tried to hide
On every occasion I attempted to conceal
The churning of my guts inside
The turmoil in my stomach region
Everybody failed to heed the warning
None of the people listened to the alarm
Mother, mother I just stand by
Mama, I only stand there without taking action
They push the needle deep inside
They thrust a syringe deep into your body
Pump poison in your veins
They introduce toxic substances into your bloodstream
Intravenous
By using a needle to inject medication or drugs directly into a vein
Holidays were different
Vacations used to be dissimilar
All the things I learnt
The knowledge I garnered
All the boys were sunning
All the boys were basking in the sun
While the skin cancer burnt
Though they were at risk of getting skin cancers
Just for one split second
At least in one occasion that didn't last long
I saw the great work of man
I witnessed the impressive achievements of humankind
As he turned the forests
As they converted the forests
Into deserts of sand
Into barren lands of sand
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JEREMY COLEMAN, KEVIN WALKER, MARTIN CLIVE ATKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kafkatrap
It's 30 years since this album was released and it sounds as fresh and monstrous as ever.
grimmwerks
Ugh now I'm depressed.
Ontariosound
One of the best bands of all time, Geordie is a monster on this.
Beelzebubbbbles
The amount of metal and rock guitarists that say Geordie is the dog's, says it all really.
And throughout this album, his guitar is allowed to shine. Sometimes it's gotten buried in the mix on the last three albums.
E.C. Hansen
So wild to listen to the cataclysmic original—which nearly sent me into the Underworld when saw it live in Philly around 2014–and then the delightful orchestration on Magna Invocatio. The latter only clarified what a genius Geordie is. Both are anthems for our Earth-rending time.
NebulusLabyrinth79
"Fire from Heaven" Jaz described his first hearing of Geordie's guitar. Just unique.
Ontariosound
Huge fan for a few decades. I say this is one of their finest tracks. So fucking unique.
Saraiva Toledo
PIL´s Martin Atkins was the Perfect match for this come back album .
Few drummers can influence the outcome of any given album as Atkins is/was able to .
Red.
Best song they ever made.
Freddie Fries
The great band 😊