The Misfits disbanded in 1983, and Glenn Danzig went on to form Samhain and then Danzig. Several albums of reissued and previously unreleased material were issued after the group's dissolution, and their music later became influential to punk rock, heavy metal, and alternative rock. After a series of legal battles with Danzig, Only and Doyle regained the rights to record and perform as the Misfits. They formed a new version of the band in 1995 with singer Michale Graves and drummer Dr. Chud. This incarnation of Misfits had more of a heavy metal sound, and released the albums American Psycho (1997) and Famous Monsters (1999) before dissolving in 2000. Jerry Only then took over lead vocals and recruited former Black Flag guitarist Dez Cadena and former Ramones drummer Marky Ramone for a Misfits 25th anniversary tour.
This lineup released an album of cover songs titled Project 1950 and toured for several years. In 2005, Marky was replaced by Robo, who had played with Black Flag in the early 1980s and had also previously been Misfits' drummer from 1982 to 1983. This lineup released a single titled "Land of the Dead" in 2009. The Misfits' lineup of Only, Cadena, and drummer Eric "Chupacabra" Arce released a new album titled The Devil's Rain in October 2011. In 2015, it was announced that Cadena would be taking a break from music after receiving a cancer diagnosis, and was replaced by Only's son Jerry Caiafa II, presented as Jerry Other. That same year Soulfly's Marc Rizzo joined the band, also playing guitar. He filled in for Cadena, before Caiafa would move on to become the sole guitarist for the band.
In September 2016, for the first time in 33 years, Danzig, Only, and Doyle reunited for two headlining shows as the Original Misfits at that year's edition of Riot Fest, along with drummer Dave Lombardo and second guitarist Acey Slade. The Original Misfits lineup continued performing sporadically through 2019.
Each incarnation of the Misfits has made use of horror film and science fiction film-inspired themes and imagery, with makeup, clothing, artwork, and lyrics drawn from B movies and television serials, many from the 1950s through 1970s. Musically the band are often recognized as progenitors of the horror punk and psychobilly subgenres and have drawn from punk rock, heavy metal, and 1950s rock and roll and rockabilly to inform their style. Rolling Stone describes them as "the archetypal horror-punk band of the late 1970s and early '80s", and they are considered icons in punk music and culture.
Astro Zombies
Misfits Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All I want
With just a touch of my burning hand
I send my astro zombies to rape the land
Prime directive, exterminate
The whole human race
And then your heart, heart pounds
Till it pumps in death
Prime directive, exterminate
Whatever stands left
All I wanted to say
And all I gotta do
Who'd I do this for
Hey, me or you
And all I wanted to say
And all I gotta do
Who'd I do this for
Hey, me or you
Oh, all I want to know
All I want
With just a touch of my burning hand
I'm gonna live my life to to destroy your world
Prime directive, exterminate
The whole fuckin' race
Then your face drops in a pile of flesh
And then your heart, heart pounds
And it pumps in death
Prime directive, exterminate
The whole fuckin' place well
All I wanted to say
And all I gotta do
Who'd I do this for
Hey, me or you
And all I wanted to say
And all I gotta do
Who'd I do this for
Hey, me or you
Oh, all I want to know
All I want to know
All I want to know
All I want oh
Go
The Misfits song "Astro Zombies" has been interpreted in different ways by different people. Some have seen it as a commentary on the destructive nature of humanity, with the "astro zombies" being a metaphor for the destructive forces humans unleash upon each other and the world. Others have seen it as a more personal narrative, with the "astro zombies" representing the inner demons and destructive impulses of the singer.
The lyrics describe an entity with a "burning hand" that sends its astro zombies to "rape the land" and "exterminate" the human race as part of its "prime directive". The imagery is violent and apocalyptic, with faces dropping into piles of flesh and hearts pounding until they pump in death. The singer questions who they are doing all this for, themselves or someone else.
