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 Calling
Killing Joke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hear the calling
Carry across the landscape
I hear it echo from every city to every village upon the earth
From every rooftop to every mountain
Calling the faithful to find themselves
A fire burning like precious water, the fire that drives me on and on
Through hell I shall reach heaven
View the madness with perspective
(the clock is ticking but time means nothing)
So I ascend to the blinding light
Then plummet to the thickest darkness
(and I always tell myself how splendid is the adventure!)
I can no longer see good or evil
But worship polarity
So do not trust the beggars that expose their poverty of spirit
Bleating I will follow
I heed
I heed the calling
Follow yourselves as leaders
Arise, arise, stand upright and take pride in who and what you are
Great changes are coming and you will be asked to identify yourself
So run like a lion with inexhaustible strength from world to world
Let your work shine unto the ends of time yeah unto the ends of time.
The lyrics of Killing Joke's song "The Calling" convey a sense of urgency and a call to action. The song describes a feeling of being called to a higher purpose and the need to rise up and take pride in oneself. The opening lines declare, "I hear the calling, carry across the landscape, I hear it echo from every city to every village upon the earth." This sets the tone for the rest of the song, as it becomes clear that the call is universal and meant for all to hear. The idea of a "fire burning like precious water" suggests both a sense of urgency and a sense of necessity.
The following lines convey a willingness to face any obstacle in order to achieve one's goals: "Through hell I shall reach heaven, I shall not resist the changes before me." The call is to view what lies ahead with perspective and to embrace the challenges that come with it. The line "I can no longer see good or evil, but worship polarity" suggests a need to accept and embrace both darkness and light, rather than choosing to see one as inherently good and the other as inherently evil. The song urges listeners to "follow yourselves as leaders" and to "arise, arise, stand upright and take pride in who and what you are" in order to meet the coming changes.
Line by Line Meaning
I here
I listen carefully
I hear the calling
I hear a spiritual voice summoning me
Carry across the landscape
Echo throughout the world
I hear it echo from every city to every village upon the earth
The voice echoes from the cities to the villages to reach everyone
From every rooftop to every mountain
The voice echoes from the highest point to the lowest point
Calling the faithful to find themselves
Asks the believers to understand who they are
A fire burning like precious water, the fire that drives me on and on
A driving force that motivates me constantly
Through hell I shall reach heaven
In the midst of difficulties, I will reach my destination
I shall not resist the changes before me
I will accept changes that come my way
View the madness with perspective
Understand the chaos and disorder from a different point of view
(the clock is ticking but time means nothing)
Although time passes, it has no real significance
So I ascend to the blinding light
I move towards the bright and shining future
Then plummet to the thickest darkness
Though I may face troubles and hardships, I will not lose hope
(and I always tell myself how splendid is the adventure!)
I remind myself that this journey is exciting and worth it
I can no longer see good or evil
I do not judge people based on good or bad
But worship polarity
I acknowledge and appreciate the differences between right and wrong
So do not trust the beggars that expose their poverty of spirit
Do not trust those who are poor in spirit and keep asking for more
Bleating I will follow
Following blindly without any direction or understanding
I heed
I listen attentively
I heed the calling
I listen to the spiritual voice calling me
Follow yourselves as leaders
Lead your own life and do not follow blindly
Arise, arise, stand upright and take pride in who and what you are
Stand up tall and be proud of who you are and where you come from
Great changes are coming and you will be asked to identify yourself
Big changes are about to come and you need to understand who you are
So run like a lion with inexhaustible strength from world to world
Move forward energetically without getting tired
Let your work shine unto the ends of time yeah unto the ends of time.
Work hard and let your achievements shine to the end of time
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
VERBEKE RICHARD
This album is brilliant ! It's a "Gothic Opera Rock" ! Like the "Dark Cabaret" ! One of the sources of the Punk and Post-Punk music... One of the best albums of K.J....!
carl jules
Freddy Mercury, get out of Jaz's body ! ;) "Gothic Opera Rock", maybe it was his ambition but I wouldn't say it is brilliant. It is not. This is cutting edge music, this is not wallpaper music, it is quite interesting though but you wouldn't listen to it 7 times a week like their first LP. This is not a masterpiece. It's overcooked
ObscuraPrima
I hear
I hear the calling
Carry across the landscape
I hear it echo from every city to every village upon the earth
From every rooftop to every mountain
Calling the faithful to find themselves
A fire burning like precious water, the fire that drives me on and on
Through hell I shall reach heaven
I shall not resist the changes before me
View the madness with perspective
(the clock is ticking but time means nothing)
So I ascend to the blinding light
Then plummet to the thickest darkness
(and I always tell myself how splendid is the adventure!)
I can no longer see good or evil
But worship polarity
So do not trust the beggars that expose their poverty of spirit
Bleating "I will follow"
I heed
I heed the calling
Follow yourselves as leaders
Arise, arise, stand upright and take pride in who and what you are
Great changes are coming and you will be asked to identify yourself
So run like a lion with inexhaustible strength from world to world
Let your work shine unto the ends of time yeah unto the ends of time
carl taylor
Magnificent thank you
Inside Bilderberg
Great stuff.
Alan Procter
Great song but My love of this land is the best song on this album