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.
Left Hand Shake
Skinny Puppy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I sickness grows inside
Help me out of it
"You are a light"
"You are a sound"
"Drift within"
"This is your body"
I decayed and rot away
"Did you get lost on the trip"
You don't know me
"Did you get trapped in memory"
You can't heal a soul
"Did you forget"
??? fear walk till one A.M.
"What did you do"
Last morning
"You brought your own mind games with you"
Little one or two
"You had to make it a bad trip"
No color
Darkness flesh pot
Mind reflecting
Through the paint of a picture
Cracks of the believable vision
In turn in bone
Watered down
??? take ingest it
Poison
The cross repeats astounds
Presenting a sight
"Quiet dormant sea of light"
Visual betrayal
Last rights denied
??? trails a long road inside
"Buried"
"A mass grave"
Mind has defeated
The stain of disease
Dirt lipped motherf**k
Chose a life of ease
Hard to believe
When ??? falls
Takes a soul
Travels a trip to the edge of it all
Why can't they see
I'm still in control
Starving eyes
"Quiet dormant sea of light"
??? lifeless
Last rights denied
"Buried"
"A mass grave"
Medicated eyes
Feast through expected
The controls
No one right
"Soft, it's soft, tissue soft"
It's a decision
??? toss this coin head or tail
Cause effect breakdown
Inexperience fails
"Lift...and fold it's soft tissue soft"
Washing the hands
Pointing his way
Washing the hands
Pointing his way
"Sink chant over to a dark fertile marsh"
Washing the hands
Guilt and denial
Washing the hands
Pointing away
Washing the hands
Pointing his way
Washing the hands
Point of denial
"Sink, sink into a dark"
???
Who were the righteous ??? that be so ???
"In this mirror of confession"
No guilt
I see no guilt
"What do you see there"
No guilt
"Your personality"
In experience fails
"All your goals, all your fears and your ambitions"
My fears and my ambitions
Hey, it's ok
"The chess game of your life"
This world is ???
"You gotta check that"
"You can't take that on the trip with you"
??? dealing ???
"All those animal impulses that you hide"
Way down way down
"And keep down below"
"All this baggage too must be checked"
I wouldn't expect it could be
I never knew
"Can't take that on the billion year voyage"
Never wanted to welcome water
Poison
"Are you ready"
"Then take this chalice"
"The elixir of life"
Weakness sickness grows inside
Weather
Wishing you could grow up
The song "Left Hand Shake" by Skinny Puppy is a dark and introspective portrayal of the human mind and body. The lyrics start with a narrator who thinks they are water, which suggests a feeling of instability and vulnerability. The sickness growing inside the singer may allude to mental illness or physical decay, and they ask for help to get out of it. The phrases "You are a light," "You are a sound," and "Drift within" seem to offer comfort and guide the singer towards introspection. However, the next part of the song suggests that the singer's mind is plagued by memories, fears, and a feeling of being trapped. The lyrics "Did you get trapped in memory? You can't heal a soul. Did you forget?" suggest that the singer is struggling to come to terms with something.
As the song progresses, it becomes increasingly abstract and difficult to decipher. The lyrics mention a "mass grave," "control," and "guilt and denial." The phrases "Sink, sink into a dark" and "Who were the righteous" suggest a feeling of despair and confusion. The song ends with the lines "The elixir of life. Weakness sickness grows inside. Weather wishing you could grow up." These lines suggest that the singer is looking for a way to heal and grow, but they are struggling with a sense of weakness and disease.
Overall, "Left Hand Shake" is a haunting and complex exploration of the human psyche, touching on themes of memory, control, and healing.
Line by Line Meaning
I think I'm water
I feel fluid, unstable
I sickness grows inside
I feel ill and deteriorating from within
Help me out of it
Please rescue me from my current state
"You are a light"
Someone is acknowledging your presence
"You are a sound"
Someone notices and appreciates the sounds you make
"Drift within"
Allow yourself to be carried away
"This is your body"
This is all you have
I decayed and rot away
I deteriorated and fell apart
Your bloody mind's set
You're stubborn in your ways of thinking
"Did you get lost on the trip"
Did you lose your way in life
You don't know me
You lack knowledge of who I truly am
"Did you get trapped in memory"
Are you stuck in the past
You can't heal a soul
Emotional pain can't be easily fixed
"Did you forget"
Are you no longer remembering something important
??? fear walk till one A.M.
Unknown sentence
"What did you do"
Questioning actions taken
Last morning
The last morning of something
You brought your own mind games with you
You're the cause of your own mental stress and games
Little one or two
Things of no significance
You had to make it a bad trip
You made the situation worse for yourself
No color
Emptiness
Darkness flesh pot
A place of death and decay
Mind reflecting
Thoughts and emotions are in sync
Through the paint of a picture
The surface appearance of something
Cracks of the believable vision
The flaws in a plausible idea
In turn in bone
Affecting the core of one's being
Watered down
Reduced in strength or quality
??? take ingest it
Unknown sentence
Poison
Harmful substance
The cross repeats astounds
A repeated pattern of pain and suffering
Presenting a sight
In view of an image
"Quiet dormant sea of light"
A soothing image of stillness and illumination
Visual betrayal
A deception of what's seen
Last rights denied
Death without proper ceremony or ritual
??? trails a long road inside
Unknown sentence
"Buried"
The end of something
"A mass grave"
A large-scale burying of the dead
Mind has defeated
Mental illness has overcome
The stain of disease
The taint of sickness
Dirt lipped motherf**k
Vulgar slur directed at someone
Chose a life of ease
Opted for a simple and comfortable existence
Hard to believe
Difficult to accept or comprehend
When ??? falls
Unknown sentence
Takes a soul
Steals the essence of someone
Travels a trip to the edge of it all
Reaches the furthest experience and limit
Why can't they see
Why is it difficult for others to understand
I'm still in control
I'm capable of handling situations despite hardship
Starving eyes
Eyes that long for more
"Quiet dormant sea of light"
A soothing image of stillness and illumination
??? lifeless
Unknown sentence
Last rights denied
Death without proper ceremony or ritual
"Buried"
The end of something
"A mass grave"
A large-scale burying of the dead
Medicated eyes
Eyes that have been dulled by medication
Feast through expected
Consume what's easily accessible
The controls
The mechanisms in place to manage a situation
No one right
No definitive answer or correct way
"Soft, it's soft, tissue soft"
Describing a soft texture, like tissue
It's a decision
It's a choice
??? toss this coin head or tail
Unknown sentence
Cause effect breakdown
A breakdown in the chain of cause and effect
Inexperience fails
Lack of skill or knowledge results in failure
"Lift...and fold it's soft tissue soft"
Manipulate something that has a soft, malleable texture
Washing the hands
Trying to remove blame or guilt
Pointing his way
Shifts responsibility to someone else
"Sink chant over to a dark fertile marsh"
Unknown sentence
Guilt and denial
Refusal to acknowledge responsibility for one's actions
Pointing away
Blaming something or someone else
Point of denial
Refusal to admit reality
"Sink, sink into a dark"
Unknown sentence
???
This line is missing the lyrics reference to be analyzed
Who were the righteous ??? that be so ???
Unknown sentence
"In this mirror of confession"
The act of confessing one's wrongdoings
No guilt
Feeling no remorse
I see no guilt
I don't believe I did anything wrong
"What do you see there"
Asking someone else what they see
"Your personality"
One's individual traits and characteristics
In experience fails
Lack of skill or knowledge results in failure
"All your goals, all your fears and your ambitions"
Everything you aim for and everything you're afraid of
My fears and my ambitions
The things that scare me and motivate me
Hey, it's ok
Don't worry
"The chess game of your life"
Life as a game of strategy and risk
This world is ???
Unknown sentence
"You gotta check that"
Someone advises caution and careful consideration
"You can't take that on the trip with you"
You can't carry your burdens with you as you move forward
??? dealing ???
Unknown sentence
"All those animal impulses that you hide"
The instincts and urges that are kept secret
Way down way down
Deep within
"And keep down below"
Hiding parts of oneself
"All this baggage too must be checked"
One must address and work through emotional baggage
I wouldn't expect it could be
It's unlikely that it's possible
I never knew
I was unaware
"Can't take that on the billion year voyage"
Can't bring emotional baggage on a long journey through life
Never wanted to welcome water
Unwillingness to accept change or new experiences
Poison
Harmful substance
"Are you ready"
Questioning readiness for something
"Then take this chalice"
Take this potion or substance
"The elixir of life"
A magical potion that can extend life or provide immortality
Weakness sickness grows inside
Feeling vulnerable, ill, and deteriorating from within
Weather
A description of current events or conditions of life
Wishing you could grow up
Desire to become more mature and responsible
Contributed by Jacob E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@juno3242
The inclusion of this song on the Last Rights tracklist is what elevates that album from a 9 to a 10 in my personal opinion. It works so well as the final buffer of humanity after circustance before Download comes in and wipes the slate completely clean, and is such a creepy and rare personal performance from Ogre before the final instrumental stretch of download. What a tune.
@Meowmixmaster
Well said. One of those rare perfect albums, especially with the inclusion of this track.
@vincenzollamas
i like also how his vocals are mostly 2nd seat to the Timothy Leary samples, & a response/reiteration
@jimbothompson6540
Well said
@Jw071
Having surviving stage iv cancer and losing everything to uncaring, ignorant, and hateful people while I struggled put this song on a whole other level for me. Burned up a lot of NIN and Ministry in the last few years as well. But it’s okay, we gonna rise above.
@shannonjenkins3610
Oh man, so glad you kicked cancers ass and are living life! Hope you're able to make it to one of SP's final shows this year!! 🎶 ❤️ 🎶
@Skullkan6
This song just proves the strength of Ogre as a vocalist. There's lines in here no other vocalist could have pulled off, small segments of melody to string you along deeper and deeper down into darkness.
@herbyverstink
would have made a fantastic album even more fantasticier
@chickenblaster
Oh man, thanks for sharing this, I love this track!
@cablevamp3163
Man this band changed my life