The song can be seen as a reflection of the punk ethos of the time, which was all about rebellion and questioning authority. It also showcases the Misfits' unique style of blending horror themes with punk rock, a style that would go on to influence many other bands.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, all I want to know
The singer wants to understand something
All I want
The singer's desire is simple
With just a touch of my burning hand
The singer possesses great power
I send my astro zombies to rape the land
The singer can command a group of destructive creatures
Prime directive, exterminate
The mission is clear and specific: eliminate all human life
The whole human race
No one will be spared
And your face drops in a pile of flesh
The victims will suffer a gruesome fate
And then your heart, heart pounds
The victims will experience fear and panic
Till it pumps in death
The victims will die from the overwhelming terror
Whatever stands left
Any remaining traces of humanity will be destroyed
I'm gonna live my life to destroy your world
The singer's goal is to wreak havoc on everything
The whole fuckin' race
The singer is intent on wiping out all human life
The whole fuckin' place well
The destruction will be total
All I wanted to say
The singer has a message
And all I gotta do
The singer's task is clear
Who'd I do this for
The singer questions their motives
Hey, me or you
The decision is ultimately selfish
Oh, all I want to know
The singer still seeks understanding
All I want to know
The singer's desire remains unchanged
All I want to know
The singer hopes to gain clarity
All I want oh
The singer's desire is all-consuming
Go
The singer urges action
Lyrics © REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: GLEN DANZIG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@aurorasilva9904
Oh, all I want to know
All I want
With just a touch of my burning hand
I send my astro zombies to rape the land
Prime directive, exterminate
The whole human race
And your face drops in a pile of flesh
And then your heart, heart pounds
Till it pumps in death
Prime directive, exterminate
Whatever stands left
All I wanted to say
And all I gotta do
Who'd I do this for
Hey, me or you
And all I wanted to say
And all I gotta do
Who'd I do this for
Hey, me or you
Oh, all I want to know
All I want
With just a touch of my burning hand
I'm gonna live my life to to destroy your world
Prime directive, exterminate
The whole fuckin' race
Then your face drops in a pile of flesh
And then your heart, heart pounds
And it pumps in death
Prime directive, exterminate
The whole fuckin' place well
All I wanted to say
And all I gotta do
Who'd I do this for
Hey, me or you
And all I wanted to say
And all I gotta do
Who'd I do this for
Hey, me or you
Oh, all I want to know
All I want to know
All I want to know
All I want oh
Go
@prampram7176
Astro Zombies
The Misfits
Oh, all I want to know
All I want
With just a touch of my burning hand
I send my astro zombies to rape the land
Prime directive, exterminate
The whole human race
And your face drops in a pile of flesh
And then your heart, heart pounds
Till it pumps in death
Prime directive, exterminate
Whatever stands left
All I wanted to say
And all I gotta do
Who'd I do this for
Hey, me or you
And all I wanted to say
And all I gotta do
Who'd I do this for
Hey, me or you
Oh, all I want to know
All I want
With just a touch of my burning hand
I'm gonna live my life to to destroy your world
Prime directive, exterminate
The whole fuckin' race
Then your face drops in a pile of flesh
And then your heart, heart pounds
And it pumps in death
Prime directive, exterminate
The whole fuckin' place well
All I wanted to say
And all I gotta do
Who'd I do this for
Hey, me or you
And all I wanted to say
And all I gotta do
Who'd I do this for
Hey, me or you
Oh, all I want to know
All I want to know
All I want to know
All I want oh
Go
@mackeydirk8643
I'm 48 and just realized I've spent over 3 decades singing my heart out along to this song. Greatest punk song ever written!
@generalmalaise7580
46 here and I feel the same way.
@jeffm3637
44 and it's my go to jam
@foxdawnstar5405
Not the greatest, but ya, great
@ModernConversations
I wanna write a book about you!
@foxdawnstar5405
@@ModernConversations when
@alexhoyn1465
Probably the most underrated song of them. Its creepy and full of hate, but still there is a small glimmering of melancholy
@CM-fk3or
Yeah it’s really upbeat and happy and easy to tap your toe to, but he’s singing about extermination of the human race, and falling into piles of flesh. The contrast is fun.
@Frankfoot986
Couldn’t hve said it better
@MarqueeMoon1977
sarcasm??