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.
Sole Survivor
Polkadot Cadaver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The guilt is setting in
The plane came crashing down
And I'm the only one who lived
A turbulent flight brought you to this place and time
A one-way ticket to the end of your life
Black and blue angels who float down the aisleways
Fasten your seatbelts you're in for a bumpy ride
Please remain calm in the event of an emergency
You didn't deserve this cruel invitation
You didn't deserve this fucked up situation
I hope you had someone who loved you
I hope you had someone to love
We could blame it all on the moonlight
Is that good enough for you?
We could blame it all on the rising tides
Revenge of the oceans blue
They'll blame it on you
I remember the little boy sitting next to me
Singing to himself without a care of this world
I hope he had someone who loved him
I hope he had someone to love
Come and fly the friendly skies
Oh, what a frightening way that would be to die
Flashbacks of photos of you on your last birthday
Blow out the candles, they told you to wish away
Daydreams of dying, the airplaes came crashing down
This is the day that you've always remembered now
You didn't believe in karma did you?
I think that it believes in you
Sole survivor
The guilt is setting in
The plane came crashing down
And I'm the only one who lived
A turbulent flight brought you to this place and time
A one-way ticket to the rest of my life
The lyrics of "Sole Survivor" by Polkadot Cadaver speak about the survivor's guilt of being the only person to survive a plane crash. The song gives a vivid description of the catastrophic event and the haunting memories that come with it. The guilt of being the only one to survive the incident torments the singer, as he contemplates if the other passengers had someone who loved them, or if they had anyone to love.
The song carries a tone of regret and sorrow for the loss of life and questions if there was any justice in blaming the moonlight or the rising tides. The lyrics weave a story of the traumatic experience, as the singer recalls the little boy who sang to himself without a care and the flashbacks of photos on the victim's last birthday. The song's haunting melody and somber lyrics leave a lasting impact on the listener.
Overall, "Sole Survivor" is a poignant song that covers heavy thematic ground, dealing with life, death, and what comes after. It's a reflection on human mortality and how we process tragedy, both as individuals and as a society.
Line by Line Meaning
Sole survivor
I am the only one who survived
The guilt is setting in
I am feeling guilty for surviving while others did not
The plane came crashing down
The plane crashed and caused destruction and death
And I'm the only one who lived
I survived while everyone else perished
A turbulent flight brought you to this place and time
The flight was unstable and brought everyone to this disaster
A one-way ticket to the end of your life
The flight was destined to cause death
Black and blue angels who float down the aisleways
Flight attendants, who are supposed to be helpful, are powerless during this event
Smile at children who don't hear a word they say
The flight attendants try to comfort the children, but their words fall on deaf ears
Fasten your seatbelts you're in for a bumpy ride
The passengers are advised to prepare for a rough and dangerous journey
Please remain calm in the event of an emergency
The passengers are instructed to stay calm during an emergency situation
You didn't deserve this cruel invitation
You did not deserve to be included in this terrible situation
You didn't deserve this fucked up situation
You did not deserve to be in this horrible and messed up disaster
I hope you had someone who loved you
I hope you had someone who cared for you and will miss you
I hope you had someone to love
I hope you had someone who made you happy and felt loved by you
We could blame it all on the moonlight
We could find a scapegoat or excuse for this disaster
Is that good enough for you?
Would that excuse make you feel better?
We could blame it all on the rising tides
We could attribute this event to natural forces beyond our control
Revenge of the oceans blue
The oceans, which have been mistreated by humanity, may be taking revenge
They'll blame it on you
Others may point fingers and place blame on you for the tragedy
I remember the little boy sitting next to me
I recall a specific child who was close to me
Singing to himself without a care of this world
The child was content and carefree, unaware of the impending danger
Come and fly the friendly skies
An airline slogan used to entice customers to fly with them
Oh, what a frightening way that would be to die
The irony of the slogan is that flying, while generally safe, can still lead to a terrifying and deadly experience
Flashbacks of photos of you on your last birthday
Memories of happier times when you were alive
Blow out the candles, they told you to wish away
On your last birthday, you were instructed to make a wish and blow out the candles, a joyful tradition that now seems trivial in the face of death
Daydreams of dying, the airplaes came crashing down
Your imagination and subconscious were aware of the danger and potential for death
This is the day that you've always remembered now
This disaster will leave a lasting impression in the memories of those involved
You didn't believe in karma did you?
You did not think that your actions would result in repercussions
I think that it believes in you
Karma may exist and is influencing this disaster
A one-way ticket to the rest of my life
I will be forever impacted and haunted by this traumatic experience
Contributed by Grace E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
mike p
This version is somehow better then the original. Such a good song.
L G
The old version is one of my all time favorite tracks, and you somehow OUTDID yourselves!! Both tracks are perfection but you nailed it here!!! 🤘🏻
Samuel Marchand
They finally put it on spotify too.... this was my favorite song ever
Rob G
The best re-do of them all, this album. Hands down
Brady
I love that the ending is still there <3 why isn't over 30 minutes long though?
Brady
How glorious, I'll have to find it lmao
StyleMo
they have the 30 minutes of satan as a separate song now
Dat Nilla Von Dizzle
One of the greatest bands in the world..... and likewise equally greatest underrated bands period. You have carried me personally through many episodes of life DFD/PC jussaying. Love yall and you are appreciated more than you know. Cheers fam!
gambakufu
The fact the ending is still there made my day
Danny Zapata
Very Nice Version