Murder by Death released its first studio album (Like the Exorcist, but More Breakdancing) in 2002, and has since released seven more studio albums. The band's current lineup consists of two founding members, Adam Turla and Sarah Balliet. Balliet plays cello for the band, an instrument that has been present consistently throughout the band's evolution. Murder by Death's 2012 album Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon reached #76 on the Billboard 200, making it the band's most successful release.
Murder by Death was formed in 2000 in Bloomington, Indiana, by guitarist Adam Turla, cellist Sarah Balliet, percussionist Alexander Schrodt, keyboardist Vincent Edwards, and bassist Matt Armstrong. One of the group's first shows was at the Channing-Murray Foundation's cafe The Red Herring in Urbana, Illinois, with former American Football drummer Steve Lamos' solo project DMS. After the show, the head of the TEAM AV record label with which Lamos was working offered to help Turla and his bandmates secure additional shows. Around the same time the band met Thursday vocalist, Geoff Rickly, when the two bands played on the same bill at a gig in their hometown of Bloomington. Rickly introduced the band, known at the time as Little Joe Gould, to his friend Alex Saavedra (owner of Eyeball Records), who also took an interest in the band. In 2001 the band self-released the eponymous Little Joe Gould EP and early the next year contributed the song "I'm Afraid of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" to the TEAM AV compilation Foreign Nationals. A short time later the group changed their name to Murder By Death, which they felt better represented their sound.
Murder by Death plays a range of music including instrumentals, rock and alt.country. The band uses cello (with an electric cello for live shows) to create a gothic sound with occasional Western references.
The band often arranges themes such as whiskey and the Devil into concept albums. For example, the band's second album, Who Will Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them?, describes a story in which the Devil wages war against a small village in Mexico.
King Of The Gutters Prince Of The Dogs
Murder By Death Lyrics
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Traveled so long
Til I was cold
Cold as stone
My whiskers are grey
They reach to the ground
My bird′s bones
Make a hollow sound
I been lost somewhere
In the fabric of a world that's goin′ threadbare
I been down in the gutters without a care
I been hunted maligned
Since before your time
I been stoned
I been thrown
To the wolves
To the wolves
I been starved down
To skin and bone
I been lost somewhere
In the fabric of a world that's goin' threadbare
I been down in the gutters without a care
Throw me a bone, feed me a line
Pour a hard drink for harder times
I′m the king of the gutters, the prince of the dogs
One or the other, a ship lost in the fog
No pupils to see
Ours eyes to the ground
Our feet pound loud
But there′s no one around
The shout of the night
The room fills with light
The sky makes a deafening sound
Throw me a bone, feed me a line
Pour a hard drink for harder times
I'm the king of the gutters, the prince of the dogs
One or the other, a ship lost in the fog
Nothing can touch me
Nothing can touch me
No force
No sound
Nothing can touch me
Nothing can touch me
No force
No sound
I′m the king of the gutters, the prince of the dogs
I'm the king of the gutters, the prince of the dogs
I′m the king of the gutters, the prince of the dogs
The lyrics to Murder By Death's song "King Of The Gutters Prince Of The Dogs" speak of a life of hardship and isolation, but also of resilience and strength. The singer describes himself as "cold as stone" and "lost somewhere in the fabric of a world that's goin' threadbare," highlighting a feeling of disconnection and despair. He speaks of being hunted and maligned, physically and emotionally worn down to "skin and bone." However, despite this, he remains defiant and proud, declaring himself "the king of the gutters, the prince of the dogs" - a leader in a world that others may look down upon.
The chorus of "Throw me a bone, feed me a line, pour a hard drink for harder times" suggests a desire for comfort and escape from the difficulties of everyday life, but also a self-awareness that these short-term fixes won't solve the deeper issues at play. The final lines of the song, "Nothing can touch me, no force, no sound," seem to speak of a hard-won inner resilience, a sense of self-possession and survival that cannot be taken away.
Line by Line Meaning
I traveled so long
I have journeyed for a significant amount of time
Traveled so long
I have been on a long journey
Til I was cold
Until I became emotionally disconnected
Cold as stone
I am emotionally unresponsive
My whiskers are grey
I am old
They reach to the ground
My beard is very long
My bird′s bones
I am thin and frail, like the bones of a bird
Make a hollow sound
My body is weak and has lost mass
I been lost somewhere
I have been wandering aimlessly
In the fabric of a world that's goin′ threadbare
In a world that is in a state of disrepair
I been down in the gutters without a care
I have been in a state of despair without any concern
I been hunted maligned
I have been pursued and treated unfairly
Since before your time
Before you were born
I been stoned
I have been pelted with stones
I been thrown
I have been discarded
To the wolves
I have been abandoned to my enemies
I been starved down
I have been deprived of food until very thin
To skin and bone
Until my body is emaciated
Throw me a bone, feed me a line
Give me something to grasp on, deceive me with false promises
Pour a hard drink for harder times
Drink something strong to deal with difficult situations
I′m the king of the gutters, the prince of the dogs
I am the ruler of the outcast, leader of the untouchables
One or the other, a ship lost in the fog
I am uncertain of my identity or purpose
No pupils to see
I have no vision or direction
Ours eyes to the ground
I keep my eyes down as if ashamed
Our feet pound loud
I walk with purpose and strength
But there′s no one around
No one is there to witness or share my experiences
The shout of the night
The cry of pain or desperation
The room fills with light
Suddenly, things become clear
The sky makes a deafening sound
The world is shaken by something of great significance
Nothing can touch me
I am invincible and untouchable
No force
Nothing has the power to harm me
No sound
No voice can make me falter
Writer(s): Armstrong Matthew Taylor, Balliet Sarah Jackson, Thogerson Dagan, Turla Adam Michael
Contributed by Noah I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.