Prong was founded in 1986 by singer/guitarist Tommy Victor (then a soundman at New York City's renowned CBGB's). With bassist Mike Kirkland (formely of NYHC band Damage and doorman at CBGB’s) and ex-Swans drummer Ted Parsons, Prong released two independent CDs that were noted for their brutal hardcore sound.
Epic Records saw the band's potential and signed them in 1989. Prong's major label debut album Beg to Differ, was released in 1990.
In the following year, Kirkland left the band and was replaced by Ex-Flotsam and Jetsam bassist Troy Gregory. Prong issued their fourth release Prove You Wrong which saw the band experiment with programming and electronic samples while still retaining an aggressive yet melodic sensibility.
By 1994, Troy Gregory was out of the band and was replaced by Paul Raven (bassist) and John Bechdel (keyboard), both from Killing Joke and Murder, Inc. The new line up released Cleansing (Prong’s 5th major release). With a strong industrial sound that still managed to be hard and heavy, Cleansing contained songs that are still considered Prong classics ("Broken Peace" and "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck") and is Prong’s most successful release to date. The videos for these two songs became staples of MTV’s legendary Headbangers Ball.
Prong's sixth album Rude Awakening was released in 1996. The album was not as successful as the last three albums. Shortly thereafter Parsons left the band to join Godflesh. Tommy Victor left New York and moved to Los Angeles. As the band Prong sat idle, Tommy Victor worked with legends of the rock world, including Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, celldweller and Glenn Danzig.
In 2002, Victor re-formed Prong with bassist Brian Perry, drummer Dan Laudo and guitarist Monte Pittman (Madonna). In 2002, after a 42-show American tour that was recorded for a live CD (100% Live, Locomotive Music) Prong entered the studio and recorded a new CD titled Scorpio Rising which was received with mixed responses.
Victor played on and off again with Glen Danzig from 1998 -2005 in between time with Prong. His final goal of playing and writing on a Danzig record was met with Circle of Snakes in 2004.
Prong released a live 2-disc DVD in 2005 entitled "The Vault" which features performances from the Hulstsfred and With Full Force festivals and a full show in Amsterdam. This disc has Mike Longworth on bass as well, who later replaced Perry. As a result of the drum performance on Scorpio Rising , band members Tommy Victor and Monte Pittman decided a change needed to be made. This resulted in the firing of Dan Laudo and the enlistment Aaron Rossi, who used to be in the bands Strife (Victory Records), Shelter (Century Media Records), John 5 (Shrapnel Records), and Ankla (Bieler Bros. Records)
Victor and Raven joined Ministry in 2005 to write and tour in support of their album Rio Grande Blood (2006). They were nominated for a Grammy in 2007 for the song Senior Peligro in the "Best Metal Performance" category. The two also appear on Ministry's follow up album The Last Sucker (2007), although in a more limited capacity.
On June 4th, 2007, Prong posted a MySpace bulletin stating that they were recording in El Paso, Texas. The band left Locomotive Music, and were signed to Al Jourgensen's 13th Planet Records, who released their latest album Power of the Damager on October 2, 2007.
The band embarked on the "Slicing Across America" and "Slicing Across Europe" tours supporting Power of the Damager in 2007 and early 2008. Joining Tommy Victor in the current live membership of the band is bassist Monte Pittman and drummer Aaron Rossi.
Paul Raven died of an apparent heart attack in his sleep on October 20, 2007 at the age of 46. He was recording with French recording artists Treponem Pal on their new album with Ted Parsons at the time of his death.
Aaron Rossi was joining Ministry as their new drummer on the "C U LaTour" which started in March 2008.
In February 2008, Headbanger's Ball premiered the video "Power Of The Damager".
Put Myself To Sleep
Prong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Getting more difficult to breathe
Bad memories from the past
Dissension, difficulty at best
Disinterested in what's the right way
Disillusioned by what's wrong
The tension of need
Put myself to sleep
No longer living a dream
Consistently lying in between
What could be worse of all routine?
