Following the demise of the critically and commercially successful Jane's Addiction project, frontman Perry Farrell and drummer Stephen Perkins formed Porno for Pyros after acquiring guitarist Peter DiStefano and bass player Martyn LeNoble. Farrell named the band after viewing an ad for fireworks in a pornographic magazine. The name has also been connected through song lyrics to the LA riots which occurred in the band's hometown around the time of Porno for Pyros inception. Prior to releasing their eponymous first album, Porno for Pyros embarked on a nationwide tour to support the new band. By the time the band's debut album (Porno for Pyros) was released in 1993, anticipation surrounding the project was enough to briefly drive the album to the #3 position on the Billboard top 200 list. Reaction to the album was mixed, with some fans ecstatic and others disappointed. The video for the album's first single, "Pets," received heavy airplay on MTV. Following the album's release, Porno for Pyros continued a heavy touring schedule, including an appearance at Woodstock '94. Unlike the relatively straight-ahead rock shows that were the hallmark of live Jane's Addiction, Porno for Pyros live shows relied heavily on props, extras and special-effects (including, but not limited to, pyrotechnics).
For the band's follow-up album, Good God's Urge, bass player LeNoble quit after completing the majority of the bass tracks. Ex-Minutemen bassist Mike Watt was brought in to finish up the album tracks and join the band on tour. The album also featured the post-Jane's Addiction reunion of Farrell with guitarist Dave Navarro, who made a guest appearance on "Freeway," along with Red Hot Chili Peppers' bass player Flea. The band again set forth on a heavy touring schedule. On several tour stops Porno for Pyros played "Mountain Song," a popular Jane's Addiction tune, and was a foreshadowing of the later Jane's Addiction reunion efforts. Further touring by the band was scuttled when DiStefano was diagnosed with cancer in 1997.
Perkins and Watt subsequently formed the punk jazz improvisation group Banyan and, along with DiStefano, occasionally perform sets of the Stooges cover versions in the Los Angeles area under the band name Hellride.
The Jane's Addiction/Porno for Pyros book Whores (by Brendan Mullen) states that a third Porno for Pyros album was penned but never recorded.
In April 2009, the original lineup of Farrell, Perkins, DiStefano, and LeNoble performed at Farrell's 50th birthday party.
Sadness
Porno for Pyros Lyrics
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It's a cloud
It's sadness
It's a cloud
Then I find compassion
And I find
It vanishes
These thoughts I have they seem
Like a cloud
I was praying
It's a cloud
And hope it's just another form of prayer
It's a cloud
I want to find some laughter
When you laugh they can't kill you
These thoughts i have they seem
To pass me by
Like a cloud
Fuel and release!
Happiness is good for an hour
Fuel and release!
Happiness is good for an hour
I hate him for all the things he's done!
Because i love her so!
I got the devil in me!
It's sadness!
It's a cloud
The lyrics to Porno for Pyros’ “Sadness” delves into the complexities of human emotions, particularly the feeling of melancholy or sadness that seems to linger like a cloud. The song’s opening lines, “I got the devil in me / It’s a cloud / It’s sadness”, vividly captures the heaviness that comes with carrying the weight of sadness. Despite the somber tone, the song also touches on finding compassion and hope, even if they seem to vanish just as easily as they come. The lyrics hint at the idea that human emotions are fleeting, and that even the darkest clouds can eventually pass.
Line by Line Meaning
I got the devil in me
Feeling consumed by negative emotions
It's a cloud
The negative emotions have a hold on me
It's sadness
The specific emotion is sadness
It's a cloud
The sadness is overwhelming
Then I find compassion
A glimmer of hope or positivity
And I find
I briefly experience this positivity
It vanishes
The positivity is short-lived
These thoughts I have they seem
The negative thoughts seem to linger
To pass me by
But they eventually fade away
Like a cloud
Similar to how clouds move through the sky
I was praying
Seeking some form of relief or guidance
And hope it's just another form of prayer
Hoping that wishing for positivity will have an impact
I want to find some laughter
Seeking joy and positivity
When you laugh they can't kill you
Laughter helps to overcome negativity and pain
Fuel and release!
Looking for a way to escape the overwhelming negativity
Happiness is good for an hour
Finding happiness is only a temporary fix
I hate him for all the things he's done!
Holding onto anger and resentment
Because I love her so!
The pain is tied to love for someone else
I got the devil in me!
Feeling consumed by negative emotions
It's sadness!
The specific emotion is sadness
It's a cloud
The sadness is overwhelming
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: MARTYN LENOBLE, PERRY FARRELL, PETER DISTEFANO, STEPHEN PERKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind