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.
Slipstream
Killing Joke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Time means nothing to me anymore
Time means nothing
Time means nothing to me anymore
Twenty years ago
Twenty years ago and yesterday
Twenty years ago
All the same to me all the same to me
Yes all the same
All the same to me, twenty years ago and yesterday
I shut my eyes a second ago
And I was only eight years old
Lying on my back in the sun
Listening to the sound of children playing
And I remember all my thoughts
(thinking how beautiful life was)
So wonderful to be young
So beautiful to be young
Remembering how, how to be young
One by one, all my friends died
And my body decayed
One by one, all my friends died
And my body decayed
Time means nothing
Time means nothing to me anymore
I close my eyes, I was learning
A lesson somewhere else
I shut my eyes, I was learning
A lesson somewhere else
Time means nothing
Time means nothing to me anymore
[Repeat: x4]
Slipstream
Time means nothing
[Repeat: x6]
Time means nothing to me anymore
The song "Slipstream" by Killing Joke is a melancholic reflection on the fleeting nature of time and the inevitability of mortality. The opening verse repeats "Time means nothing" four times, emphasizing the singer's indifference to time and its passage. He reflects on how he used to cherish each moment when he was young and carefree, lying in the sun and listening to children playing, but now he is numb to the ticking clock, seeing it as something that merely measures the decay of his body and the passing of his friends. The song ends with a repeated refrain of "Time means nothing to me anymore" and the haunting word "Slipstream," which suggests the singer's desire to escape the stream of time and be untethered from its constraints.
The song has a dreamy, mournful quality, with droning guitars and a slow tempo that evokes a sense of timelessness. The lyrics touch on themes that have been explored in many songs and poems over the years, but the combination of the singer's resigned tone and the hypnotic music creates a powerful emotional effect. It's a song about aging, loss, and the inevitable march of time that feels both familiar and original.
Line by Line Meaning
Time means nothing
The passage of time no longer holds any significance to me
Time means nothing to me anymore
I've reached a point in my life where the concept of time has lost its importance to me
Twenty years ago
A significant amount of time has passed; specifically, twenty years
Twenty years ago and yesterday
This extended period of time encompasses both the distant past and recent past
All the same to me all the same to me
These time distinctions are irrelevant to me; they all blend together
Yes all the same
Confirming that all of these time periods are the same to the singer
I shut my eyes a second ago
It feels like only a moment has passed since I last closed my eyes
And I was only eight years old
The artist is recalling a specific moment from their childhood
Lying on my back in the sun
The artist was laid down, looking up into the sunlight
Listening to the sound of children playing
The artist was surrounded by the sounds of other children enjoying their youth
And I remember all my thoughts
The singer is able to recall the emotions they experienced in that moment
(thinking how beautiful life was)
One of the specific thoughts the artist remembers having in that moment was an appreciation for the beauty of life
So wonderful to be young
The singer felt joy in being young and carefree during that moment
So beautiful to be young
Youth is a time of great beauty and the singer appreciated that
One by one, all my friends died
The singer has suffered the loss of many friends throughout their life
And my body decayed
Inevitably, as time passes, the body withers away
I close my eyes, I was learning
In another moment of reflection, the artist is reminded of a lesson they learned in the past
A lesson somewhere else
The details surrounding the specific lesson aren't clear or relevant
Slipstream
The song's title is repeated as a sort of refrain throughout the song
Time means nothing
The passage of time continues to be unimportant to the artist
Time means nothing to me anymore
The message is reiterated: the artist has moved beyond being concerned with time and its fleeting nature
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JEREMY COLEMAN, KEVIN WALKER, MARTIN CLIVE ATKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
NebulusLabyrinth79
Time means nothing
Time means nothing to me anymore
Time means nothing
Time means nothing to me anymore
Twenty years ago
Twenty years ago and yesterday
Twenty years ago
Twenty years ago and yesterday
All the same to me all the same to me
Yes all the same
All the same to me, twenty years ago and yesterday
I shut my eyes a second ago
And I was only eight years old
Lying on my back in the sun
Listening to the sound of children playing
And I remember all my thoughts
(thinking how beautiful life was)
So wonderful to be young
So beautiful to be young
Remembering how, how to be young
One by one, all my friends died
And my body decayed
One by one, all my friends died
And my body decayed
Time means nothing
Time means nothing to me anymore
I close my eyes, I was learning
A lesson somewhere else
I shut my eyes, I was learning
A lesson somewhere else
Time means nothing
Time means nothing to me anymore
Slipstream
Time means nothing
Time means nothing to me anymore
Adam A
Seriously one of their best albums. It's a shame KJ don't play too many of the deep cuts off this one live.
Seth Matthews
do they play money is not our god or age of greed? They should at least do those once in a while. Problem is, their entire discography is great except for maybe at the gates imo, so for them to get all their good songs in, theyd have to play for like 10 hours straight
Nick Nicholson
The guitar breakdowns on this track are so otherworldly awe-inspiring I really don’t know what to say!!
NebulusLabyrinth79
Time means nothing
Time means nothing to me anymore
Time means nothing
Time means nothing to me anymore
Twenty years ago
Twenty years ago and yesterday
Twenty years ago
Twenty years ago and yesterday
All the same to me all the same to me
Yes all the same
All the same to me, twenty years ago and yesterday
I shut my eyes a second ago
And I was only eight years old
Lying on my back in the sun
Listening to the sound of children playing
And I remember all my thoughts
(thinking how beautiful life was)
So wonderful to be young
So beautiful to be young
Remembering how, how to be young
One by one, all my friends died
And my body decayed
One by one, all my friends died
And my body decayed
Time means nothing
Time means nothing to me anymore
I close my eyes, I was learning
A lesson somewhere else
I shut my eyes, I was learning
A lesson somewhere else
Time means nothing
Time means nothing to me anymore
Slipstream
Time means nothing
Time means nothing to me anymore
Reality Boost
These lyrics reveal the truth about the actual nature of the 'passage of time'…It doesn't…Our souls are here from start to end, fully formed, though with growth possible in-between.
NebulusLabyrinth79
@Reality Boost I believe we're reborn. All interconnected. Infinity. I believe there are many versions of us all around, with slight variations, like leaves from trees.
TZT
I remember finding this album in 1990 and just blowing it up every chance I got. A complete masterpiece that was completely over looked by just about everybody. It has been one of my all time favorites since my first listen. They should remaster it and rerelease it. I think it is out of print and almost impossible to find.
Rene Harde
I sold my original copy when I was broke in '93, thankfully YT has my back now
Chopper Dave
I still have a CD copy. Totally underrated.
JJ62
The absolute fucking noise Geordie wrings from his one guitar on this track is fucking incredible.