Distressed by matters of fact
Kept awake, I won't react
Don't give me part of the blame game
Pay attention to my namesake
Put myself to sleep
The tension of need
Put myself to sleep
No longer living a dream
Don't you know you're a witness to the dark days of our lives
With a bit of resistance, you fail to realize
With a bit of persistance, may the light shine on your life
Don't you know when a witness your world just passes by
Put myself to sleep (put myself to sleep)
No longer living a dream
Put myself to sleep
The tension of need
Put myself to sleep
No longer living a dream
Put myself to sleep
To sleep
Put myself to sleep
The lyrics to Prong's song Put Myself To Sleep speaks on a heavy emotional weight that the singer is experiencing. The first stanza speaks on the singer's detachment from anything, as they have lost the passion and feeling towards anything or anyone. The lyrics "Getting more difficult to breathe" are likely a metaphor for the emotional and mental suffocation the singer feels. They also refer to "bad memories from the past," which indicates that their detachment could stem from a traumatic event or experience that is hindering their emotional growth. The second stanza speaks to how disillusioned the singer has become with life's wrong and right ways, which suggests a loss of faith in society.
The chorus, "Put myself to sleep, the tension of need, no longer living a dream," seemingly speaks to two interpretations. The tension of need may suggest a desire for something to change or be different, yet fear or anxiety about taking the necessary steps to make that change. Alternatively, the tension of need may refer to the singer's unfulfilled or unmet needs, and the song suggesting that they have resorted to apathy and disconnection from the world around them. The lines "no longer living a dream" may reference how the singer has lost the joy or excitement they once had and is now living a mundane, unhappy existence.
The third and fourth stanza speak to how the singer is dealing with their current state. They feel "distressed by matters of fact" and are "Consistently lying in between what could be worse of all routines?" These lines suggest a feeling of isolation, where the singer is struggling to identify with their surroundings and the people around them. They seem to have accepted the reality of their situation and are no longer looking to assign blame or responsibility to others. The use of the word "namesake" could be a nod to the importance of identity and individuals' responsibility towards their own selves.
Overall, the song speaks to an individual in a state of emotional turmoil and how they have resorted to repressing their emotions and disconnecting from the world around them. The lyrics suggest that it is their personal responsibility to address their issues and make a change.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't feel too strong about anything
Feeling emotionally detached and unconnected from any aspect of life
Getting more difficult to breathe
Experiencing suffocating emotions and struggles that are becoming harder to cope with
Bad memories from the past
Haunted by negative experiences that happened in the past
Dissension, difficulty at best
Feeling troubled and strained by the surrounding disagreements and conflicts
Disinterested in what's the right way
Not caring about determining the correct or proper path to take
Disillusioned by what's wrong
Feeling let down and disappointed by what is regarded as incorrect or unjust
Put myself to sleep
Intentionally falling into unconsciousness as a coping mechanism
The tension of need
Feeling pressured and compelled by a sense of desperation or urgency
No longer living a dream
Realizing that hopes and aspirations are not achievable or realistic
Consistently lying in between
Perpetually stuck between different thoughts, feelings, or decisions
What could be worse of all routine?
Asking what could be more monotonous or demoralizing than the usual habits or patterns
Distressed by matters of fact
Feeling troubled by the truth and reality of a situation
Kept awake, I won't react
Staying alert and conscious despite feeling unmoved or indifferent
Don't give me part of the blame game
Refusing to be implicated in the cycle of assigning fault or responsibility
Pay attention to my namesake
Recognizing the legacy or reputation associated with one's own name
Don't you know you're a witness to the dark days of our lives
Acknowledging that others are witnessing the negative and difficult experiences encountered by oneself and others
With a bit of resistance, you fail to realize
Not appreciating the degree of difficulty or struggle that comes with trying to persevere or overcome
With a bit of persistance, may the light shine on your life
Encouraging the continuation of ongoing efforts in the hopes that things will eventually get better and brighter
Put myself to sleep (put myself to sleep)
Repeating the phrase to emphasize the act of intentionally falling into unconsciousness as a way of escaping problems
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Alexei David Rodriguez, Antonio Campos, Thomas Michael Victor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind