Scratch Acid was an Austin, Texas post-hardcore/noise rock group formed in … Read Full Bio ↴Scratch Acid was an Austin, Texas post-hardcore/noise rock group formed in 1982. When they first began, their lineup was Steve Anderson (vocals), David Wm. Sims (guitar), Brett Bradford (guitar), David Yow (bass), and Rey Washam (drums). Anderson was kicked out of the band before the band ever recorded an album, prompting Yow to move to vocals and Sims to move to bass.

Scratch Acid's first two albums were releases by Texas indie record label Rabid Cat, the third and final release, Berserker EP by Touch and Go Records. A posthumous compilation CD entitled The Greatest Gift, was released by Touch and Go Records in 1991.

Their genre is not too easily defined, but contains elements of post punk, and harder elements from garage rock and noise rock and perhaps punk and 80s hardcore. They would fit under the very broad and general umbrella term for much of this kind of musical activity in the mid to late 80s U.S. Underground "Post Hardcore", but this term can cover a wide range of artists from that time, many quite dissimilar, but with roots in the hardcore scene and its fringes, and has since been used to include many other artists after this time. In the book 'Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Underground 1981-1991', music journalist Michael Azzerad referred to an "aesthetic cabal of sorts" (Azerrad, 255)[3] called pigfuck which included contemporaries who were ultimately friends existing in the same circles at the same time and generally, though not always, in 'Middle America', such as Big Black, Killdozer, Butthole Surfers, etc., and Scratch Acid were clearly close to this 'camp'.

After developing a reputation as a crazy, noisy punk band, Scratch Acid disbanded in 1987. According to the liner notes of The Greatest Gift, the band members never received compensation from either Rabid Cat or Fundamental Records (who distributed their releases in Europe).

Brett Bradford went on to form Sangre De Toro and play with Areola 51. Washam went on to perform with many other bands, including the Big Boys, Ministry, Helios Creed, the Didjits, Lard, and Tad. In 1987, Sims and Washam joined Steve Albini in the band Rapeman, which disbanded three years later. Sims reunited with Yow in 1989 to form The Jesus Lizard.

All of the original members of the band appeared at the Touch and Go 25th anniversary celebration taking place in Chicago, Illinois on September 8-10, 2006.

Cannibal
Scratch Acid Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hey
You're in my heart
You're in my heart
And I'll start eating my heart
[I'm a] canni, canni, cannibal

Hey
You're in my stomach

You're in my stomach
And I'll start eating my stomach
Canni, canni, cannibal

Hey
You're in my brain
You're in my brain
And I'll start eating my brain
Canni, canni, cannibal

Hey
You're in my heart
You're in my stomach

And I'll stomach my brain
Canni, canni, cannibal

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Scratch Acid's song "Cannibal" speak to a bizarre and disturbing obsession with another person. The singer repeats the same three lines throughout the song, first directing them towards the person in question ("Hey, you're in my heart/stomach/brain"), then declaring that they will begin to consume these parts of themselves ("And I'll start eating my heart/stomach/brain"). The chorus repeats the word "cannibal" as if it were a mantra, as if to underscore the insanity and desperation of the singer's situation.

When analyzing these lyrics, one possible interpretation is that the singer is so consumed with passion for the other person that they feel like they are "eating themselves up" from the inside out. The repetition of the lines ("You're in my heart/stomach/brain") suggests a fixation that cannot be escaped, while the act of literally eating oneself suggests a self-destructive impulse. Another interpretation is that the singer is so jealous of the other person that they want to destroy themselves in order to also take them down. In either case, the lyrics are deeply unsettling and speak to a sense of madness and desperation.

Line by Line Meaning

Hey
Attention grabber, calling out to someone or something

You're in my heart
You occupy a significant emotional space in my life

You're in my heart
Reiteration of the significant hold on emotions

And I'll start eating my heart
Metaphorically giving up oneself, losing the will to live

[I'm a] canni, canni, cannibal
Metaphorical self-harm, self-destruction

Hey
Attention grabber, calling out to someone or something

You're in my stomach
You're a physical part of me, affecting my digestion

You're in my stomach
Reinforcement of the physical hold

And I'll start eating my stomach
Metaphorically harming oneself, causing digestion issues

Canni, canni, cannibal
Metaphorical self-harm, self-destruction

Hey
Attention grabber, calling out to someone or something