During the near decade the group spent in Dog Fashion Disco, Smith and his merry band of misfits would amass a loyal underground following of fans (dubbed the “mushroom cult”) through countless tours with the likes of Slayer, Mindless Self Indulgence, Nothingface and Lacuna Coil. Although Dog Fashion Disco never achieved commercial success, their musical legacy gained the respect of musical contemporaries like Serj Tankian of System of a Down (who made a guest appearance on Anarchists of Good Taste), Mushroomhead and American Head Charge, while the group's music lives on through the internet and continues to create new members of the “mushroom cult” long after the band's demise.
While Smith and company may have become sick of living the vagabond lifestyle that a touring metal band requires, the thought of giving up music entirely never even crossed their minds. Within mere months of their former outfits demise the group had created a new group, Polkadot Cadaver to unleash their schizophrenic musical madness.
“Jasan and I decided to start a studio band and Polkadot Cadaver started as shells of songs on Jasan’s computer. After we fleshed out the songs we pitched it Rotten Records, because we loved how they handled the last Dog Fashion Disco album,” says Smith about the formation of the group. “They immediately got behind us and as soon as received a recording budget we went to Wrightway Studios to work and complete the record. Polkadot Cadaver is very similar to Dog Fashion Disco stylistically. The songs are still very quirky and different from each other.” Recorded in the bowels of Baltimore with producer Steven Wright (Jimmie’s Chicken Shack, SR-71), Polkadot Cadaver’s debut album picks up right where Dog Fashion Disco left off. The brilliance of the band’s musical output lies within their ability to sonically shape shift like a musical chameleon that can adapt to any music style. “What’s The Worst Thing” blisters with thrashing Slayer like riffage and then spills into the soothing folk-pop melodies of "Chloroform Girl". The album’s lyrical insanity the delivers homicidal blow to Polkadot Cadaver’s musical homicide, covering gamut of topics ranging from plane crashes, narcissistic models, Christ, the devil and good old Baltimore, MD.
After fulfilling their contractual duties with Rotten Records, The guys decides that they'd had enough of working for the man. Smith and Stepp have since started their own record label, called Razor To Wrist Records, and now record and release albums, all on their own. Every project they now have will be releasing albums under Razor To Wrist [Polkadot Cadaver, El-Creepo! (Todd's Solo Project), Knives Out! (Super Group), and Deimos (Jasan's Solo Project)]. For more info on Polkadot Cadaver and the rest of their happenings, be sure to check out RazorToWrist.com.
Deathwish
Polkadot Cadaver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Until she doesn't recognize her face in the mirror
She's walking evidence
As the scene of the crime, she sees hollow and
Belligerent witness
You belong right here baby, sitting in the electric chair
We'll flip the switches that take you to your burning home
I know you got a deathwish honey, protruding like a broken bone
Shot from a cannon, gliding on the dance floor
Smelling of menthols and coppertone
Heartbreak in the whites of your eyes
With pupils bleeding as you cry
Sirens scream at the moonlight
Because the wolf is on the loose tonight
Everyone's trying to live forever
But you've got your own agenda
That's what I like about you
You might not be here tomorrow
Through the champagne glass your face looks like a violent mime
Behind the prison bars your last meal is a bitter pill
One foot in the grave, and your head inside the lion's mouth
Time keeps on ticking
They keep on laughing at you, laughing at you
The song "Deathwish" by Polkadot Cadaver is a dark and haunting portrayal of a woman who is struggling with self-destructive behavior. The lyrics introduce this character as someone who likes to cut herself until she no longer recognizes her own reflection in the mirror. She is presented as a walking piece of evidence, someone who sees herself as a hollow and belligerent witness to the crimes that she is committing against her own body and mind.
As the song progresses, the character's deathwish becomes more apparent. The lyrics suggest that she belongs in the electric chair, and that her desire to die is protruding like a broken bone. The song's narrator seems to be both fascinated and repulsed by this character, noting that she smells of menthols and coppertone, and that her heartbreak is visible through the whites of her eyes.
