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 Pandys Are Coming
Killing Joke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a time that wasn't a time
There was a place that wasn't a place
There was a race that wasn't a race
But I lived in a city no one knew
Thousands of people, indecisions
Chained in by sorrow everyone
Waiting for leaders to lead them to pens
Queues went for miles and millions to come
Fall of because write us a few
Friend kept complaining and joined the queue!
Still was a place that wasn't a place
Still a race that wasn't a race
Had to find it, it wasn't 'round here
Such a thought - a simple idea
Long hall and benches, flesh on the spit
Music was playing, wine to drink
Women of scarlet, faces of flame
Laughter and argue, ever the same
The lyrics of Killing Joke's The Pandys Are Coming seem to talk about an unknown era and an uncharted territory. The first stanza sets the scene for a unique existence that exists outside of time and space. The second stanza depicts a city that no one knows, where people are plagued with indecisions and chained by sorrow, waiting for leaders to lead them nowhere. The mention of queues that go for miles and millions waiting to come seems to be a commentary on how people blindly follow the crowd and the dangers of herd mentality. The last stanza changes the tone of the song and paints a picture of what seems like a wild celebration, a long hall with benches, and a spit roast, women with faces of flame, and the bustle of activity that comes with laughter and argument.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a rhyme that wasn't a rhyme
There was a pattern that did not really fit
In a time that wasn't a time
During a period that was ambiguous
There was a place that wasn't a place
There was a destination that was obscure
There was a race that wasn't a race
There was a group of people that did not really belong to any culture
But I lived in a city no one knew
I resided in a town that was obscure to others
Thousands of people, indecisions
A lot of individuals had trouble making decisions
Chained in by sorrow everyone
Everyone was trapped in a deep sadness
Started to wonder how it all begun
People began to question how everything started
Waiting for leaders to lead them to pens
They waited for someone to guide them to a safe haven
Queues went for miles and millions to come
The lines were long and endless people were coming
Fall of because write us a few
People were collapsing due to exhaustion
Friend kept complaining and joined the queue!
My friend kept grouching but still decided to wait in line
Still was a place that wasn't a place
The place where they were going was still hard to locate
Still a race that wasn't a race
The people who were going there didn't belong to any particular race
Had to find it, it wasn't 'round here
The place we need to go is not nearby
Such a thought - a simple idea
The idea of finding the place is simple yet complex
Long hall and benches, flesh on the spit
Inside was a place with a lengthy room and seating; meat roasting on a spit
Music was playing, wine to drink
There was music in the background and wine to drink
Women of scarlet, faces of flame
The women with vibrant red clothing had faces full of passion
Laughter and argue, ever the same
The sound of laughter and debate was constant
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JEREMY COLEMAN, PAUL FERGUSON, MARTIN GLOVER, KEVIN WALKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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