An Australian electronic group formed in Sydney, Australia in 1979, Severed… Read Full Bio ↴An Australian electronic group formed in Sydney, Australia in 1979, Severed Heads have released albums ranging from experimental industrial noise to synthpop influenced dance music.

The original members were Richard Fielding and Andrew Wright, and were soon joined by Tom Ellard. This later changed to Garry Bradbury, Paul Deering, and Tom Ellard; Ellard has been the only one to remain throughout the group's career, with changing lineups throughout its two and a half decades of existence, later working mainly with Stephen Jones. Robert Racic was an integral part of the band during the late eighties/early nineties.

Severed Heads performed a final concert in Sydney in January 2010. Tom Ellard uploaded a farewell video of Sevs in Space to Youtube, which may be considered as a requiem of sorts.

In early 2008, Ellard added the following text to the bottom of the official site's front page, "Severed Heads do not have a MySpace page. It is a fake. The band is dead,". (www.sevcom.com).

All Saints Day
Severed Heads Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

All very well for saints to have their day
To fly away to prey another day
Down here I'd rather face the fire
than aspire for the heavenly choir
'Cause I've got my faith put in its place
Swept out the light beyond a trace
'Cause I took a look in their book
and there's nothing about this life of mine

For I am willing to believe
Wishing to be strong, fighting on your side

For I am willing to believe
Swimming in your tide, crying your tears

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of "All Saint's Day" provide an interesting juxtaposition between the holy and the mundane. The first line acknowledges the traditional Christian holiday that celebrates saints, but quickly pivots to the more earthbound concerns of daily life. The singer expresses a preference for facing earthly dangers rather than looking to the afterlife for salvation. This is further emphasized by the line "swept out the light beyond a trace" which suggests a disillusionment with religious doctrine. The last line of the first verse is particularly poignant as it reveals that the singer does not see themselves reflected in the teachings of the church.

The second verse provides a more positive perspective as the singer declares their willingness to believe. They want to be strong and fight alongside their faith. The metaphor of swimming in the tide and crying tears suggests a deep emotional connection to something greater than oneself. It is clear that this renewed sense of devotion is not based on dogma or doctrine, but rather a personal and emotional connection.

Line by Line Meaning

All very well for saints to have their day
It is all good for the saints to enjoy their festival

To fly away to prey another day
To escape reality to return later

Down here I'd rather face the fire
I would rather confront the harsh reality of life

than aspire for the heavenly choir
than hope for a reward in the afterlife

'Cause I've got my faith put in its place
Because I have found where my faith belongs

Swept out the light beyond a trace
Removed any trace of the false light

'Cause I took a look in their book
I carefully examined their holy book

and there's nothing about this life of mine
And there was nothing that spoke to my personal struggles

For I am willing to believe
I am prepared to have faith

Wishing to be strong, fighting on your side
I want to be strong and support your cause

For I am willing to believe
I am ready to have faith