Both had drummed with Ministry, and were pleased with the notion of a rock music band with two drummers, rather than the usual one. The duo formed Pigface, and began a revolving-door collaboration with many experimentally-minded musicians, many of whom — especially early on — had recorded for the influential industrial music record label Wax Trax.
Trent Reznor was also an early partner, when, due to legal troubles, Nine Inch Nails were prevented from recording under that name. "Suck" — cowritten with and sung by Reznor — was something of an underground hit, and Reznor later rerecorded the song.
Rieflin eventually left Pigface, leaving Atkins in charge. The dozens--perhaps hundreds--of musical collaborators to record and perform with Pigface have ensured that each album, and each song, is unique. This practice has, however, led to some negative criticism due to a perceived lack of continuity.
Pigface concerts are characterized by high-energy performances. Frequently there will be upwards of 10 people on stage at any time during the show. Not only that but Martin Atkins and the rest of the band love interacting with the audience, and members of the audience are nearly always invited on stage for the encore.
Empathy
Pigface Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can I crawl down inside?
And when I am your child
Can I feed in your eye?
Can I drink the air in your lungs?
And can I breath your sweet thick blood?
My love is everywhere
I love your body and mind
I will never escape
My love is everywhere [Repeat: x2]
My love will never escape
My love is everywhere
No it will never escape
And can I take out the claw?
And steal the fruit in your hair?
And throw my body inside?
Down where it's dark and it's grey
I love you more than you like
I love your body and mind
I love you more than you like
And it will never escape
My love is everywhere
No it will never escape
Our love is everywhere
I will never escape
The lyrics to Pigface's song Empathy reflect a dark and twisted desire for complete control and possession over another person. The singer longs to "steal" the mind and body of their object of affection, feeding off of them in a parasitic way. The imagery of crawling inside and feeding on the eye and sweet thick blood is particularly disturbing and suggests a desire to consume and control every aspect of the other person's being.
The singer's love is all-encompassing, with the repeated refrain of "My love is everywhere, it will never escape" suggesting a possessiveness that is all-consuming. The final lines of the song suggest a desire to merge completely with the object of affection, even if it means losing oneself in the process. The lines "And throw my body inside?/Down where it's dark and it's grey" suggest a willingness to sacrifice oneself entirely in pursuit of this all-encompassing love.
Overall, the lyrics to Empathy suggest a dangerous and obsessive love that borders on the pathological. The singer's desire for control and possession is deeply unsettling, and the use of graphic and disturbing imagery only serves to amplify the sense of unease.
Line by Line Meaning
Can I steal your mind?
May I access the depths of your psyche?
Can I crawl down inside?
May I explore your innermost being?
And when I am your child
Can I feed in your eye?
In our intimate relationship, may I trust you so completely that I become childlike and innocent? Can I be nourished by your essence?
Can I drink the air in your lungs?
May I breathe in your very essence?
And can I breath your sweet thick blood?
May I merge with you in every way possible?
My love is everywhere
My love will never escape
My love for you is omnipresent and unconditional.
I love your body and mind
I will never escape
My love is everywhere [Repeat: x2]
My love will never escape
I am passionate about you, both physically and intellectually. I will never tire of you, and my feelings will always be genuine.
No it will never escape
And can I take out the claw?
My love is so powerful, it will never diminish or fade. May I remove any perceived barriers between us?
And steal the fruit in your hair?
And throw my body inside?
May I penetrate your very essence and become completely intertwined with you?
Down where it's dark and it's grey
I love you more than you like
I love your body and mind
May we explore the deepest, most hidden parts of ourselves together. I love you more deeply than you can comprehend, and I find every part of you to be beautiful.
I love you more than you like
And it will never escape
My love is everywhere
No it will never escape
Once again, I deeply and truly love you, and this love will be with me always.
Our love is everywhere
I will never escape
Our love is all-encompassing and always present. I will never desire to escape it.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: SVITEK, A KIZYS, MARTIN ATKINS, MATTHEW FERGUSON, MICHAEL GIRA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
SpaghettiOs
GOD BLESS PIGFACE!!!!!!!!!!
PreacherNny
Sounds like Swans (for obvious reasons) with more mainstream guitar and production style. Interesting stuff... One of Pigface's best songs.
T Riffix Rex
this song summons my lust for life from the darkest recesses of depression.
Adam Hitze
I love it!
Angela Wiltz
LOVE this and I am ALL woman. We are not one being that thinks the same. If you don't think like me that does not mean you are less of a woman. We are individuals and I respect everyone that doesn't think like me. Differing opinions are sexy! They lead to interesting discussions. EVERYONE who disagrees with THAT needs to grow the fuck up!
GODS ON DRUGS
alchemical musical bliss !!!!!!
Irie Dee
I remember this from back in the day but never got into them til now. Better late then never
maxeypad
I like it, I like it a lot.
ō ō
Annnd I just realized this was Gira singing. Just today. Amazing supergroup right here.
KAWK KickAssWhiteKid
elucidation the seed is planted so deep in mind the mind is stranded