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.
Prozac People
Killing Joke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It was four a.m.
I was curled up like a fetus and my muscles were stretched taut
I couldn't face the burden of another week of worry
I was broken
I took a green and yellow pill.
Washed down with filter coffee
'til it kicked in
Get me out
Keep me up
Level me out
I was isolated by the way I thought and felt
They saw my mood swings
I traveled down the longitude of opposite emotions
I bi-polar
In the north they saw my upside. my excitable and optimistic spirit
In the south they saw my anger and my tears and my despair
They saw my mood swings
Get me out
Keep me up
Level me out
I was one of the prozac people
I was one of the prozac people
Don't monitor this guinea pig for research any more
I will try again
Pharmaceutical conglomerates just count me as a unit
For their product
Identify the enemy. remove the source of fear
Start to change my life
It's a false state of elation
You can join the Prozac nation
If you want to
Get me out
Keep me up
Level me out
I was one of the Prozac people
I was one of the Prozac people
I was one of the Prozac people
The lyrics to Killing Joke's song Prozac People speak about the struggles of someone dealing with bipolar disorder and their experience with taking antidepressants. The song opens with the singer waking up in the middle of the night, struggling with anxiety and stress, and taking a green and yellow pill to cope. The chorus repeats the phrases "Get me out, keep me up, level me out," highlighting the desire for relief and balance in mood levels.
The second verse delves into the stigma surrounding mental health, especially bipolar disorder. The singer feels isolated from others due to their extreme mood swings that contradict each other. They fear being seen as either too happy or too sad and express frustration with being viewed as a "unit" in the pharmaceutical industry's research. The final lines are a call to action, stating that change is necessary to break free from the false sense of happiness that medication can bring.
The song's lyrics were inspired by Killing Joke frontman Jaz Coleman's personal experiences with bipolar disorder and taking medication to manage his symptoms. The band's drummer, Paul Ferguson, also contributed to the lyrics, drawing from his own experiences with mental health struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
I woke up in the darkness and I tried to see the clock
I opened my eyes in the middle of the night and attempted to read the time.
It was four a.m.
The clock displayed 4 am.
I was curled up like a fetus and my muscles were stretched taut
I lay in a fetal position with tense muscles.
I couldn't face the burden of another week of worry
I felt overwhelmed by the prospect of facing another week's worth of anxiety.
I was broken
I felt defeated and hopeless.
I took a green and yellow pill.
I ingested a medication that was colored green and yellow.
Washed down with filter coffee
I drank coffee afterwards to help the pill become effective.
'til it kicked in
I waited for the medication to start working.
Get me out
I want to escape from my negative thoughts and feelings.
Keep me up
I desire to feel alert and stimulated.
Level me out
I hope to stabilize my emotions and prevent any extreme mood swings.
I was isolated by the way I thought and felt
I felt alone due to my unique thought patterns and emotions.
They saw my mood swings
Others noticed my fluctuations in emotional state.
I traveled down the longitude of opposite emotions
I experienced drastic changes in mood that swung between high and low.
I bi-polar
I have bipolar disorder.
In the north they saw my upside, my excitable and optimistic spirit
People in certain areas of my life saw my high energy and positive outlook on life.
In the south they saw my anger and my tears and my despair
Others in different areas of my life saw my negative emotions like anger, sadness and hopelessness.
Get me out
I want to escape from my negative thoughts and feelings.
Keep me up
I desire to feel alert and stimulated.
Level me out
I hope to stabilize my emotions and prevent any extreme mood swings.
I was one of the prozac people
I was someone who took Prozac to manage their mental health.
Don't monitor this guinea pig for research any more
I don't want to be constantly monitored and experimented on for the sake of research.
I will try again
I will keep trying to find a medication that works for me.
Pharmaceutical conglomerates just count me as a unit
Big pharmaceutical companies view me as just another consumer of their products.
For their product
I am taking medication for the sake of corporate profit rather than solely my mental health.
Identify the enemy. remove the source of fear
I need to identify the root cause of my anxiety and eliminate it from my life.
