Sister Machine Gun founder Chris Randall and guitarist Miguel Turanzas are, without a doubt, one of music's hardest working duos. In addition to recording, producing, and touring, they also run their own record label, Positron! Records. Not simply a vehicle for SMG, the label has unleashed 17 releases including albums from Van Christie (Die Warzau), Matt Walker (Filter/Smashing Pumpkins/Cupcakes) and Mike Fisher (Machines of Loving Grace).
SMG's extensive catalog explores just about every genre of modern music, from electro-funk dance to Hendrix-flavored industrial strength rock. Their seventh release, Influence, is an elektro-industrial tour-de-force that recalls the industrial sound of the late eighties and early nineties. Heavy beats, distorted guitars and pounding synth lines drag your favorite sounds kicking and screaming into the future.
Sister Machine Gun's catalog of critically acclaimed albums includes four on the pioneering Wax Trax! label: Sins Of The Flesh (1992), The Torture Technique (1994), Burn (1995), and Metropolis (1997); plus three on their own Positron! Records: [R]evolution (1999) sistermachinegun: 6.0 (2001) and Influence (2003). The liner notes of these albums read like a veritable Who's Who of modern music, and include Reeves Gabrels (David Bowie/Tin Machine), Sascha & En Esch (KMFDM), Charles Levi (Thrill Kill Kult/Pigface), Gino Lenardo (Filter), Scott Churilla (The Rev. Horton Heat), Matt Walker (Filter/Smashing Pumpkins/Cupcakes), and Jim Marcus & Van Christie (Die Warzau).
With fans that treat the band as a religion, and an online presence second to none, Sister Machine Gun are Chicago's Ambassadors of Industrial.
Temptation
Sister Machine Gun Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I guess I died and I started to believe your lies
Like the voice that I heard in the night
If you think I'm crazy then you're goddamned right
I need to get out of this mess you put me in
And think that home is where I'd like to begin
Well, I really doubt that you think that I would be fine
Well, c'mon baby, now it's temptation time
[CHORUS:]
You fucked up, it's easy to see
But I don't know what that has to do with me
'Cause I'm knocked down and ready to fight
If you think I'm crazy, then you're goddamn right
You didn't happen to save my soul
As it went out the door with the rest of my goals
Well, I just decided that I might like it back
And I'm as serious as a goddamn heart attack
Well, now baby, I tried to make it plain
When I said I was getting tired of these stupid little games
Well, it's very simple, if you try to keep in mind
Well now baby, it's temptation time
CHORUS x2
I didn't mean to cause you any grief
But the things that you do to me go way beyond belief
Well, I never thought that I'd feel like I was dead
But your voice is like a bullet in my goddamn head
And I need to feel wanted, I guess anybody would
But you treat me like a child and that just ain't any good
Well, I just want to have the things that I think are mine
C'mon baby, it's temptation time
CHORUS x2
In the lyrics of Sister Machine Gun's song Temptation, the singer is reminiscing about the life they once shared with someone whom they now realize was lying to them all along. The singer expresses a sense of betrayal and loss, wondering what happened to the life they once had in the eyes of their partner. The voice that they heard in the night is likely a reference to the partner's lies and manipulation. The singer is exhausted from the games their partner played with them and wants nothing more than to escape the mess they have been put in.
The chorus of the song is a declaration of defiance and strength, with the singer telling their partner that they are ready to fight back, despite feeling knocked down. They express frustration that they are being blamed for their partner's mistakes and make it clear that they are willing to do whatever it takes to regain control of their life. The singer wants to reclaim the things that they feel belong to them and suggests that it is now time for temptation.
Overall, the song is a powerful statement about the effects of deception and manipulation in relationships. It captures the sense of frustration and desperation that can arise when someone feels like they have been manipulated and lied to repeatedly. It is a reminder that we should always stand up for ourselves and never let someone else have control over our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Whatever happened to the life I had in your eyes?
I don't recognize the person I am anymore and I feel like I lost myself in your eyes.
I guess I died and I started to believe your lies
I lost my sense of self and started to believe the lies you were telling me.
Like the voice that I heard in the night
Your voice is haunting me even when you're not around.
If you think I'm crazy then you're goddamned right
I know I might be acting irrational, but it's because of the way you're treating me.
I need to get out of this mess you put me in
I need to leave this situation you put me in and find my way back to myself.
And think that home is where I'd like to begin
I want to go back to the place where I felt safe and secure.
Well, I really doubt that you think that I would be fine
I don't think you care about my well-being or how I'm feeling.
Well, c'mon baby, now it's temptation time
I'm giving in to the temptation of going back to the way things were, even though I know it's not good for me.
You fucked up, it's easy to see
You messed up and it's obvious to everyone, including me.
But I don't know what that has to do with me
I don't understand why I have to suffer the consequences of your actions.
'Cause I'm knocked down and ready to fight
I might be down, but I'm not out and I'm ready to stand up for myself.
You didn't happen to save my soul
You didn't help me when I needed it the most and now I'm struggling.
As it went out the door with the rest of my goals
I lost my sense of self and my goals when you walked out of my life.
Well, I just decided that I might like it back
I'm reclaiming my sense of self and my goals, and I want them back.
And I'm as serious as a goddamn heart attack
I'm dead serious about taking back control of my life.
Well, now baby, I tried to make it plain
I tried to explain my feelings and my needs to you, but you didn't listen.
When I said I was getting tired of these stupid little games
I'm tired of the mind games and the manipulation, and I want it to stop.
Well, it's very simple, if you try to keep in mind
It's easy to understand what I'm asking for if you just listen.
Well now baby, it's temptation time
I'm giving in to temptation and going back to the person who has hurt me, even though I know it's not good for me.
I didn't mean to cause you any grief
I didn't intend to hurt you, but you ended up hurting me anyway.
But the things that you do to me go way beyond belief
The way you've treated me is unacceptable and I can't believe you would do those things to me.
Well, I never thought that I'd feel like I was dead
I've lost my sense of self and my sense of worth because of the way you've treated me.
But your voice is like a bullet in my goddamn head
Your words and your voice haunt me even when you're not around, and it's causing me a lot of pain.
And I need to feel wanted, I guess anybody would
I need to feel loved and wanted, just like any human being.
But you treat me like a child and that just ain't any good
You're treating me like I'm inferior and incapable, and that's not healthy for either of us.
Well, I just want to have the things that I think are mine
I want to have control over my own life and my own sense of self.
C'mon baby, it's temptation time
I'm giving in to temptation again, even though I know it's not good for me.
CHORUS x2
The chorus repeats the same message from earlier in the song: I'm aware of the situation and I'm ready to fight for my right to be treated better.
Contributed by Joshua N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.