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.
Day Of The Dead
Misfits Lyrics
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Human flesh feeding frenzy
Whoa oh, "Here comes the dead"
Open graves, ghouls a plenty
Zombie army machine is ready
Whoa oh, "Here comes the dead"
You see their eyes, you're hypnotized and
They eat your guts out
And now you're the "Living Dead"
When the dead come arising
You see their eyes, you're hypnotized and
They eat your guts out
And now you're the "Living Dead"
Oh, oh, "here comes the dead"
Oh, oh, "here comes the dead"
Oh, oh, "here comes the dead"
Oh, oh, "here comes the dead"
"Here comes the dead"
"Here comes the dead"
"Here comes the dead"
Here comes, here comes the dead
The lyrics of Misfits's song "Day of the Dead" are about the apocalypse, specifically the arrival of zombies. The lyrics describe the chaos of the apocalypse, with the dead rising from their graves and a feeding frenzy of human flesh. The chorus repeats the phrase "Here comes the dead" as a warning of the impending danger.
The first verse describes the zombies as a "zombie army machine," indicating that the apocalypse has reached an industrial level of destruction. The second verse repeats the warning of the chorus and describes how the zombies hypnotize and consume their victims until they become "living dead" themselves.
Overall, the song is a warning of the consequences of human destruction and greed, leading to the destruction of society as we know it.
Line by Line Meaning
Hell is full time to empty
There is no more place in Hell and it's time to release the dead.
Human flesh feeding frenzy
The dead are hungry for human flesh and there is no stopping them.
Whoa oh, "Here comes the dead"
The arrival of the dead is imminent and unstoppable.
Open graves, ghouls a plenty
The dead are rising from the graves and there are many of them.
Zombie army machine is ready
The dead are like an unstoppable army that is ready to attack.
When the dead come arising
When the dead rise from their graves.
You see their eyes, you're hypnotized and
It's almost as if you become hypnotized when looking into their eyes.
They eat your guts out
The dead will consume your insides when they catch you.
And now you're the "Living Dead"
If the dead eat you, you become one of them, known as the "Living Dead".
Oh, oh, "here comes the dead"
The chorus repeats the same message, emphasizing the unstoppable arrival of the dead.
"Here comes the dead"
The phrase repeats again, emphasizing the impending attack.
Here comes, here comes the dead
The dead are coming and there is no escaping their arrival.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID CALABRESE, JERRY CAIAFA, MICHAEL C. EMANUEL, PAUL CAIAFA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind