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 Great Cull
Killing Joke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nutrients and vitamins extract from edible goods
Legislate, sick populations - a higher rate of mortality
Food code (as it's known) Codex Alimentarius
Thin the herd, thin the herd, the great cull is coming down...
Develop virus market cure - exploit the panic
Depopulate initiate - pharmaceutical companies
All fall down, all fall down, Codex Alimentarius
Thin the herd, thin the herd, the great cull is coming down...
Most of us must die...
Instigate wars in population density centres
Maintain population below 500 million
Immunise, irradiate, deregulate all toxins
Monsanto feed, Monsanto seed - all the bees are dying
Depopulation in every nation, follow the food code
All fall down, all fall down, Codex Alimentarius
Thin the herd, thin the herd, the great cull is coming down...
The lyrics to Killing Joke's song The Great Cull paint a dark and cryptic picture of a world plagued by a sinister conspiracy to reduce the population through various means. The song starts off by referencing Thomas Malthus, an 18th-century economist who famously believed that population growth would eventually outstrip resources leading to famine and societal collapse. The lyrics then turn to the idea of nutrients and vitamins being extracted from edible goods, potentially causing sickness and a higher rate of mortality. This is linked to the Codex Alimentarius, a set of food standards developed by the United Nations which some conspiracy theorists believe is a mechanism for controlling the global food supply.
The song goes on to detail other methods of depopulation, including the development of viruses and the exploitation of panic to create a massive die-off. The use of pharmaceutical companies to initiate depopulation is also mentioned, as well as the instigation of wars in densely populated areas. The lyrics conclude with references to immunization and irradiation being used as methods of depopulation, as well as the potential dangers of genetically modified foods produced by companies like Monsanto.
Overall, the lyrics to The Great Cull paint a picture of a world in which powerful forces seek to thin the herd through a variety of means, all while hiding behind the guise of "protecting" the world's population.
Line by Line Meaning
Thomas Malthus Eugenics are alive and kicking
The theory of eugenics, with its goal of eliminating certain groups of people, is still prevalent today.
Nutrients and vitamins extract from edible goods
The food we eat is being stripped of its nutritional value.
Legislate, sick populations - a higher rate of mortality
The government has laws to control and perhaps eliminate populations that are deemed unhealthy.
Food code (as it's known) Codex Alimentarius
The international food code known as Codex Alimentarius is being used to control the world's food supply.
Thin the herd, thin the herd, the great cull is coming down...
A great cull of a large portion of the population is approaching and only the 'fittest' will survive.
Develop virus market cure - exploit the panic
Pharmaceutical companies are developing cures for diseases they themselves create to exploit the fear and chaos it causes.
Contaminate by guile and stealth - a quick strum of the harp
Poisoning and contaminating people will be done sneakily and with ease, just as playing a harp quickly.
Depopulate initiate - pharmaceutical companies
Pharmaceutical companies are actively pursuing ways to decrease the global population.
All fall down, all fall down, Codex Alimentarius
Codex Alimentarius will be the catalyst for the demise of humanity.
Most of us must die...
The vast majority of people on earth will not survive the great cull.
Instigate wars in population density centres
Massive wars will break out in cities with high populations in order to decrease their numbers.
Maintain population below 500 million
The plan is to keep the global population under 500 million.
Immunise, irradiate, deregulate all toxins
The government will try to protect us from harm through immunization, while simultaneously de-regulating and irradiating dangerous toxins.
Monsanto feed, Monsanto seed - all the bees are dying
Genetically modified foods and seeds created by Monsanto are killing off bees, an important contributor to our ecosystem.
Depopulation in every nation, follow the food code
Every nation is pursuing a plan to decrease their population, while strictly following the Codex Alimentarius.
All fall down, all fall down, Codex Alimentarius
The death of most of mankind will be the end result of relying on the Codex Alimentarius.
Thin the herd, thin the herd, the great cull is coming down...
The great cull is inevitable, and will thin the population down to a few select individuals.
Contributed by Sophie E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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