Inspired by the groundbreaking music of Chrome, Kraftwerk, Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle, Portion Control, The Legendary Pink Dots, and others, Skinny Puppy experimented with electronic recording techniques and methods. the band composed multi-layered music generally using keyboards, synthesizers, found sounds, drum machines, live percussion, tape splices, samplers, and conventional rock music instruments. Whereas many contemporary remixes and re-edits of songs were created in order to make a song more suitable for dancing or different radio formats, Skinny Puppy approached remixing and re-editing as an artistic process of reinterpreting compositions, often using remixes to push their sound into styles of ambient, dub and techno. Skinny Puppy's often informal, improvisational approach to musical composition is indicated by use of the term brap, coined by them and defined as a verb meaning "to get together, hook up electronic instruments, get high, and record".
Skinny Puppy's first two proper releases, Bites and Remission, fall somewhere between the found-sound chaos of early Cabaret Voltaire and the abrasive, futuristic synthpop of the Units or Crash Course in Science. While the intense synth programming, abstract rhythms, and surreal samples--all Puppy trademarks--are present here, the albums owe as much to new wave as to industrial.
A subsequent EP, Chainsaw, featured a remix of Bites's "Assimilate" that earned the band some attention from club DJs. 1986's Mind: The Perpetual Intercourse earned Skinny Puppy greater attention, as "Dig It" and "Stairs and Flowers" became alternative club and college radio hits; the video for the former was played occasionally on MTV. The album is arguably less club-friendly than its predecessors, as the band continues to refine a claustrophobic, almost surreal sound that buries rhythm and melody. The follow-up, Cleanse, Fold, and Manipulate treads similar territory.
VIVIsectVI was a breakthrough for the band, with "Testure" becoming their biggest club hit to date, and the album itself was received warmly by college radio. The title of the album was a pun intended to associate vivisection with Satanism (ie. the "666 sect"). The album shows SP integrating more political and social themes: "Testure" is an animal rights song; "VX Gas Attack" concerns the use of chemical weapons; "State Aid" promotes sexual abstinence to stop the spread of AIDS/HIV.
Ogre had become very interested in Ministry and Al Jougensen's side projects, and he persuaded the rest of the band to allow Jourgensen to produce Rabies. While "Worlock" (a track Jourgensen didn't produce) remains an industrial club classic, the album was received coolly, as many thought Jourgensen's heavy metal guitar-based signatures did not compliment SP's more complex, intricate sonic sculptures. The band briefly disbanded afterward.
They reformed and returned to their electronic roots with Too Dark Park, a hallucinogenic album that owes as much to psychedelia as industrial music. Two years later, "Last Rights" covered similar territory, culminating in the epic sound sculpture "Download." Although their sound had moved away from industrial dance, these albums expanded the band's audience, and provided the template for many industrial bands of the 1990s.
Following "Last Rights", the band, poised for a major breakthrough in the wake of Nine Inch Nails' commercial success, left their longtime label Nettwerk for American Recordings. Their highly anticipated followup was unfortunately marred by personal tragedy - the death of Dwayne Goettel - and the band's inability to agree on a direction for the record. Numerous producers, including Martyn Atkins (PigFace/Invisible Records founder) and Roli Mosimann (Swans), came and went without success; finally the band regrouped with longtime collaborator Dave "Rave" Ogilvie to finish "The Process". The band expanded their range, working with gothic pop and heavy metal, alongside their familiar electronic textures. While seemingly rushed to completion following Goettel's death (it sounds half-finished in parts), it is an interesting change for the group. Unfortunately American Recordings, tired of waiting for the record, did little to promote it. Skinny Puppy broke up afterward.
With interests in filmmaking, they made a number of music videos, each attempting to further the theme and concept of the composition at hand. Most of these videos received little air play by major music video networks such as MTV (USA) and MuchMusic (Canada) and some were outright banned. For example the video for "Worlock" was universally banned because it is a "non stop gore fest" of clips from various horror movies. Because none of these clips were authorized for usage in the video it has never been commercially available.
Their concerts have been marked by their bizarre and bloody conceptual performance art, which for every concert was planned with the intention of challenging the notions of all who observed. Their music had some acceptance in dance clubs because of its danceable beats, but had little play on commercial radio. Skinny Puppy had little commercial success outside of Canada, but their influence on industrial music is immense.
The band began with the intention of doing something "raw" and "real." Ogre's vocals, one of Skinny Puppy's most recognizable features, are typically roughly growled snarls of half-sentences and fragmented stream of consciousness. Lyrical themes included animal rights, politics, religion, horror, drug abuse, disease, and environmental degradation; these themes were often lyrically and conceptually intertwined. Other core aspects of the Skinny Puppy sound include the mixture of heavy sampling and experimental noise with softer musical styles sometimes approaching synthpop.
Post-punk politics are a recurring theme utilised by Skinny Puppy. Some say the meaning of their name is that their music and lyrics give a view of the world from the eyes of a starving animal. They have long had an interest in animal rights; this is most obvious in their song Testure, which is about vivisection and other animal testing being scientific fraud. During many of their concerts Ogre would take the role of "scientist" and experiment on a stuffed animal. In 1988 they were arrested for their mocked-up vivisections, and found it ironic to be arrested for a parody of what was happening for real across the street from their concert. During their TGWOTR tour, criticism of the Bush regime was a recurring theme, particularly during their performance of VX Gas Attack, a song about atrocities perpetrated by Saddam Hussein, originally released while he was still considered an ally of the United States.
The last two studio albums are points of contention for old school Puppy fans. During the recording of The Process, the band broke up. Even more tragically, Dwayne Rudolph Goettel died, from an apparent heroin overdose at his parent's home, soon afterwards. Some people say that cEvin, Nivek, and Dwayne didn't connect as well on this album as they had earlier because their respective musical interests were diverging at the time, others claim it was the heroin.
Key and Ogre later reunited as Skinny Puppy for a one-off concert in Germany in 2003. Afterwards, they decided Skinny Puppy should continue as an ongoing project. The newly reconstituted Skinny Puppy released The Greater Wrong of the Right in 2004, their first studio album in 8 years, and have been continuing since, constantly evolving their sound.
There have been a number of Skinny Puppy side projects, both before, and after the breakup in 1995. The Tear Garden is a collaboration between cEvin and Edward Ka-Spel (and later most band members) of The Legendary Pink Dots. Other noteable side projects include Download, Hilt, Plateau, Cyberaktif (a collaboration between Key & Goettel and Bill Leeb, a.k.a. Wilhelm Schroeder), Rx (one-off collaboration between Ogre and Martin Atkins), ADuck (Goettel's side project), A CHUD Convention (one-off collaboration with a;GRUHM...), Ogre's contributions to Pigface, Ogre and Mark Walk's band ohGr and solo releases from cEvin Key.
Jaher
Skinny Puppy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The meaning of control
It's waiting for
It's waiting obscene
In dark dishonest times
The strangest things unwind
And undermine the undecided things
All divided
Trips fine line
Warmth and craziness
Little spilling
Facing death
That binds the tie
Push aside
Unrelenting lip smack
Talks
Read the moving lips
Willing pillows
Brace the neck
Hung out to die
And in the steep of luck
My god feels false and sold
To exercise what seems that cannot hold
Craving
Anything
What's going down
Replicate
Left it down on to hit
What is it
Nothing
Thrust knives
Deep the bed abyss
Why try
Overcoming this
When the killing
Shapes the wrist
To paint the sky red eye
Crossed eyes
Undecided
Shed time
Lies
All because of this
Whether killing takes my breath
A lasting sigh
All life starts with death
All death starts with life
Ever circles back again
Never falls to regain
All life is with hope
All hope is to know
Righteous places
Righteous times
Even though
We live to die
The lyrics of Skinny Puppy's "Jaher" are layered with meaning and evoke a feeling of powerlessness in the face of controlled destruction. The opening lines "It's come to rape the soul, the meaning of control," set the tone for the entire song. The pervasive feeling of hopelessness that runs throughout the song refers to how in times of darkness, evil and corruption can come to power and undermine those who are undecided or passive. The chorus, "All life is with hope, all hope is to know, righteous places, righteous times, even though we live to die," is an affirmation that despite the inevitability of death, life can be lived in a righteous and hopeful way which can give meaning and purpose.
The lyrics of "Jaher" are open to different interpretations. The lines "Forced time, all divided, trips fine line, warmth and craziness, little spilling, facing death that binds the tie," could be read as a commentary on the ways in which time is imposed on people and the divisions that result from this, leading to craziness and death. Other lines suggest a sense of violence and brutality, such as "Thrust knives deep the bed abyss, when the killing shapes the wrist, to paint the sky red eye." These lyrics hint at the violence and destruction that can be unleashed when those in power are corrupted and unchecked.
Overall, "Jaher" is a moody and thought-provoking song that aims to make the listener think about power, control, and their own mortality.
Line by Line Meaning
It's come to rape the soul
Something sinister has arrived to violate and destroy the inner essence of a person
The meaning of control
The power and purpose behind attempts to manipulate and direct people
It's waiting for
This evil force is lying in wait for its next victim
It's waiting obscene
The horror that is about to be unleashed is both obscene and perverse
In dark dishonest times
During periods of deceit and corruption terrible things can happen
The strangest things unwind
Bizarre and unsettling events begin to take place
And undermine the undecided things
These events erode and weaken people who are unsure of where they stand or what they believe
Forced time
A sense of being constrained and pressured by time
All divided
Things are fragmented and split apart
Trips fine line
Navigating a delicate balance and potentially dangerous situation
Warmth and craziness
In the midst of madness there is some small comfort or humanity
Little spilling
Things are starting to overflow and spill over
Facing death
Confronting the possibility of dying
That binds the tie
This fear and knowledge of mortality connects people in a profound way
Push aside
Ignoring or dismissing something important or unpleasant
Unrelenting lip smack
An annoying and persistent noise or gesture that won't stop
Talks
Conversations and exchanges of words
Read the moving lips
Trying to understand what someone is saying or communicating non-verbally
Willing pillows
Making oneself comfortable and relaxed in bed or on a soft surface
Brace the neck
Preparing oneself for something uncomfortable or painful
Hung out to die
Abandoned or left in a vulnerable position with no help or hope
And in the steep of luck
At a time when good fortune should prevail
My god feels false and sold
The spiritual foundation in which one has trusted no longer feels authentic or trustworthy
To exercise what seems that cannot hold
Attempting to uphold beliefs or values that appear to be slipping away forever
Craving
Desiring or seeking something intensely
Anything
Being open or desperate for any possibility or outcome
What's going down
What's happening or about to take place
Replicate
Duplicating or copying something exactly
Left it down on to hit
Putting oneself in a vulnerable position or leaving oneself open to attack
What is it
Questioning and puzzling over something that doesn't make sense
Nothing
Feeling like everything is pointless or empty
Thrust knives
Using sharp and dangerous objects to hurt or kill
Deep the bed abyss
Falling into an endless and dark hole or void
Why try
Questioning why it's worth making any effort at all
Overcoming this
Trying to prevail against a seemingly insurmountable obstacle or challenge
When the killing
During these moments of death and destruction
Shapes the wrist
The physical toll of hurting oneself or others
To paint the sky red eye
The violent and horrific images produced by death and destruction
Crossed eyes
Looking askew or in confusion
Undecided
Being unsure or uncertain about what to do
Shed time
Time passing but being wasted or lost
Lies
Deception and falsehood
All because of this
Attributing the current situation or problems to a particular cause
Whether killing takes my breath
If I die from this violent or destructive force
A lasting sigh
A deep and mournful exhalation of breath
All life starts with death
The inevitability of death and its role in the cycle of life
All death starts with life
Death is a natural part of existence that begins with the act of being born
Ever circles back again
Life and death are constantly repeating themselves in a never-ending cycle
Never falls to regain
Although death is followed by life, it can never be fully restored or regained
All life is with hope
Hope is an essential part of living and getting through difficult times
All hope is to know
The pursuit of knowledge and truth can provide a sense of hope and purpose
Righteous places
Locations or situations that are morally pure or just
Righteous times
Moments of moral clarity or enlightenment
Even though
Despite everything that has happened or may happen
We live to die
Life is only temporary, and ultimately everyone must face the reality of their own mortality
Contributed by Adeline S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
bulkodark14M seed
Its come to rape the soul
The meaning of control
It's waiting for
He's waiting obscene
In dark dishonest times
The strangest things unwind
And undermine the undecided fate
Forced time
All divided
Trips fine
Line
Warmth and craziness
Lead all spilling
Facing death
The binds that tie
Push aside
Unrelenting lips smack
Talks
Read the moving lips
Willing pillows
Breaks the neck
Hung out to die
And in the steep of luck
My god feels false and sold
To exercise what seems that cannot hold
Craving
Anything
Whats goin down
Replicate
Left it down on to hit
What is it
Nothing
Thrust knives
Deep the bed of it
Why try
Overcoming this
Whence the killing
Shapes the wrist
To paint the sky red eye
Crossed eyes
Undecided
Shed time
Lies
All because of this
Weather killing takes my breath
A lasting sigh
All life starts with death
All death starts with life
Ever circles back again
Ever falls to regain
All life is reborn
All hope is to know
Righteous places
Righteous times
Even though
We live to die
DesertPunk993
Somebody repost this please I can't post a comment and can only reply for some reason.... lyrics for whoever was curious
Its come to rape the soul
The meaning of control
It's waiting for
He's waiting obscene
In dark dishonest times
The strangest things unwind
And undermine the undecided fate
Forced time
All divided
Trips fine
Line
Warmth and craziness
Lead all spilling
Facing death
The binds that tie
Push aside
Unrelenting lips smack
Talks
Read the moving lips
Willing pillows
Breaks the neck
Hung out to die
And in the steep of luck
My god feels false and sold
To exercise what seems that cannot hold
Craving
Anything
Whats goin down
Replicate
Left it down on to hit
What is it
Nothing
Thrust knives
Deep the bed of it
Why try
Overcoming this
Whence the killing
Shapes the wrist
To paint the sky red eye
Crossed eyes
Undecided
Shed time
Lies
All because of this
Weather killing takes my breath
A lasting sigh
All life starts with death
All death starts with life
Ever circles back again
Ever falls to regain
All life is reborn
All hope is to know
Righteous places
Righteous times
Even though
We live to die
Sonja Schulze
"all life starts with death
all death starts with life
ever circles back again
all life is reborn
all hope is to know
righteous places
rightoues times" ....
What always happens in the life, at the darkest soul midnight the day is not distant any more. There is always hope, light at the end of the tunnel. The life is a circulation, there is no real death. At the end waits the freeing, the light. And then the person can get out of the round dance of the rebirths. Back to the clear primary sources all being. This is something what occurs to me to the melancholy-wonderful song
Sofia Padovano
its come to rape the soul
the meaning of control
it's waiting for
he's waiting obscene
in dark dishonest times
the strangest things unwind
and undermine the undecided fate
forced time
all divided
trips fine
line
warmth and craziness
lead all spilling
facing death
the binds that tie
push aside
unrelenting lips smack
talks
read the moving lips
willing pillows
breaks the neck
hung out to die
and in the steep of luck
my god feels false and sold
to exercise what seems that cannot hold
craving
anything
whats goin down
replicate
left it down on to hit
what is it
nothing
thrust knives
deep the bed of it
why try
overcoming this
when the killing
shapes the wrist
paints the sky red eye
crossed eyes
undecided
shed time
lies
all because of this
weather killing takes my breath
a lasting sigh
all life starts with death
all death starts with life
ever circles back again
ever falls to regain
all life is reborn
all hope is to know
righteous places
rightoues times
even though
we live to die
bulkodark14M seed
Its come to rape the soul
The meaning of control
It's waiting for
He's waiting obscene
In dark dishonest times
The strangest things unwind
And undermine the undecided fate
Forced time
All divided
Trips fine
Line
Warmth and craziness
Lead all spilling
Facing death
The binds that tie
Push aside
Unrelenting lips smack
Talks
Read the moving lips
Willing pillows
Breaks the neck
Hung out to die
And in the steep of luck
My god feels false and sold
To exercise what seems that cannot hold
Craving
Anything
Whats goin down
Replicate
Left it down on to hit
What is it
Nothing
Thrust knives
Deep the bed of it
Why try
Overcoming this
Whence the killing
Shapes the wrist
To paint the sky red eye
Crossed eyes
Undecided
Shed time
Lies
All because of this
Weather killing takes my breath
A lasting sigh
All life starts with death
All death starts with life
Ever circles back again
Ever falls to regain
All life is reborn
All hope is to know
Righteous places
Righteous times
Even though
We live to die
ANTISCYLLIS NEOCHT
thaNK yo U.
Bradley Synthpop
Definitely one of my favorite Puppy songs! Just beautiful.
Robert Wyatt
Same
Severus Snape
makes me cry... many years since i've heard this song ,, love it :')
DesertPunk993
Somebody repost this please I can't post a comment and can only reply for some reason.... lyrics for whoever was curious
Its come to rape the soul
The meaning of control
It's waiting for
He's waiting obscene
In dark dishonest times
The strangest things unwind
And undermine the undecided fate
Forced time
All divided
Trips fine
Line
Warmth and craziness
Lead all spilling
Facing death
The binds that tie
Push aside
Unrelenting lips smack
Talks
Read the moving lips
Willing pillows
Breaks the neck
Hung out to die
And in the steep of luck
My god feels false and sold
To exercise what seems that cannot hold
Craving
Anything
Whats goin down
Replicate
Left it down on to hit
What is it
Nothing
Thrust knives
Deep the bed of it
Why try
Overcoming this
Whence the killing
Shapes the wrist
To paint the sky red eye
Crossed eyes
Undecided
Shed time
Lies
All because of this
Weather killing takes my breath
A lasting sigh
All life starts with death
All death starts with life
Ever circles back again
Ever falls to regain
All life is reborn
All hope is to know
Righteous places
Righteous times
Even though
We live to die
D4rkCr0wn
According to everything these guys are one of the founders of industrial-electronic, this is fucking awesome tune and I never heard of them before? WHY? World has gone mad I say.
Pandorae Eris
World has gone mad I say.
Jakub Janíček
What an absolutely excellent song.
Varcolaci Ubor
Amos y señores del industrial, amo esta canción