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.
The Beautiful Dead
Killing Joke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You are my inspiration of how not to be
You are my inspiration to achieve a better way of life
The crowd was one (oblivion ran deep)
A consciousness of cannon-fodder walking in its sleep
Vacant expressions (and don't look ahead)
Everybody dance with the beautiful dead I said!
All queue up and gravel for a hit
Someone pulls the reins then you chew at the bit
Encouraged by commercials to spend beyond my means
I laughed as it all fell apart at the seams
(Hey! Take a look at tomorrow)
But will I inherit the good green earth?
Such a lovely world
All mod-cons there was dust on the drums
My electronic beat-box got the job done
Everybody emulate the pulse of the soul
And change your clothes (to make you feel whole)
Effort and sweat was a thing of the past (they said!)
Welcome to the world of the beautiful dead
The lyrics to Killing Joke's song "The Beautiful Dead" heavily criticize the prevalence of mindless consumerism and conformity in society. The first verse speaks directly to a person who is an inspiration, but not in a positive way; this person is someone who embodies everything that the singer does not want to be. In the following verse, the song takes on a more general critique, with the "crowd" described as nothing but "cannon-fodder walking in its sleep." The people are empty and vacant as they blindly follow the commercialized messages that encourage them to spend beyond their means. The lyrics suggest that the people are not living but simply existing, with the chorus telling them to "dance with the beautiful dead." The final verses describe a world where people no longer put in effort or sweat but instead rely on electronic devices to create the illusion of life; this is the world of the "beautiful dead."
Overall, "The Beautiful Dead" is a song that warns of the dangers of conformity and consumerism, and encourages listeners to strive for a more meaningful and authentic way of living. The lyrics are powerful and evocative, painting a vivid picture of a world where people have lost touch with their humanity.
Line by Line Meaning
You are an inspiration to me
You are my negative example of how not to live my life
You are my inspiration to achieve a better way of life
You motivate me to find a better way of living
The crowd was one (oblivion ran deep)
The people were united, but completely unaware
A consciousness of cannon-fodder walking in its sleep
Everyone was blindly following and doomed to be used up
Vacant expressions (and don't look ahead)
People were zombified and didn't think about the future
Everybody dance with the beautiful dead I said!
Everyone join in and party, even though we're all doomed
All queue up and gravel for a hit
Everyone lines up eagerly for a dose of escapism
Someone pulls the reins then you chew at the bit
We're controlled by others, but we still try to rebel
Encouraged by commercials to spend beyond my means
Advertisements push us to overspend and live beyond our means
I laughed as it all fell apart at the seams
As society crumbles, all I can do is laugh
(Hey! Take a look at tomorrow)
Hey, let's try to think about the future for once
But will I inherit the good green earth?
Will I actually get to experience a healthy planet?
Such a lovely world
The world has so much beauty, but it's fading quickly
All mod-cons there was dust on the drums
We have all the modern technology, but it's not being used
My electronic beat-box got the job done
Machines have replaced human creativity
Everybody emulate the pulse of the soul
We copy what's popular, but lose our individuality
And change your clothes (to make you feel whole)
We try to fill the void inside with material possessions
Effort and sweat was a thing of the past (they said!)
Working hard is no longer valued like it used to be
Welcome to the world of the beautiful dead
This is the world we live in, full of people who have lost their spark
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JEREMY COLEMAN, KEVIN WALKER, MARTIN CLIVE ATKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lost 8-Bit Caverns
You are an inspiration to me
You are my inspiration of how not to be
You are my inspiration to achieve a better way of life
The crowd was one oblivion ran deep
A consciousness of cannon-fodder walking in its sleep
Vacant expressions and don't look ahead
Everybody dance with the beautiful dead I said
All queue up and grovel for a hit
Someone pulls the reins then you chew at the bit
Encouraged by commercials to spend beyond my means
I laughed as it all fell apart at the seams
But will I inherit the good green earth
Such a lovely world
All mod-cons there was dust on the drums
My electronic beat-box got the job done
Everybody emulate the pulse of the soul
And change your clothes to make you feel whole
Effort and sweat was a thing of the past they said
Welcome to the world of the beautiful dead
Satir
You are an inspiration to me
You are my inspiration of how not to be
You are my inspiration to achieve a better way of life
Chris C
I'm repeated this in my mind so many times. Hard shit hits hard... take it and make yourself better. Cheers.
Freddie Fries
Beautiful song
andrew andersson
The beautiful song
hugo ferreyra
🤘🤘
Reality Boost
Yeah…Ok…Argue if you insist…#eyeroll …yet …
Fat Man Jackson
Why did you put an echo on it? Sounds so much worse.
Muffet Missulena
That is literally how the song sounds on this album.