Paul Ion Barker is a producer, composer and touring musician. His extensive… Read Full Bio ↴Paul Ion Barker is a producer, composer and touring musician. His extensive production and writing work with Ministry extended from 1985 through 2004. He's been involved with bringing a wide range of other musical projects into fruition: Lard, Pailhead, Revolting Cocks, Flowering Blight, USSA, I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness, Malekko, & recently as a touring member of Puscifer.

Lead into Gold is considered his 'solo' side-project after he joined Ministry. Under this name he put out 2 releases, a full length called: Age of Reason (featuring his brother Roland (from the Blackouts on one track and Ministry's Al Jourgensen on another) and a CD single/12" called: Chicks & Speed: Futurism. A video for the song "Faster Than Light" was created with Jourgenson & Trent Reznor (of Nine Inch Nails) both making an appearance, which was available on the Wax Trax! Black Box. A 12" EP titled "Low and Slow" was released roughly 25 years after recording in 2015 on Wax Trax! Records.

In 2018, "The Sun Behind The Sun" was released on the label "No, So Yes Recordings", featuring appearances by people such as Bill Rieflin (of groups Ministry, Revolting Cocks and others.) on tracks 1, 2, 6, and 8. In 2023, Paul Barker and Josh Holley (Who co-owns MALEKKO Heavy Industry with Paul) joined the Skinny Puppy final tour as an opening act on both legs of the tour.

Hatred
Lead Into Gold Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

He sat and judged us all
We terrorized his soul
As god is my witness
We kiss his fetid likeness
Embrace his rotten skull
We terrorize his soul

You tell me why you're here

Who claims to even know
As god is my witness
I claim no need to know
For all you are the witness
To watch hatred grow

You tell me why you're here
You who sit and watch hate grow
As god is my witness
We spit upon it's likeness
And curse the idle witness
Who choose to watch hate grow

Who sit and watch hate grow
Who sit and watch hate grow
As God is my witness
As God is my witness

As God is my witness
As God is my witness

Overall Meaning

In Lead Into Gold's song Hatred, the lyrics tell a story of someone who sits in judgment of others while simultaneously having their soul terrorized by the actions of those same people. The repetition of the line "We terrorized his soul" emphasizes the impact the actions of the group have on this person. The lyrics suggest that this person is somehow connected to religion or spirituality, as evidenced by the line "As God is my witness." However, despite invoking the idea of a higher power, the lyrics suggest that the singer does not claim to have a complete understanding of why they are there or what is happening. This is highlighted by the line "I claim no need to know."

The second verse challenges the listener to consider their own role in witnessing the growth of hatred. The lyrics suggest that those who watch hatred grow are just as complicit as those who actively perpetuate it. The use of the second-person pronoun "you" directly addresses the listener, making the message feel personal and urgent. The repetition of the line "As God is my witness" throughout the song gives it a sort of ominous, almost threatening tone - as if to say that despite the presence of a higher power, the consequences of allowing hatred to grow will be severe.

Line by Line Meaning

He sat and judged us all
He condemned and criticized us with his judgment

We terrorized his soul
We caused him extreme fear and anguish

As god is my witness
I swear by God that what I'm saying is true

We kiss his fetid likeness
We embrace and idolize his disgusting image

Embrace his rotten skull
We accept and cherish his decayed remains

You tell me why you're here
Explain the reason for your presence

Who claims to even know
Who asserts to have any knowledge

I claim no need to know
I reject the necessity of knowing

For all you are the witness
Because you are the one observing

To watch hatred grow
To witness the development of animosity

We spit upon its likeness
We detest and reject hatred's image