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.
Labyrinth
Killing Joke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A civilization with values alien to me
All the role models, lost souls, false gods that i am shown
Ordeals that i pass through for purposes unknown?
In the cul-de-sac turn back on my trade from the cul-de-sac
Help try getting me out
In a transient phase
Running through this maze
Some born again idiot tracks me down and i couldn't escape
Trying to notch up points for his entrance fee to new Jerusalem
"Do you love the lord your god with all your dogma?"
He said "you'll get it all back in the next life"
Get it all back, get it all back
Help try getting me out
In a transient phase
At the end of an age
Running through this maze
Running through this maze
Get it all back
Help try getting me out
In a transient phase
At the end of an age
Running through this maze
Mystery schools for the fools, great seats of learning
Business, lawsuits, market forces - no philosophy courses
A bachelors degree in loopholes and a masters in self-interest
Studies for automatons and syllabus two
A city and guilds in extortion and a ph.d. in fuck you
Help try getting me out
In a transient phase
At the end of an age
Running through this maze
Get it all back
The lyrics of Killing Joke's song Labyrinth point to a society that has lost its way. The singer runs through the maze but cries at what he sees - a civilization with values alien to him. The role models, false gods, and lost souls that he encounters only serve to deepen his feeling of disconnection. He passes through ordeals and cul-de-sacs, wondering what purpose they serve. He tries to escape the born-again zealot who tracks him down, preaching about eternal rewards and damnation, and telling him that all will be okay in the next life. But the singer is stuck in a society that values business, lawsuits, and market forces, with no room for philosophy courses. The educational system grants degrees in self-interest and extortion, and the syllabus is designed for automatons. The singer, however, sees through it all and realizes that he is trapped in a labyrinth from which there seems to be no escape.
The song articulates the disappointment and frustration of those who feel out of place in the world around them. The singer rails against the emptiness of contemporary life, wondering what the point of it all is. The lyrics are dark but truthful, and the music is suitably intense, driving home the point that the issues raised in the song are urgent and important.
Line by Line Meaning
Running through this maze, cry at what i see
The singer is lost in a confusing and disturbing world, and is upset by what they encounter.
A civilization with values alien to me
The values of the society around the singer are unfamiliar and uncomfortable to them.
All the role models, lost souls, false gods that i am shown
The people and ideologies presented by society as examples to follow are misguided and unhelpful.
Ordeals that i pass through for purposes unknown?
The artist is experiencing challenges and struggles that they do not understand the reason for.
In the cul-de-sac turn back on my trade from the cul-de-sac
The artist has reached a dead end and is forced to turn away from their intended path.
Some born again idiot tracks me down and i couldn't escape
The singer is pursued by someone who is aggressively trying to convert them to a religious belief they do not agree with.
Trying to notch up points for his entrance fee to new Jerusalem
The person trying to convert the singer is motivated by a desire to earn a place in a religious heaven.
"Do you love the lord your god with all your dogma?"
The statement is sarcastic and highlights the religious person's adherence to doctrine rather than true understanding or compassion.
"He said "you'll get it all back in the next life"
The religious person attempts to reassure the artist that they will be rewarded in the afterlife for their trials and tribulations in the present.
Mystery schools for the fools, great seats of learning
The institutions that claim to provide higher education and knowledge are often ineffective or misleading.
Business, lawsuits, market forces - no philosophy courses
The focus of education has shifted solely to practical skills that serve capitalist interests, rather than more profound questions and abstract areas of study.
A bachelors degree in loopholes and a masters in self-interest
Education today is reduced to a shallow pursuit of profit and individualism, without any regard for complexity or ethics.
Studies for automatons and syllabus two
Education has become standardized and robotic, with no room for individuality or creativity.
A city and guilds in extortion and a ph.d. in fuck you
Even advanced degrees and certifications have become meaningless, as they are obtained through corruption and pettiness.
Help try getting me out
The singer is asking for assistance in freeing themselves from this oppressive system.
In a transient phase
The artist is in the midst of a period of significant change or transition.
At the end of an age
The artist is living through the death throes of a societal era or way of life.
Running through this maze
The singer feels lost and helpless, desperately trying to find a way out of their confusion and frustration.
Get it all back
The value of life and meaning is in danger of being entirely lost, and the singer wishes to reclaim it.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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