Mona Mur & En Esch have been exuberant characters, in the music scene - car… Read Full Bio ↴Mona Mur & En Esch have been exuberant characters, in the music scene - carving out their own respective niches, as artists on the edge, always finding ways to push the musical envelope. With 120 Tage: The Fine Art of Beauty and Violence, the two come together to create an album that is true to its title, juxtaposing sensual energies amid a brutal array of industrial soundscapes. And yet, underlying each track is a series of dark and intense melodic counterpoints that will surely put many in the mind of the era of the Weimar Republic. Indeed, the songs "Surabaya Johnny" and "Der Song von Mandelay" feature elements originally composed by Kurt Weill and Bert Brecht, two writers most closely identified with this musical style of cabaret-influenced dark pop, and the ease with which Mona Mur and En Esch translate these songs into a flurry of guttural guitars, caustic drum programming, whimsical synthesizer loops, and oppressive industrial clamor - with hints of organ and piano for good measure - without sacrificing the darkly macabre and sensuous energies of the originals is both disturbing and lovely." ILKER YÜCEL, Int. ReGen Magazin, 1/09

“ While the performance has an air of cool restraint throughout, there's also a distinct feeling of seething passions just under the surface.

Mona Mur gives us a performance of Brechtian torch songs and slow-burning cabaret-influenced chansons, meticulously delivered with a chilled composure that at once establishes a distance between performer and audience, even as it entices you in. The amiable tension between the two performers - the supercool vocalist and her rock guitarist, straining at the leash to amp it all up - adds another neat bit of tension to the proceedings. The audience is held, rapt and attentive, from first song to last. “
Uncle NEMESIS UK 2008

On the CD "120 Days - The Fine Art of Beauty and Violence" Mona Mur is collaborating with EN ESCH, the striking front man and talented guitarist who once formed the basis of the german/US electro-industrial outfit KMFDM and now enjoys a cult-hero status in his larger-than-life stage persona. The accomplished multi-instrumentalist and producer has drastically transformed Mur's most intense 80s Songs into a unique blend of electronic drum loops, bass, dirty organ and wreckless feedback guitars. Live they are accompanied by drummer Johann Bley (Juno Reactor, Killing Joke, Holger Hiller).

Sites: Discogs.

Snake
Mona Mur & En Esch Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hanging from your party games
And stickin' to my chains
I'm in a crowd
(Find myself there)

Hey, serious thing, you're sweet
But I fear I grow too loud
Hey your majesty, do what thou whilst

At morning and at night

Go and buy some appetizers
Chainsaws, whatever
Something bright

Here comes a candle to light you to bed
Here comes a chopper to chop off your head

How high can you try?
But I fear we're condemned to repeat
And to freeze to the bone, together alone
Call me at night, I just wanna stay thirsty

So please stay a man, stay a stone
Together alone
I always simplify so let's have some fun and lie down
Together alone

Hanging from some party games
And stickin' to my chains
I'm in a crowd
(Find myself there)

Hey, serious thing, you're sweet
But I fear I grow too loud

Here comes a candle to light you to bed
Here comes a chopper to chop off your head

How high

Overall Meaning

can you try? The lyrics to Mona Mur & En Esch's song Snake are difficult to pin down to just one interpretation. The use of surreal imagery makes it almost impossible to determine a definitive meaning. However, there are some clues within the lyrics that suggest the song might be about the danger of falling in love or becoming too attached to someone.

The lyrics start off with the singer feeling trapped, “sticking to my chains” and being part of a crowd, losing themselves in the masses. They continue to express concerns about growing too attached to someone "Hey, serious thing, you're sweet but I fear I grow too loud". The use of "serious thing" could indicate the intensity or weight of the relationship.

The line "Here comes a candle to light you to bed / Here comes a chopper to chop off your head" is a reference to the old English nursery rhyme "Here Comes a Candle to Light You to Bed," which ends with the line "Here comes a chopper to chop off your head." This could be interpreted as a warning about the dangers of love or relationships. The final lines "I just wanna stay thirsty / So please stay a man, stay a stone" imply that the singer wants to keep a certain level of distance in order to avoid being hurt.

Overall, the lyrics of Snake are mysterious and open to interpretation. The use of surreal imagery paired with cryptic lyrics adds to the intrigue of this song.

Line by Line Meaning

Hanging from your party games
I'm being held up by the superficialities of your social events and activities

And stickin' to my chains
I feel trapped and confined in this situation

I'm in a crowd
Despite being surrounded by people, I feel alone and disconnected

(Find myself there)
This is a recurring feeling for me

Hey, serious thing, you're sweet
I appreciate your presence, but I fear that I may become too emotionally involved

But I fear I grow too loud
I worry that my emotions and thoughts will become overwhelming

Hey your majesty, do what thou whilst
Addressing someone in power, I advise them to do what they want regardless of what others may think

At morning and at night
This advice applies at all times, not just in specific moments

Go and buy some appetizers
Take a break from deep thought and just focus on the superficial

Chainsaws, whatever
Anything to distract from the intense emotions and thoughts

Something bright
Even if it's just a temporary distraction, something to bring some happiness

Here comes a candle to light you to bed
A gentle and soothing image to comfort you

Here comes a chopper to chop off your head
A dark and violent image to remind you of the potential danger and consequences of your actions

How high can you try?
How much can you push yourself before it becomes too much?

But I fear we're condemned to repeat
I worry that we're stuck in a cycle and can't break it

And to freeze to the bone, together alone
We may feel isolated and disconnected, but we're in this together

Call me at night, I just wanna stay thirsty
I want to avoid deep conversations and just focus on the superficial, but I still want the comfort of someone's presence

So please stay a man, stay a stone
I need you to be strong and unchanging in this chaotic situation

Together alone
We may be alone, but we're still together in this experience

I always simplify so let's have some fun and lie down
I tend to avoid complex emotions and situations, but let's just enjoy the moment and relax

Hanging from some party games
Once again, I feel confined by the superficial social interactions

And stickin' to my chains
I can't seem to escape this overwhelming feeling of being trapped

I'm in a crowd
Despite being surrounded by people, I still feel disconnected and alone

(Find myself there)
This feeling is all too familiar and recurring

Contributed by Violet P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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