Scream was formed in Northern Virginia in 1981 by singer Peter Stahl, his brother Franz Stahl on guitar, bassist Skeeter Thompson and drummer Kent Stax. They are considered one of the benchmark bands in the history of the Washington, D.C. hardcore music movement. Along with bands such as Minor Threat and Government Issue, Scream ultimately merged the attributes of the movement, which were blinding speed, heavy political and social connotations in the lyrics, unpretentiousness of attitude, and shunning of commercialism. Their music is faithful to the roots of rock, but spun itself into other genres by employing sounds that predate the raunchiness of grunge, while saluting reggae and speed metal. Scream hated the classification of bands into certain types and considered what they played as simply 'music.' Recording their music in the basement of the now legendary Inner Ear Studios in Arlington, Virginia, Scream became the first band on the Dischord label to release a whole album, Still Screaming, as opposed to singles or 12 inch EPs. Like the hardcore band Bad Brains, they could play clearly at breakneck speed, but also played mid-tempo songs like "American Justice" and "Hygiene," which were metal-tinged reggae.
For their second album Scream added another guitarist to their line-up, Robert Lee "Harley" Davidson, to thicken up the sound in the studio and in their live performances. In turn this eventually led to a powerful dual-lead guitar style, with complex guitar tracking, a more powerful live sound and an over-all crunchier sound for their third album. For a few compilation efforts and some live shows they added a keyboard player, Bobby Madden, who was a colleague of Davidson's from the same metal scene.
After the third album Banging the Drum, Kent Stax left the band for personal reasons and was replaced by local drummer Dave Grohl, who then played on Scream's 4th album No More Censorship. The band then toured Europe; with their May 4, 1990 show in Alzey, Germany being released by Tobby Holzinger as Your Choice Live Series Vol.10. Scream then recorded their fifth and final studio album Fumble, (which was much later released in 1993 on Dischord Records) and then called it quits in late 1990. Pete and Franz moved to North Hollywood and started rock band Wool, while Grohl joined Grunge band Nirvana. In 1997, Franz Stahl joined Dave Grohl's newly formed group, the commercially successful Foo Fighters, for a two year stint. During this time Pete Stahl worked as a road manager for both the Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age, while continuing to record albums with several bands, including the Earthlings? and Goatsnake. Skeeter Thompson remained in the D.C. area and continued to work in bands, as did Kent Stax with the Skinhead/Oi! -tinged bands: the Suspects, United 121, Spitfires United, and Alleged Bricks. Stax has also committed himself to a family life. Davidson continued in the band Angelstorm, (in Huntsville, Alabama), from 1993–1995 and created the new bands Orangahead, Festival of Fools, (with Madden in 1998) and two different bands both named God Is Dead, (one in D.C. and one in Huntsville, Alabama) from 2002-2005.
The original line-up of the band played a reunion show on December 20, 2009 at the Black Cat nightclub in Washington, D.C.
On February 7, 2011, the band supported Foo Fighters on a special show at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles, when the Foo Fighters showcased their new album Wasting Light for the first time from beginning to end.
Current members
Peter Stahl – lead vocals (1981–1990, 2009–present)
Franz Stahl – guitar, backing vocals (1981–1990, 2009–present)
Skeeter Thompson – bass, backing vocals (1981–1990, 2009–present)
Kent Stax – drums, percussion (1981–1986, 2009–present)
Former members
Dave Grohl – drums, percussion (1986–1990)
Robert Lee Davidson – guitar, backing vocals (1984–1989)
Gods Look Down
Scream Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I didn't think to pull a rope
Now I'm sitting gritting my teeth
To tear my insides open
And the gods look down
In anger of this poor child
Yes, the gods look down and hunger
I've tried
my share
But everywhere I've been they're
pushing glass
in the faces of sweet, sweet
motherfuckers
And the gods look down
In anger of this poor child
Yes, the gods look down and hunger
Oh my god
The machine is gone
How can I get back from here?
Oh my god!
Oh my god!
Oh my god!
Oh my god!
I dug myself in so deep
I didn't think to pull a rope
Now I'm sitting gritting my teeth
To tear my insides open
And the gods look down
In anger of this poor child
Yes, the gods look down and hunger
Oh my god
The machine is gone
How can I get back from here?
Oh my god!
Oh my god!
Oh my god!
Oh my god!
The lyrics of Scream's song "Gods Look Down" reflects a person's sense of desperation and desperation to seek redemption for their past mistakes. The singer is stuck in a situation that is beyond their control and they are grappling with their own internal conflicts. The lyrics suggest that the singer has made some bad decisions and instead of seeking help, they have dug themselves deeper into the mess. The feeling of helplessness and hopelessness is palpable in the lines "I dug myself in so deep, I didn't think to pull a rope, now I'm sitting gritting my teeth to tear my insides open."
The reference to gods looking down and being angry and hungry for this poor child is symbolic of the singer feeling a sense of guilt and responsibility for their actions. They may feel like they are being punished by a higher power for their mistakes. The line "everywhere I've been they're pushing glass in the faces of sweet, sweet motherfuckers" suggests that the singer feels like they are being judged harshly by society even though they may have good intentions.
The repeated cry of "Oh my god" towards the end of the song suggests that the singer is at a breaking point, where they feel like everything is falling apart and they need divine intervention to rescue them from their situation. Overall, the lyrics of "Gods Look Down" are an exploration of guilt, redemption, and the human need for salvation.
Line by Line Meaning
I dug myself in so deep
I have found myself in a difficult situation with no easy way out.
I didn't think to pull a rope
I failed to take action that could have prevented me from being in this situation.
Now I'm sitting gritting my teeth
I am feeling intense frustration and anger.
To tear my insides open
I am struggling to deal with this situation and it is causing me emotional pain.
And the gods look down
I feel like I am being judged by a higher power.
In anger of this poor child
The higher power is angry with me for my mistakes and shortcomings.
Yes, the gods look down and hunger
The higher power is unsatisfied with me and wants me to do better.
I've tried
I have made an effort to improve my situation.
my share
I have done my part.
But everywhere I've been they're
No matter where I go or what I do,
pushing glass
People are being cruel and hurtful.
in the faces of sweet, sweet
They are attacking innocent and kind-hearted people.
motherfuckers
They are using abusive language and behavior.
Oh my god
I am feeling overwhelmed and uncertain.
The machine is gone
Something critical that I relied on is no longer available to me.
How can I get back from here?
I am unsure of how to move forward or find a solution.
Oh my god!
I am experiencing a sense of panic or desperation.
Contributed by Ian L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.