By 1983, Bauhaus broke up and Murphy went on to new projects not involving Bauhaus members Kevin Haskins, David J, or Daniel Ash. After some brief dabbling with acting and dance - including a slightly odd televised performance to Bauhaus's "Hollow Hills" - he soon formed Dalis Car with Mick Karn, the bass player from Japan.
Murphy's solo career over time became more varied than Bauhaus, ranging from pseudo-pop to haunting ballads that showcased his deep and complex vocals. After the commercial non-start of Dali's Car, Murphy's first solo album was similarly overlooked. Should the World Fail to Fall Apart did spawn several singles, including a cover of Pere Ubu's "Final Solution" that made a minor splash on the club scene.
The followup, Love Hysteria, did much better. It also marked the beginning of a long-term collaboration with songwriter Paul Statham, who co-wrote songs with Murphy until 1995. The resulting singles "All Night Long" and "Indigo Eyes" helped garner a wider following, and the black-and-white video for "All Night Long" entered rotation on MTV.
The pinnacle of Murphy's solo popularity came with the release of Deep. For this album Murphy reinvented himself as somewhat of a rock-god, now sporting hair dyed platinum blonde and performing a much more aggressive alt-rock sound. The single "Cuts You Up" from Deep held on to the top spot on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for longer than any other single before - displacing "So Alive" by his former Bauhaus-bandmates Love and Rockets.
In 2000, Murphy performed his international Just for Love tour, which resulted in the album aLive Just for Love. It is a live recording of the fully uninterrupted set from the El Rey show in Los Angeles on November 30, 2000. During the tour, Murphy chose to perform with only two back-up musicians, Canadian electric violinist Hugh Marsh and Peter DiStefano from Porno for Pyros on guitar, although former Bauhaus bassist David J sometimes joined the trio for an encore. At this point he also contributed to works by noted film composer Harry Gregson-Williams.
Also in 2000, Murphy gave a nod to the North American goth scene, where his solo works and his works with Bauhaus are still very popular, by making a surprise guest appearance at the sixth annual Convergence festival in Seattle, to perform a low-key, acoustic solo set.
In 2004, Murphy signed to yet another new label, Viastar, which was home to several other 1980s pop artists who had moved into more eclectic areas. Despite numerous problems with the label, the album Unshattered was released, showcasing Murphy returning to a more pop sound.
Murphy undertook extensive tours of the U.S.A and Europe to promote 'Unshattered' in 2005, with a live band featuring guitarist Mark Gemini Thwaite of The Mission UK and Tricky on guitar, Jeff Schwartoff of Human Waste Project and Professional Murder Music on bass and Justin Bennett of Skinny Puppy on drums. Murphy and the band reconvened in November 2007 for shows in Portugal and Spain, with Nick Lucero replacing Bennett on drums. In May 2008 Murphy recorded a cover of the song "Warm Leatherette" with Trent Reznor and Jeordie White from Nine Inch Nails. This was played live at an intimate studio performance, and the video recording was released on both the official Nine Inch Nails website and YouTube. A full-length album called Ninth was released in 2011, featuring the single "I Spit Roses".
God Sends
Peter Murphy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From the lipstick that's used
From even the wig that sits
That's all we see of you
I've done it among the many who
From paint to health
Bricka-brack fashion
Giving you the buzz
It's called a feedback
It's fierce
It's not from above
It's fierce
Tell my freinds they're all potential
They're all potential Godsends
I feel that this is me coming
You'll never meet me
Oh young and pure
An inward girl
A simple shape and mind
A no-mans land
A chosen ground
A sitting for the sign
Sashed and shorn
Hallowed be her name
Saying 'no I don't want to talk anymore'
Is the perogative of the superstar
I say no all the time
I'm super
So are you! say no
Tell my friends they're all potential
They're all potential Godsends
I feel that this is me coming
You'll never meet me
The message clear
For weak and strong
He takes no pleasure in your pain
The face is distant death
Saying 'no I don't want to talk anymore'
Is the perogative of the superstar
Put yourself on the line
Stay super
Say you!
Say no!
Tell my friends they're all potential
They're all potential -
-Godsends
I feel that this is me coming
Tell them they'll never meet me
"God Sends" by Peter Murphy is a song about the persona that an individual builds up around themselves in order to present a certain image to the world. The lyrics describe how this persona is constructed through various forms of self-expression, such as makeup, fashion, and speech. The verses are particularly cryptic, but they seem to convey that the persona is meant to hide the deeper inner self of the individual. This concept is illustrated in lines such as "That's all we see of you" and "You'll never meet me."
The chorus of the song is more straightforward, with Peter Murphy urging his friends to realize their own potential as "Godsends." This seems to be a call to reject the idea of constructing a false persona in order to fit in with society, and instead embrace one's true self. The repeated refrain of "say no" can be seen as a rejection of societal expectations, a refusal to conform to the demands of others.
Overall, "God Sends" is a song about the struggle to define oneself in a world that often demands conformity. It's a call to embrace one's true self and reject the pressures to hide behind a constructed persona.
Line by Line Meaning
Of course we can see
It is obvious and apparent
From the lipstick that's used
Judging from the makeup
From even the wig that sits
Even the hairstyle cannot hide
That's all we see of you
It is the only glimpse we catch
I've done it among the many who
I have been one of those who
From paint to health
From appearance to well-being
Bricka-brack fashion
Cheap and useless fashion
Giving you the talk back
Giving you feedback
Giving you the buzz
Generating excitement
It's called a feedback
It's called criticism
It's fierce
It can be intense and brutal
It's not from above
It does not come from a higher power
Tell my freinds they're all potential
Tell my friends that they have the possibility
They're all potential Godsends
They are all capable of becoming divine messengers
I feel that this is me coming
I sense that my arrival is imminent
You'll never meet me
You will never have a chance to encounter me
Oh young and pure
Oh innocent and untainted
An inward girl
An introverted girl
A simple shape and mind
An uncomplicated appearance and intellect
A no-mans land
An unsettled and barren area
A chosen ground
A select area
A sitting for the sign
A place to receive a portent
Sashed and shorn
Adorned with a sash and cut hair
Hallowed be her name
Her name is sanctified and exalted
Saying 'no I don't want to talk anymore'
Expressing the desire to stop conversing
Is the perogative of the superstar
Is the right of the celebrity
I say no all the time
I refuse frequently
I'm super
I'm exceptional and outstanding
So are you! say no
So are you! Refuse as well
The message clear
The communication is unambiguous
For weak and strong
For those who are feeble and those who are robust
He takes no pleasure in your pain
He does not delight in your suffering
The face is distant death
The expression is remote and lifeless
Put yourself on the line
Risk everything
Stay super
Continue to be exceptional
Say you!
Say no!
Tell my friends they're all potential
Tell my friends that they have the possibility
They're all potential -
They all have the potential
-Godsends
To become divine messengers
I feel that this is me coming
I sense that my arrival is imminent
Tell them they'll never meet me
Inform them that they will never have a chance to encounter me
Contributed by Maya W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.