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.
Painkiller
Polkadot Cadaver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At war, eternally
Two lone battleships at the sea
Staring at the enemy
Nurturing the urge to destroy
Escape becomes a dirty word
When you try to kill the pain
I don't know where I'm going
But I'm feeling good
Whispers in the wind, head spinning around
I don't know where I'm going
But I'm feeling good
In the valley of dry bones
We burn the fat off our souls
Where everything is meant to be
Infamy and obscurity
Now hunger and our thirst is raw
A primitive survival song
Where everything is meant to be
Sucking and gnawing like baby teeth
Choose your poison
Walk the edge between
Overdose and tranquility
Fear becomes a dead friend
From sweet release, to the bitter end
When you've got nothing to lose
In the valley of dry bones
We burn the fat off our souls
Where everything is meant to be
Infamy and obscurity
Now hunger and our thirst is raw
A primitive survival song
Where everything is meant to be
Sucking and gnawing like baby teeth
Battle ready, From the cradle to the grave
Write the menu of become the menu
I see you clinging to air
My ghost is holding your hand
A master, mistress and slave
Aboard a ship with no name
The mockingbird sings your song
From twilight until the dawn
To carve a path out of light
To set the soul into flight
In the valley of dry bones
We burn the fat off our souls
Where everything is meant to be
Infamy and obscurity
Now hunger and our thirst is raw
A primitive survival song
Where everything is meant to be
Sucking and gnawing like baby teeth
Painkiller! Painkiller! Painkiller! Painkiller!
The lyrics of Polkadot Cadaver's song "Painkiller" embody the idea of a never-ending war between two individuals who cannot escape their desire to destroy one another. The opening lines suggest that the singers were fated to be at odds eternally, much like two battleships endlessly circling each other in the sea. The second stanza speaks of a desire to escape the pain that their strife entails, which ultimately leads them to the destructive act of killing the pain rather than resolving their differences. The third and fourth verses seem to suggest a journey through a metaphorical valley of despair, where they must burn off the fat of their souls and face the rawness of hunger and thirst. The latter half of the song speaks of their willingness to consume anything, even baby teeth, to survive and be infamously remembered.
One interpretation of the lyrics could be the perpetuation of a toxic relationship that neither party can extract themselves from, with their insatiable need to destroy each other becoming almost a survival instinct. The refrain "Painkiller! Painkiller!" could be seen as their desperate plea for relief from the constant agony they inflict on each other, even if it means ultimately self-destructing.
Line by Line Meaning
You and I were meant to be
The singer believes that they were fated to come together with someone else.
At war, eternally
The relationship between the singer and their partner is one of constant struggle and conflict.
Two lone battleships at the sea
The singer and their partner are isolated from the rest of the world and have only each other to rely on.
Staring at the enemy
Both the artist and their partner are constantly on the defensive as they perceive all others as potential enemies.
Nurturing the urge to destroy
The artist and their partner have developed a violent propensity towards anything that could threaten their relationship.
Escape becomes a dirty word
The idea of leaving the relationship or seeking outside help is considered disgraceful by both the singer and their partner.
When you try to kill the pain
The singer and their partner are addicted to the pain that their relationship brings them and cannot fathom living without it.
Rolling up the coast, top down, in a daze
The artist is driving aimlessly, possibly under the influence of drugs or alcohol, with no clear destination in mind.
I don't know where I'm going
The artist is lost and directionless in life.
But I'm feeling good
Despite their lack of direction or purpose, the artist feels a temporary sense of happiness and satisfaction.
Whispers in the wind, head spinning around
The singer is disoriented and distracted by the various thoughts and influences in their environment.
In the valley of dry bones
The artist is in a desolate, lonely place that has been stripped of all vitality or hope.
We burn the fat off our souls
The singer and those around them are undergoing great suffering and hardship in order to cleanse and purify their spirits.
Where everything is meant to be
Despite the bleakness of their surroundings, the singer believes that there is a certain order and purpose to everything.
Infamy and obscurity
The singer and their compatriots are willing to endure a lack of recognition or even a negative reputation in their pursuit of enlightenment.
Now hunger and our thirst is raw
The suffering that the artist and their group are experiencing is overwhelming and unbearable.
A primitive survival song
The artist and their companions are reduced to the most basic forms of existence in order to survive.
Sucking and gnawing like baby teeth
The struggle for survival is so intense that it feels as if they are children again, desperately clinging to life.
Choose your poison
The singer is advising the listener to select what will ultimately harm them in the end.
Walk the edge between
The artist is suggesting that the listener should push themselves to the brink of danger and destruction.
Overdose and tranquility
The artist sees overdose and peace as two possible outcomes of the listener's self-destructive behavior.
Fear becomes a dead friend
The artist is implying that the listener has become so accustomed to fear that they no longer feel it.
From sweet release, to the bitter end
The singer believes that the only way that the listener can find true peace is by destroying themselves and everything they have built.
When you've got nothing to lose
The artist suggests that the listener should take greater risks and live their life with more abandon since they have little left to lose.
Battle ready, From the cradle to the grave
The singer feels as if their entire life has been a constant struggle for survival, from the moment they were born until they die.
Write the menu of become the menu
The singer is encouraging the listener to take control of their life and make their own choices, or else they will become the victims of fate and circumstance.
I see you clinging to air
The singer observes someone who is struggling to survive or make sense of their life.
My ghost is holding your hand
The artist feels as if they are guiding the person in question in some supernatural or intangible way.
A master, mistress and slave
The three figures represent the various power dynamics that exist in human relationships.
Aboard a ship with no name
The singer and their companions are adrift in life, without any clear sense of direction or purpose.
The mockingbird sings your song
The singer is suggesting that someone else is mocking or ridiculing the person in question.
From twilight until the dawn
The mocking never stops, occurring throughout the entire night and into the morning.
To carve a path out of light
The artist believes that the only way to escape the darkness of their life is to create something beautiful and meaningful from it.
To set the soul into flight
The artist is seeking a form of liberation that will enable them to transcend the limitations of their current existence.
Painkiller! Painkiller! Painkiller! Painkiller!
The singer is pleading for something to take away the pain and suffering of their existence.
Contributed by Vivian D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.