Rudimentary Peni (1980 - present) emerged from the anarcho-punk scene in th… Read Full Bio ↴Rudimentary Peni (1980 - present) emerged from the anarcho-punk scene in the UK in the early eighties as one of the most novel and recognizable acts of the era.

Lead singer/guitarist Nick Blinko is notorious for his witty macabre lyrics and dark pen-and-ink artwork, prominently featured on all of Rudimentary Peni's albums. Blinko is also rumored to have written the band's Pope Adrian 37th Psychristiatric album whilst resident in a psychiatric hospital, having suffered from mental illness most of his life, as such, the subject matter of the album relates to the delusions Nick was experiencing at the time, particularly the idea that he was said Pope. Nick's subject matter has been influenced by the work of H.P. Lovecraft who he had studied after having delusions of the macabre element of life and hereafter. Bassist Grant Matthews has also written a number of songs for the band, though his lyrics primarily focus on sociopolitical themes. The band also features drummer Jon Greville.

Very few photos exist of the band, as their albums feature Blinko's drawings, but artist and record label owner Pushead published a few photos of the band in an early edition of his magazine.

The band had early connections with Crass, and released their Farce EP on Crass Records. Though they stopped performing in the 1980s after bassist Grant Matthews was diagnosed with cancer, they continue to record and release material today, though they rarely give interviews. Nick Blinko has also become increasingly popular in the Outsider Art scene, and wrote an autobiographical novel entitled "The Primal Screamer", revered amongst his fans to be a literary masterpiece.

Musicians of a variety of genres (from thrashcore to death metal to apocalyptic folk) have taken influence from the work of Rudimentary Peni. There is even an all-girl high school cover band that does all Rudimentary Peni. The legend created by Rudimentary Peni is part in thanks to their evasion of media coverage and the spread of misinformation.

A new album, No More Pain EP was released on May 5th 2008. Nick Blinko has also finished a new untitled novel, due out sometime in the near future.

Slimy Member
Rudimentary Peni Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

grind your bones to make their bombs. nothing so slimy as a member, or obscene as the prime cut, the real chaos merchant, severed head of state. masters of disasters. with jingo + jargon, juggling with our jugulers, the iron lady cried, the people came to see, the rust blow down the street, morbid crowd.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Rudimentary Peni's "Slimy Member" revolve around the theme of power and manipulation. The opening line "grind your bones to make their bombs" suggests that those in power are willing to sacrifice the lives of ordinary people in their pursuit of dominance. The next line, "nothing so slimy as a member," refers to those who hold power, who are often corrupt and willing to engage in unethical practices to maintain their positions. The following line, "obscene as the prime cut," further emphasizes the disdain for those in power.

The next set of lines, "the real chaos merchant, severed head of state. masters of disasters," alludes to the political leaders who are responsible for creating chaos and destruction. "Jingo + jargon" refers to the manipulative language used by those in power to sway public opinion, and "juggling with our jugulers" suggests that they are also manipulating the people themselves. The reference to Margaret Thatcher, "the iron lady," is a commentary on her controversial reign as Prime Minister of the UK. The final lines, "the rust blow down the street, morbid crowd," paint a picture of a dystopian society in which everything is in a state of decay, and the people are powerless to effect change.

Line by Line Meaning

grind your bones to make their bombs.
The rulers are willing to go to any extent to make and use bombs, even if it means using ground bones to make them.

nothing so slimy as a member,
The song refers to sex organs as the slimiest thing that could exist.

or obscene as the prime cut,
The singer claims that the idea of a primary cut, probably of meat, is less vulgar compared to sex organs.

the real chaos merchant,
The true agent of disorder, causing unrest and chaos, is mentioned.

severed head of state.
This references the decapitation of the state's power.

masters of disasters.
People who excel at causing misfortune and disasters are mentioned.

with jingo + jargon,
The use of different expressions and buzzwords to intimidate and confuse people is talked of.

juggling with our jugulers,
Here, the 'jugulers' refer to the song's metaphoric representation of the country's internal problems with its citizens' moral values. The line means the government is trying to suppress the morals of the people for its gain.

the iron lady cried,
This refers to a metaphorical 'Iron lady,' such as a stern political figure, who is upset or distressed.

the people came to see,
People come to watch as the system deteriorates and chaos ensues.

the rust blow down the street,
This line is another metaphor, referring to the decay of the system and the spread of that decay like rust on metal.

morbid crowd.
In the context of the song, the people who come to watch the destruction are characterized as having an unhealthy fascination with it.

Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

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