Formed in 1988 in Melbourne, Australia, Snog is a primarily the work of mus… Read Full Bio ↴Formed in 1988 in Melbourne, Australia, Snog is a primarily the work of musician David Thrussell, with frequent guest musicians. Musically, they are a fusion of many styles--including industrial, techno, ambient, experimental, even sometimes including country and funk. Lyrically, Snog has strong themes of nihilism, anti-capitalism, anti-fascism, anti-consumerism, individuality and anti-big-brotherism.
The band name is a reference to "kissing and cuddling," which, according to Thrussell, symbolizes the Marxist concept of destroying barriers between people (see the lyrics to "Light, Yet Refreshing")

Their first album, Lies Inc., was released in 1992. Pieter Bourke joined the band soon afterwards, and Dear Valued Customer, which drew heavily on techno influences, was released in 1994. That same year, two sideprojects emerged: Soma was formed by Thrussell and Pieter Bourke, and Thrussell formed solo project Black Lung.

By 1997, the band had largely become a solo project for Thrussell (with guest musicians). Buy Me... I'll Change Your Life was a departure in style, featuring country western-style guitar and a cover of Lee Hazlewood's "Let the Little Flowers Grow". 1999's Third Mall from the Sun offered a unique blend of the style of the previous two albums, along with new influences. This was followed by the remix album Relax into the Abyss.

In 2003, Beyond the Valley of the Proles was released. This album offered a more refined version of the style found on Buy Me. Its 2006 follow-up, Snog Vs. the Faecal Juggernaut of Mass Culture, saw a return to a more electronic sound.

One notable feature about the band is Thrussell's lyrics — almost all songs contain themes of anti-capitalism, anti-fascism, anti-consumerism, individuality, and anti-big-brotherism. Thrussell also often includes references to conspiracy theories in his lyrics and song titles (for example, The Report From Iron Mountain or Rex 84).

The albums Third Mall from the Sun (1999), Relax into the Abyss (2000) and Beyond the Valley of the Proles (2003) featured artwork by Canadian artist Chris Woods, whose paintings lampoon the advertising tactics of major corporations such as McDonald's, The Gap, and Nike.

Discography

Albums
Lies Inc. (1992)
Dear Valued Customer (1994)
Live in the Global Village (limited-edition bonus disc, 1994)
Lies Inc. (limited-edition 2-disc reissue with early material, 1996)
Remote Control (anthology, 1997)
Buy Me...I'll Change Your Life (1997)
Third Mall from the Sun (1999)
Relax Into the Abyss (remixes, 2000)
Beyond the Valley of the Proles (2003)
Your Favourite Electro-Folk Swingers (limited-edition remix CD, 2003)
Sixteen Easy Tunes For The End Times (2-disc greatest hits collection with bonus unreleased material, 2006)
Snog Vs. The Faecal Juggernaut Of Mass Culture (2006)

Singles and EPs
Corporate Slave (1992)
Shop (1992)
Born To Be Mild (1993)
Hey Christian God (1993)
Cliché (1994)
The Future (1995)
Make the Little Flowers Grow (1997)
Hooray!! (1998)
The Ballad (1998)
The Human Germ (1998)
I Snog, Therefore I am (1999)
Justified Homicide (2001)
Crash Crash (Vs. Remixes & Exclusive Tracks CD Single - 2006)
Vs. The Faecal Juggernaut Of Mass Culture (2006)
City EP (2008)

Other
Adventures in Capitalism DVD (2003)
Angst (Movie soundtrack) (2000) (contributed four tracks)
Pearls Before Swine (Movie Soundtrack) (contributed tracks, along side NON and Death in June)

Old Atlantis
Snog Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've no desire for second helpings
I've no interest in capital gain
My portfolio has always been empty
So lets burn it all down again

I've no time for all the bean counters
All the bureaucrats should be slain
That why I say to you

Lets burn it all down again

In old Atlantis
The fire finally came
Toppling their towers
And ruining their games

Lets see some storms
Id like to see some rain
Or better still
Lets burn it all down again

I've no patience for credit ratings
I get no joy from the stock exchange
That why I say, fellow slaves
Lets burn it all down again

In old Atlantis
The fire finally came
Toppling their towers
And ruining their games

Lets see some storms
Id like to see some rain
Or better still
Lets burn it all down again

That's right honeychild... you and me
Together... lets burn it all down... again

Overall Meaning

The song "Old Atlantis" by Snog speaks about the desire to burn down the corrupt system in which the singer lives. The song begins with the singer expressing their apathy towards material possessions and financial gain. They have no interest in accumulating wealth or in the bureaucratic process that accompanies it. They wish to burn the system down and start from scratch.

The lyrics suggest that the singer wants to live in a world without these restrictions and abolish the status quo. They are frustrated with the constant cycle of accumulation and progress that has led to a corrupt system, and they see the destruction of old Atlantis as a symbol of the need to overthrow our current societal norms.

The song encourages rebellion, but the listener also realizes the sense of despair that comes with destroying the current structure. The ruins of Atlantis represent this sense of nostalgia for what has been lost, while the desire to burn it all down again represents a new start.

Line by Line Meaning

I've no desire for second helpings
I don't want more than what I need

I've no interest in capital gain
I don't care about making money

My portfolio has always been empty
I don't have any investments

So lets burn it all down again
Let's start over and destroy the current system

I've no time for all the bean counters
I don't want to deal with accountants or bureaucrats

All the bureaucrats should be slain
The government officials are not doing their job well enough and should be overthrown

That why I say to you
That's why I'm telling you

In old Atlantis
In the past civilization

The fire finally came
The destruction of Atlantis finally happened

Toppling their towers
Their civilization was destroyed

And ruining their games
Their way of life was completely disrupted