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)
We Shall Cleanse the World
Revolting Cocks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It started so quick
We had no time to think about it
Think about it
Cross the city very fast
Cross the city very fast
Very fast, I said very fast
Do, do, do it
Do it, do it
Do it, do it
Cross the city very fast
No time to lose, no time to lose
Cross the city very fast
You're the only driver who can do it
Just do, do it
They shall cleanse the world so
What do you think about it?
First one, she sang
'You gotta do us [unverified]'
Eyes behind the windows
In every building, every room
They're waiting for you
On a mission and this
Could be your last mission
This could it be your
Last mission in this world?
Don't let them take her off your eyes
Cross the city very fast
Very, very fast
Don't let them [unverified] alive!
The lyrics of Revolting Cocks's song "We Shall Cleanse the World" describe a mission that must be accomplished quickly and efficiently. The urgency of the situation is emphasized by the repetition of the words "do it" and the phrase "cross the city very fast". The singer seems to be urging someone, possibly a driver, to complete this mission without hesitation. The mission is described as the cleansing of the world, which suggests a violent or radical act of some sort. The lyrics mention eyes behind windows in every building and room, indicating that there are people watching and potentially trying to stop this mission. The final lines of the song suggest that the success of the mission is crucial, and that failure could result in death.
The meaning of the lyrics is open to interpretation, as they are somewhat vague and abstract. It's possible that the song is a commentary on the urgency of political or social change, and the necessity of taking drastic action in order to achieve it. Alternatively, it could be a reflection of the singer's own desire for power or control, and their willingness to use violence to achieve it. Whatever the message may be, the lyrics are effective in creating a sense of urgency and building tension throughout the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Do it, do it, do it!
Encouragement to begin a task
It started so quick
The task was given with urgency
We had no time to think about it
There was no time for contemplation or hesitation
Think about it
Reflect on the gravity of the task
Cross the city very fast
Travel across the city quickly
Very fast, I said very fast
Emphasis on the need for speed
We got a mission
There is a specific task at hand
No time to lose, no time to lose
There is no time for delay
You're the only driver who can do it
The task requires a specific set of skills possessed by the listener
They shall cleanse the world so
The mission is to rid the world of something
What do you think about it?
The gravity of the task is emphasized
First one, she sang
A female voice spoke first
'You gotta do us [unverified]'
The task needs to be completed for the benefit of others
Eyes behind the windows
People are watching and waiting
In every building, every room
The watchers are everywhere
They're waiting for you
The watchers are waiting for the listener
On a mission and this
The listener is on a specific task
Could be your last mission
The task is dangerous and potentially life-threatening
This could it be your
This mission might be the listener's final one
Don't let them take her off your eyes
Do not lose sight of what must be done
Very, very fast
Emphasis on the need for speed
Don't let them [unverified] alive!
The watchers must be eliminated
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Al Jourgensen, Richard Jonckheere
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind