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.
Death Comes Ripping
Misfits Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And close the door, oh
Future is coming
Future rising up
Whoa
Shotgun blast, a demon piece of lead
With both eyes open
Feel the evil
Feel the heat as I blast you open
Death comes ripping
And it's going, death comes ripping
You feel the heat as death comes ripping
Rip your back out
And death comes ripping out
Flesh and blood
Too weak for you
Turning it over
A little too late to penetrate
Death comes ripping
And it's going, death comes ripping
You feel the heat as death comes ripping
Rip your back out
Death comes ripping
And it's going, death comes ripping
You feel the heat as death comes ripping
Rip your back out
Death comes ripping
And I know that death comes ripping out
Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, Whoa
Whoa
The lyrics to Misfits' song "Death Comes Ripping" evoke a sense of impending doom and violence. The opening lines "Turn the lights down low and close the door" create a sense of foreboding, as if something dangerous is about to happen. The repetition of the phrase "Future is coming, Future rising up" adds to this sense of inevitability, as if the singer is resigned to their fate.
The imagery in the following verses is violent and visceral, with the blunt force of a "shotgun blast" and the singer waiting "up for the kill." The lines "Feel the evil, feel the heat as I blast you open" feel almost sadistic in their description of a violent act. The chorus, with its repeated phrase "Death comes ripping," reinforces this sense of violence and destruction. The final lines, "And I know that death comes ripping out," bring the song to a disturbing close.
Overall, the lyrics to "Death Comes Ripping" are a meditation on violence and death, with an emphasis on brutal force and a sense of inevitability. The singers seem resigned to their violent fate, and there is a sense that they are reveling in the destruction they are causing.
Line by Line Meaning
Turn the lights down low
Lower the lights to create a dark environment
And close the door, oh
Shut the door as an indication of isolation
Future is coming
Future is impending
Future rising up
Future is on the verge of manifesting
Whoa
Indication of strong emotions, possibly fear or anticipation
Shotgun blast, a demon piece of lead
A firearm shot, possibly reflecting the violent tone of the song
With both eyes open
The character mentioned has his/her eyes open, indicating alertness or vigilance
I wait up for the kill
The character is anticipating an act of violence or murder
Feel the evil
Sense of wrongdoing or malevolence
Feel the heat as I blast you open
Sense of intense heat or adrenaline during a violent act
Death comes ripping
The experience of death is sudden and powerful
And it's going, death comes ripping
Death is constant and imminent
You feel the heat as death comes ripping
Intense sensations from experiencing death
Rip your back out
Violent imagery of tearing flesh as an act of violence
And death comes ripping out
The experience of death is violent and forceful
Flesh and blood
The physical components of human existence
Too weak for you
Human physicality is unable to withstand violence or death
Turning it over
The character is considering a thought or idea
A little too late to penetrate
The opportunity to prevent harm has passed
And I know that death comes ripping out
The character has awareness of death's sudden and intense nature
Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, Whoa
Emotional exclamation, underscoring the intensity of the song
Lyrics © REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: GLEN DANZIG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@damienlucifuge
Actual lyrics taken from Glenn's lyric book Hidden Lyrics Of The Left Hand:
Turn the lights down low
And bar the doors up
Your future is coming
Your future as a
Chopped up, hacked up, heaving piece of meat
When the door flies open
Hot wind approaches you
Feel the heat boy
Feel the heat as it burns your balls
Death comes ripping
And I know when
Death comes ripping
You feel the heat as
Death comes ripping
It'll rip your back out as
Death comes ripping out
Flex and hemorrhage
You bloody pulp
Door kicks open
A little too late to beg and pray
Death comes ripping
And you know when
Death comes ripping
You feel the heat as
Death comes ripping
It'll rip your back out as
Death comes ripping
And it's coming
Death comes ripping
You feel the heat as
Death comes ripping
It'll rip your back out as
Death comes ripping
And you'll know it
When death comes ripping out
@cualfuneri2510
best misfits album. period.
@mking9446I
I can get on board with this fosho. As a 25+ yr misfits guy I do really like this album. But in also a graves guy. All the interactions ice had with Danzig were shot. And graves was nothing bit a homie
@johnzerzan2191
i like walk among us better personally if you are into pushing the envelope with how fast and heavy punk can get though this is it
@Smkymcpott85
It is impossible to determine the best misfits’ album, because they are all good.
@jamesgreen6648
static age bitch
@printisdead1983
Fellow kids i agree
@tghartman321
Had this album almost 30 years ago on vinyl... Thanks for the memories!
@richardwatson298
Still got mine at the old house in Clifton NJ, a few miles west from Lodi, where the 'Fits originated from 😃
@ocho611
you're just sitting in your house, minding your own business. when all of a sudden DEATH COMES RIPPING
@slipperypessimist
Love the angry cat sounds at the end