The final verse of the song takes an existential turn, as the lyrics suggest that while everyone else is trying to live forever, the character in question has her own agenda. The singer seems to admire this quality about her, even as he acknowledges that she might not be around tomorrow. The song ends on a note of bleakness, with the character's laughter echoing in the background as time ticks on.
Overall, "Deathwish" is a powerful and evocative song that speaks to the darker corners of the human psyche. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a woman whose desire for self-destruction is all-consuming, while also suggesting that there is something admirable in her refusal to conform to society's expectations about how a person should live and die.
Line by Line Meaning
She likes to cut herself
She has a tendency to harm herself physically
Until she doesn't recognize her face in the mirror
She continues cutting herself until she can't identify herself in the mirror
She's walking evidence
She is a clear indication of the damage she has inflicted upon herself
As the scene of the crime, she sees hollow and
Belligerent witness
Her injured body is the site of the wrongdoing and she feels powerless and angry about it
You belong right here baby, sitting in the electric chair
You should be in a position of punishment for your actions
We'll flip the switches that take you to your burning home
We will cause you more pain and suffering
A haunted castle of brimstone
A place of intense suffering and torment
I know you got a deathwish honey, protruding like a broken bone
I am aware that you have a strong desire to die, like a serious injury that's hard to ignore
Shot from a cannon, gliding on the dance floor
Smelling of menthols and coppertone
She moves quickly and gracefully, but smells of death
Heartbreak in the whites of your eyes
With pupils bleeding as you cry
She is overwhelmed with emotion that's causing her physical pain, resulting in tears and bloodshot eyes
Sirens scream at the moonlight
Because the wolf is on the loose tonight
There is great danger due to her actions, heralded by the wailing sirens
Everyone's trying to live forever
But you've got your own agenda
That's what I like about you
You might not be here tomorrow
Most people want to live a long life, but she is set on her own destructive path, which the artist finds intriguing, but acknowledges that she might not survive this way
Through the champagne glass your face looks like a violent mime
Looking through the alcohol in the glass, her face appears like a disturbing performance artist
Behind the prison bars your last meal is a bitter pill
Even with limited options, her own choices have led her to a hopeless place with a bitter ending
One foot in the grave, and your head inside the lion's mouth
She is in a dangerous and deadly position, with one leg in her grave and her head risking being bitten off
Time keeps on ticking
They keep on laughing at you, laughing at you
As time passes, people continue to judge and ridicule her for her choices and behavior
Contributed by Nathan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mayachan
This one sounds quite distinctive than the original. Still sounds awesome though.
A.K. Venom
I love everything that Todd touches, of course, but I can't help but wish that he would explain what's been going on with the vocals on all these re-recordings; obviously the clean vocals are perfect, but the harsh ones have been very odd and different, with almost no actual harshness to them at all. If he just can't produce the same sounds anymore, I completely understand that, time and abuse will most certainly change your voice permanently. I guess I guess I'm just curious if the new vocal sounds are a personal choice or a necessity. However, it doesn't matter what the answer is, I will always support Todd Smith in all of his endeavors, both in spirit and with my wallet lol.
R3grET
I feel you 100% certain tracks kimda sound like "radio versions" of the songs. By that I mean the vocals are much clearer and cleaner, but has a certain higher pitch to it that jus makes it sound, not off, but different, ok and kinda off. Best example from another band is "Wait And Bleed" by Slipknot. The regular version is hard n deep, brutal shit. But in the radio version, the first main verse(not chorus) is much higher pitch n clearer. Nothing wrong with that, it's just a lil weird growing up hearing these songs one way, then hearing them in today's sound. That make sense?
A.K. Venom
@R3grET yeah, that's pretty much how it sounds. Honestly, the thing that makes me sad is the fact that I LOVE Todd's harsh vocals, but it's starting to look like he doesn't want to do them anymore, and that's a damn shame 😔😔😔
peepee poopoo
Weird, the only delivery I think is super off here is the head voice in the verses. The little psychedelic bridge sounded fine. I really think the sound designers used to use more care in making his vocals fit the sonic palette and they’re a little “drier” now
Jackster Stream
FUCK YEA! GET IT, GUYS!