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".
Roll Call
Peter Murphy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your breath the only friend
Chattering others surrounding you
You're going out again
It's a laugh and a gas new crowd
You tell yourself
While buttoning up your new red shirt
It's been a twenty years of doing this
Day into day
With your preset mind
Wake up with a preset mind
With no self control
And you decide to call the Roll Call
Of the socialites who mortified
Can't see as far as their next surprise
Yah, happy with nothing but the sweet F.A. of the night
Believing that they're alive and well
But if asked
They have nothing to tell
Except the words of a clashing rhyme
I'll calmed and out of sync
Even real sounds like a zero
To a brain in lip sync
Roll'
On a long and winding grey paved street
Your breath the only friend
Chattering others surrounding you
You're going out again
It's a laugh and a gas new crowd
You tell yourself
While buttoning up your new red shirt
It's been a twenty years of doing this
Just the same night into night
Day into day
Forget your preset mind
Roll
The lyrics of Roll Call by Peter Murphy speak about the cyclical nature of the night life, where people go out night after night, surrounded by others who are just as aimless and lost as they are. The singer describes the scene on a gloomy street, with only one's breath for company. The people around are chattering, and there's excitement about meeting new people, wearing new clothes, but it's all superficial. The singer has been doing this for twenty years, but the same cycle keeps repeating itself, and their mind is already set with expectations, without realizing how monotonous their life has become.
The lyrics then move on to talk about the Roll Call, a term used to refer to a group of socialites. they mortify themselves in their attempts to keep appearing relevant, but in reality, they have nothing to say. The words they speak clash with each other, and they can't keep their thoughts coherent. The singer, on the other hand, is calmed and out of sync with the others. To him, everything sounds like a zero, and even the sound of reality seems fake. But it's time to wake up, forget the preset mind, and 'Roll.'
Overall, Roll Call lyrics capture the emptiness of the party scene, where people are trying to escape something or find meaning, but end up more lost than before.
Line by Line Meaning
On a long and winding grey paved street
You're walking down a road that feels endless and bleak.
Your breath the only friend
You're so lost in your own thoughts, that nobody else is there to talk to.
Chattering others surrounding you
People talking around you, but you're not engaged in their conversations.
You're going out again
You keep following the same routine, with no real purpose.
It's a laugh and a gas new crowd
You're excited about the new people you'll meet, but it's a fleeting feeling.
You tell yourself, while buttoning up your new red shirt
You're trying to psych yourself up and get into a more confident state of mind.
It's been a twenty years of doing this
You've been stuck in this same cycle for two decades.
Just the same night into night, day into day
Each day seems to blend together into a monotonous haze.
With your preset mind
You're going through the motions, without really thinking about it.
Wake up with a preset mind
You're not really awake, because you're not really conscious of what you're doing.
With no self control
You're not making conscious choices, you're just following your routine.
And you decide to call the Roll Call
You reach out to your usual crowd, hoping to find some sort of connection.
Of the socialites who mortified
You know that the people you're reaching out to are superficial and shallow.
Can't see as far as their next surprise
They don't think beyond their immediate gratification, and don't care about the consequences.
Yah, happy with nothing but the sweet F.A. of the night
They're content to indulge in the moment, without any real goals or ambitions.
Believing that they're alive and well
They think that their hedonistic lifestyle is a sign of vitality.
But if asked They have nothing to tell
If you try to have a meaningful conversation with them, they won't have anything substantial to say.
Except the words of a clashing rhyme
All they can offer are platitudes that don't mean anything.
I'll calmed and out of sync
You're starting to feel disconnected from this lifestyle.
Even real sounds like a zero To a brain in lip sync Roll
You're starting to feel like this whole lifestyle is empty and meaningless.
Forget your preset mind
You're finally starting to break out of your routine and think for yourself.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PETER JOHN MURPHY, PAUL STATHAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind