The group was founded by Richard 23 and Luc Van Acker with Al Jourgensen as their producer. According to Jourgensen, the band got their name after a fight in a Chicago bar in 1983. Jourgensen, Richard 23 and Luc Van Acker celebrated the formation of the new band with a few drinks. The evening then ended up in a brawl, with bar stools being thrown through the establishment's windows. As he was throwing the trio out, the owner, a man Jourgensen recalls was named Dess, shouted, "I'm calling the police! You guys are a bunch of revolting cocks!" The trio subsequently decided to use the name for their band.
Their first release was No Devotion on Wax Trax! Records in 1985. The single was quickly followed by an album, Big Sexy Land (1986), featuring a mix of industrial, hard rock, and EBM with dominating sampling and strong synthesized beats.
Losing Richard 23 due to creative differences, the group's remaining two members were augmented by a rapidly changing set of musicians centered on Chris Connelly (Cocksure, Bells Into Machines, Murder Inc., and Damage Manual), Paul Barker (Ministry, Lead Into Gold, Flowering Blight, and Bells Into Machines), and Bill Rieflin (Ministry, Pigface, R.E.M., and King Crimson), with around twenty others as irregular contributors or guest artists.
The following live album, You Goddamned Son of a Bitch (1988), featured a return to Ministry-like industrial rock - the Big Sexy Land tracks embedded in shouting and noise. This trend continued on Beers, Steers, and Queers (1990), layering sample over sample and pushing ever further into distortion. Linger Ficken' Good (1993) was released by Sire Records and was a tamer affair, most tracks returning to the less layered material. Included was a cover of Rod Stewart's "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?," also released as a single. A tour was planned but cancelled, and the band quietly came to an end in 1994.
In 2004, Jourgensen and Phildo Owens (Skatenigs, Snow Black) revived the group. They released an album entitled Cocked and Loaded (2006). Caliente (Dark Entries), a cover of sorts of Dark Entries by Bauhaus, with vocalist Gibby Haynes (Butthole Surfers), was featured on the soundtrack to Saw II in 2005.
After assembling a touring line up to open for Ministry on the MasterBaTour of 2006, Jourgensen chose vocalist Josh Bradford (Stayte, Simple Shelter, V.H.S.), keyboardist Clayton Worbeck (Stayte, Simple Shelter), and guitarist Sin Quirin (Society 1, Ministry and ReVamp) as the new full-time members for the Revolting Cocks, now simply being called RevCo. The group recorded Sex-O Olympic-O and officially released the album on March 3, 2009. It was followed up by the last RevCo album Got Cock?, released on April 13, 2010.
In celebration of Wax Trax! Records, the "Wax Trax! Records Retrospectacle: 33 1/3 Year Anniversary" was held from April 15-17, 2011 at the Metro in Chicago, Illinois, United States. As a part of the lineup, Chris Connelly, Paul Barker and Luc Van Acker performed Revolting Cocks songs with various guests. For their performance on the 17th, Richard 23 joined them on stage to sing lead vocals on No Devotion.
In 2014, Chris Connelly and Jason Novak (Acumen Nation, DJ? Acucrack, Iron Lung Corp) formed Cocksure, a project that bridges the gap between Wax Trax! era industrial dance music and the future sounds of mass corruption. The project is very influenced by the early RevCo sound, and has been described as "where the Revolting Cocks left off in 1994."
Previous Members:
Al Jourgensen - production, programming, and various instruments (1985–1993, 2004–2010)
Luc Van Acker - vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards (1985–1991, 2006)
Richard 23 - vocals, programming (1985–1986)
Bill Rieflin - drums, keyboards, programming (1986–1993)
Paul Barker - bass, keyboards, programming (1987–1993)
Chris Connelly - vocals, programming (1987–1993)
Phildo Owen - vocals, programming (1989–1991, 2004–2006)
Duane Buford - keyboards (1993)
Josh Bradford - vocals (2006–2010)
Sin Quirin - guitars, bass, keyboards (2006–2010)
Clayton Worbeck - keyboards, bass (2006–2010)
Live Lineups:
--------- 1987 ---------
Al Jourgensen - keyboards, vocals, guitar
Paul Barker - bass, keyboards
Luc Van Acker - guitar, bass, vocals, keyboards
Chris Connelly - vocals, keyboards
Bill Rieflin - drums
--------- 1988 ---------
Al Jourgensen - keyboards, vocals, guitar
Paul Barker - bass, keyboards
Luc Van Acker - guitar, bass, vocals, keyboards
Chris Connelly - vocals, keyboards
Bill Rieflin - drums
Nivek Ogre - vocals
--------- 1990 ---------
Al Jourgensen - guitar, backing vocals
Paul Barker - bass
Chris Connelly - vocals
Phildo Owen - vocals
Jeff Ward - drums
Mark Durante - guitar, backing vocals
Michael Balch - keyboards
Kevin "Doc" Sullivan - keyboards, backing vocals
Trent Reznor - vocals
--------- 1991 ---------
Al Jourgensen - guitar, backing vocals
Paul Barker - bass
Chris Connelly - vocals
Phildo Owen - vocals
Bill Rieflin - drums
Mark Durante - guitar, backing vocals
Michael Balch - keyboards
Luc Van Acker - vocals
--------- 2006 (Ministry's MasterBaTour) ---------
Al Jourgensen - guitar, backing vocals
Phildo Owen - vocals
Luc Van Acker - vocals
Josh Bradford - vocals
Sin Quirin - guitar
Clayton Worbeck - keyboards
Anna K - bass
Seven Antonopoulos - drums
--------- 2009 (Ministry's LubricaTour) ---------
Josh Bradford - vocals
Sin Quirin - guitar
Clayton Worbeck - keyboards, guitar
Murv Douglas - bass
Aaron Rossi - drums
Mike Scaccia - guitar (selected dates)
Al Jourgensen - guitar, backing vocals
--------- 2011 (Wax Trax! Retrospectacle - April 15-17) ---------
Luc Van Acker - vocals
Paul Barker - bass
Chris Connelly - vocals, keyboards
Duane Buford - keyboards
Jamie Duffy - guitar
Dan Brill - drums
Richard 23 - vocals
Discography:
1985 - No Devotion (single)
1986 - Big Sexy Land (LP)
1986 - You Often Forget (single)
1988 - You Goddamned Son of a Bitch (live)
1989 - Stainless Steel Providers (single)
1989 - (Let’s Get) Physical (single)
1990 - Beers, Steers, and Queers (LP)
1991 - Beers, Steers, and Queers (The Remixes) (single)
1993 - Linger Ficken' Good (LP)
1993 - Do Ya Think I’m Sexy? (single)
1994 - Crackin’ Up (single)
2006 - Cocked and Loaded (LP)
2007 - Cocktail Mixxx (remix)
2009 - Sex-O Olympic-O (LP)
2009 - Sex-O Mixxx-O (remix)
2010 - Got Cock? (LP)
2011 - Got Mixxx (remix)
Beers Steers & Queers / Beers Steers & Queers
Revolting Cocks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You might find out, the truth is hard to swallow
There's a place down there, where heads are square
Laws are tough, you are bare
There is a law and there is a lawman
Who is the right and who is the wrong man
It doesn't take much to kill that guy
Texas is the place, hang 'em high
Beers, steers and queers
Beers, steers and queers
Texas is full of women and willies
Eyes too close, filthy hillbillies
Who are these people, raised in barns
Ghouls and fools, sex on farms
Texas hoedown, this is the lowdown
You're full of shit, destined to go down
Let's go down, herd 'em up
If you agree, then let's word 'em up
And if you don't then shut the fuck up
Beers, steers and queers
Beers, steers and queers
I've spent my life, go kicking shit
Not gonna give up, ain't about to quit
Life is a bucket of gettin' rough, feeding stock
Get in my way? I'll knock you off
Beers, steers and queers
Beers, steers and queers
Beers, steers and queers
Beers, steers and queers
I'm a crazy mother in a drunken state
A redneck asswipe, who thinks he's great
So full of shit, diarrhea for fingers
Everywhere I go, personality lingers
Say you don't like my dialect
I don't give a damn, so fuck your respect
If you're looking for a reason, don't look any further
'Cause I'll give it to you baby, just like your father
Take what you get if it does the job
Texas has religion, Revolting Cocks
Beers, steers, and queers
Beers, steers, and queers
"This is outta the house
And outta the house music
I am the creator"
The lyrics to Revolting Cocks' "Beers Steers & Queers" are a commentary on the culture and values of Texas, specifically its obsession with masculinity and violence. The song mocks the stereotypical image of Texans as rough, insensitive, and uncivilized people who enjoy drinking beer, raising cattle, and engaging in sexual activities with people of the same gender.
The first verse sets the tone for the song by describing the people of Texas as having empty minds and hollow heads. The singer suggests that they are not very intelligent or self-aware and may resist attempts to reveal the truth about their society. He also implies that there is a significant amount of conformity in Texas, reflected in the "square heads" and strict laws that govern personal behavior.
The second verse expands on the idea of Texas as a violent and backward place. The imagery of "women and willies" suggests a crude sexuality that is not limited to heterosexual encounters. The line "sex on farms" reinforces the sense of rural ignorance and depravity that the song associates with Texas. Nevertheless, the singer proclaims his own toughness and willingness to fight anyone who challenges him.
Overall, the song adopts a mocking and confrontational stance toward Texas and its culture, painting a picture of a place that is rough, ignorant, and resistant to change.
Line by Line Meaning
Minds are empty, heads are hollow
People are not using their brains and are not very smart.
You might find out, the truth is hard to swallow
The truth can be difficult to accept.
There's a place down there, where heads are square
There are people who are not open-minded and are stuck in their old ways.
Laws are tough, you are bare
The laws are strict and you have to be very careful not to break them.
There is a law and there is a lawman
There are rules and someone who enforces them.
Who is the right and who is the wrong man
It’s hard to distinguish who is good and who is bad.
It doesn't take much to kill that guy
It’s very easy to get into a dangerous situation.
Don't get in my face and ask me why
Don’t question my actions.
Texas is the place, hang 'em high
Texas is known for its harsh punishments, such as hanging people who break the law.
Beers, steers and queers
These are things that people associate with Texas.
Texas is full of women and willies
Texas has a lot of sexually deviant people.
Eyes too close, filthy hillbillies
People from Texas are uneducated and gross.
Who are these people, raised in barns
People from Texas are uncivilized.
Ghouls and fools, sex on farms
Texas people are creepy and stupid.
Texas hoedown, this is the lowdown
This is what it’s really like in Texas.
You're full of shit, destined to go down
You’re not being truthful and you’re going to fail.
Let's go down, herd 'em up
Let’s take control of the situation.
If you agree, then let's word 'em up
Let’s band together and take action.
And if you don't then shut the fuck up
If you’re not going to help, then don’t say anything.
I've spent my life, go kicking shit
I’ve been living my life causing trouble and rocking the boat.
Not gonna give up, ain't about to quit
I’m not going to back down.
Life is a bucket of gettin' rough, feeding stock
Life is hard and you have to work hard to survive.
Get in my way? I'll knock you off
Don’t stand in my path, or I’ll take you down.
I'm a crazy mother in a drunken state
I’m drunk and acting insane.
A redneck asswipe, who thinks he's great
I’m a trashy person who has an overinflated sense of self-esteem.
So full of shit, diarrhea for fingers
I speak nonsense and lies all the time.
Everywhere I go, personality lingers
People remember me for my personality, good or bad.
Say you don't like my dialect
If you don’t like the way I talk, then too bad.
I don't give a damn, so fuck your respect
I don’t care what you think about me.
If you're looking for a reason, don't look any further
If you want to know why things are the way they are, look no further than me.
'Cause I'll give it to you baby, just like your father
I’ll give you an explanation, just like your dad would.
Take what you get if it does the job
Do what needs to be done, even if it’s not perfect.
Texas has religion, Revolting Cocks
There are a lot of religious people in Texas, but also a lot of people who reject those beliefs.
This is outta the house
This music is rebellious and not meant for formal settings.
And outta the house music
It doesn’t conform to the standards of mainstream music.
I am the creator
I am responsible for this music.
Lyrics © THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: ALLEN D. JOURGENSEN, CHRISTOPHER JOHN CONNELLY, LUC VAN ACKER, PAUL G. BARKER, WILLIAM FREDRICK RIEFLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind