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.

The Rain
Rudimentary Peni Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The rain runs down their carved names

Overall Meaning

Rudimentary Peni's song "The Rain" is an eerie and melancholic piece that deals with themes of loss, nostalgia, and mortality. The line "The rain runs down their carved names" serves as a vivid and poignant image that encapsulates these themes.

The imagery of rain running down carved names suggests the passage of time and the inevitable erosion of memory. The names could belong to loved ones who have passed away, or perhaps they are the names of historical figures whose legacies are slowly being forgotten. In either case, the rain serves as a symbol of the ongoing march of time, which is often accompanied by a sense of sadness and loss.

The line could also reflect on the transience of life and the fleeting nature of human existence. Like the rain, which comes and goes without warning, our lives are but brief flashes of light in the grand scheme of things. The names themselves may represent our own legacies, which will one day be forgotten as well.

Line by Line Meaning

The rain runs down their carved names
Water cascades along the etchings of the names that have been engraved

Into the exhausted earth
The water saturates the tired and drained ground below

As blood drains from our open veins
Similar to how liquid trickles out from our lacerated skin, tears fall down our faces

They won't bleed no more, they won't answer
The people in the graves can no longer bleed or respond to us

To your anguished calls
They cannot comfort us in our cries of distress

And we mourn you still
We still grieve for the deceased despite time passing

But you won't hear, you cannot know
The deceased cannot hear or understand our sorrow and remorse

What we whisper in the rain
The sound of our whispers mixes with the rainfall, unheard by the dead

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Maldrige Cowart, Katherine K Davis, Leonard Perry, Earl Simmons

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS