Leading the charge of the New York City ska revival scene, Mephiskapheles w… Read Full Bio ↴Leading the charge of the New York City ska revival scene, Mephiskapheles was formed in the East Village in 1990 by lead vocalist the Grand Invidious, guitarist Brendog and keyboardist Brian Martin. Within the course of the following months, the group's classic lineup -- also consisting of bassist Michael Bitz, trumpeter Osho Endo, alto saxophonist Alexander McCabe, and trombonist Greg Robinson -- was firmly in place, and over the next few years Mephiskapheles toured relentlessly up and down the East Coast, building a tremendous cult following. In 1994 they joined with producer Bill Laswell to record their debut LP God Bless Satan, originally issued on their own Pass the Virgin label. By 1996, with new drummer Wayne Dunton on board, Mephiskapheles toured the U.S. opening for the Buzzcocks; their second album, Maximum Perversion, was released a year later in 1999.

Introduction to the Yellow Passion
Mephiskapheles Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Dirty little secret, stains of the mind
Your filthy little pleasure might make you go blind

Pointed fingers abuse, no reason to accuse
Blues, to the white, and the black

Ignorance be so appealing
Use a crutch to boost your feeling

Spot check, nerves disturb

Spot check, smiles, what life
Could this be the only spark in your life?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Mephiskapheles's song "Introducing the Yellow Passion" delve into the theme of hidden desires and the societal condemnation that results from them. The opening lines refer to a "dirty little secret" and "stains of the mind," suggesting that the subject of the song has a taboo inclination. The next phrase, "Your filthy little pleasure might make you go blind," indicates that there is a potential danger to indulging in this behavior.

The verse continues with the idea of accusatory fingers being pointed at the subject of the song, even if there is no valid reason for doing so. The subsequent line, "Blues, to the white, and the black," could be an allusion to the idea that depression and heartache are universal feelings that transcend race.

The chorus of the song touches on the seductive qualities of ignorance and the desire to use substances or other crutches to boost one's mood. The "spot check" lines suggest a moment of introspection, where the subject of the song is questioning whether this fleeting feeling is the only bright spot in their life.

Line by Line Meaning

Dirty little secret, stains of the mind
A shameful and embarrassing thought or action that creates lingering guilt and unpleasant memories

Your filthy little pleasure might make you go blind
Indulging in inappropriate or unlawful activities could lead to negative consequences

Pointed fingers abuse, no reason to accuse
Blaming someone without evidence or proof is unfair and cruel

Blues, to the white, and the black
Sadness or despair affects people of all races, not just one particular group

Ignorance be so appealing
Lack of knowledge can be tempting because it relieves people of the responsibility to act or react with empathy and compassion

Use a crutch to boost your feeling
Relying on temporary fixes to feel better about oneself instead of working on personal growth and self-improvement

Spot check, nerves disturb
A sudden feeling of unease or apprehension can be unsettling and disruptive

Spot check, smiles, what life
Sometimes, moments of happiness or joy can be fleeting and hard to come by

Could this be the only spark in your life?
Wondering if this moment of happiness will be the only one in a person's life, highlighting the fragility and impermanence of joy

Lyrics © Songtrust Ave
Written by: ALEXANDER MCCABE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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