Start to change my life
I need to make significant changes in my lifestyle to improve my mental health.
It's a false state of elation
The feeling of being on medication is an artificially induced sense of happiness.
You can join the Prozac nation
You too can start taking Prozac to manage your mental health.
I was one of the Prozac people
I was someone who took Prozac to manage their mental health.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bounty94
I woke up in the darkness and i tried to see the clock
It was four a.m.
I was curled up like a foetus and my muscles were stretched taut
I couldn't face the burden of another week of worry
I was broken
I took a green and yellow pill. washed down with filter coffee
'til it kicked inGet me out
Keep me up
Level me outI was isolated by the way i thought and felt
They saw my moodswings
I travelled down the longitude of opposite emotions
I bi-polar
In the north they saw my upside. my excitable and optimistic spirit
In the south they saw my anger and my tears and my despair
They saw my moodswingsGet me out
Keep me up
Level me outI was one of the prozac people
I was one of the prozac peopleDon't monitor this guinea pig for research any more
I will try again
Pharmaceutical conglomerates just count me as a unit
For their product
Identify the enemy. remove the source of fear
Start to change my life
It's a false state of elation
You can join the prozac nation
If you want toGet me out
Keep me up
Level me outI was one of the prozac people
I was one of the prozac people
Bruhmoment died
as a person who takes prozac to help them get through the day, this song has a lot of meaning and i resonate with it alot, thank you killing joke.
Bounty94
I woke up in the darkness and i tried to see the clock
It was four a.m.
I was curled up like a foetus and my muscles were stretched taut
I couldn't face the burden of another week of worry
I was broken
I took a green and yellow pill. washed down with filter coffee
'til it kicked inGet me out
Keep me up
Level me outI was isolated by the way i thought and felt
They saw my moodswings
I travelled down the longitude of opposite emotions
I bi-polar
In the north they saw my upside. my excitable and optimistic spirit
In the south they saw my anger and my tears and my despair
They saw my moodswingsGet me out
Keep me up
Level me outI was one of the prozac people
I was one of the prozac peopleDon't monitor this guinea pig for research any more
I will try again
Pharmaceutical conglomerates just count me as a unit
For their product
Identify the enemy. remove the source of fear
Start to change my life
It's a false state of elation
You can join the prozac nation
If you want toGet me out
Keep me up
Level me outI was one of the prozac people
I was one of the prozac people
BEAKER6868
hands down one of the UK's absolute finest bands. when this album came out, countless other British bands were worshipping the Gallagher brothers and trying to emulate their sound. (the mission, and even the pet shop boys to name a few), but this band kept doing what they were great at. and making cryptic music. I very much prefer synthesizers to guitars, but Killing joke are one of the rare exceptions to where when they get heavy, they just rock hard.
Simon Thomas
Suffering from depression this song says so much to me,
Will Sterben
Why this band isn't the biggest in the universe baffles me, but for some elusive, maybe selfish reason I'm glad it is not so
shadows of light ☯️
@Damon Schultz they have a decent following
I used to be into them until the 1990s
I was a big fan of Echo/Bunnymen & Big Country as well
I think some bands do get into a situation where they sign to a major to became more famous
Bands like The Chameleons, were always around playing gigs with the attitude of saying no to promoters and having fun
It was much better in the 1980s with more small indie labels to choose, but it was only the band's like New Order who could break into the mainstream because of their established sound
The Cure & U2, also changed their melodies to sound modem pop
I only saw KJ once.👍
Damon Schultz
I'm glad 😊 they're not big!
Hessy! HESSY
They might well be ! our planet is probably the galactic equivalent of Wednesday night karaoke down the village hall....
Helawolf
I will take a spanner in the works over being center of the universe. I too used to be a sheep among the sheepled masses when young and naive. All changes when you either find your voice, cannabis, or start reading outside approved literature while growth in your learning.
19boro76
I think they are huge in 'my Universe' (😉) and I know them for eaons. Regards 😁