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)

The Ballad
Snog Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When the working day is gone
I refuse to belong to anyone.
And at night when I try to sleep
I hear the house of commerce in my dreams...

Somehow, someone, somewhere
owns everything I do.
Somehow, someone, somewhere

owns all of me and owns all of you.

There's no charge,
there's no crime,
but we're all doing time.
To be honest there's not much I can do
but to sing a bad ballad for you.
I could suggest sabotage,
but success might prove a mirage.

'cause Somehow, someone, somewhere
owns everything I do.

Somehow, someone, somewhere
owns all of me and owns all of you.

Overall Meaning

The Ballad by Snog is a song that speaks to the feeling of being trapped and controlled by the system of commerce and society. In the opening lines, the singer declares that after the working day is over, they refuse to belong to anyone, indicating a desire for freedom and autonomy. However, even in their sleep, they hear the influence of the house of commerce, which is a metaphor for the all-encompassing nature of capitalism in modern society. The song continues to express how someone, somewhere owns everything we do and thus all of us, indicating that even our individuality is subverted by the system. The lyrics suggest a sense of powerlessness and frustration, as the singer declares that we are all doing time for crimes that we didn't commit, and that the only thing they can do is sing a bad ballad.

The song is a critique of the oppressive nature of capitalism, arguing that even when there is no overt coercion, we are still compelled to conform to its processes and expectations. The lyrics convey the idea that the system is all-encompassing and inescapable, and that our lives and identities have been colonized by the forces of commerce. The song's suggestion of sabotage as a potential solution speaks to the desire for resistance, but also recognizes the difficulty of breaking free from something so all-encompassing.

Line by Line Meaning

When the working day is gone
After the work day is finished

I refuse to belong to anyone.
I reject the idea of someone owning or controlling me

And at night when I try to sleep
In the evening, when I attempt to rest

I hear the house of commerce in my dreams...
I dream about the power structures that control everything

Somehow, someone, somewhere
In some way, someone or something

owns everything I do.
Controls each and every choice I make

owns all of me and owns all of you.
Controls everyone and everything as if it is their own possession

There's no charge,
It does not cost anything

there's no crime,
It is not illegal

but we're all doing time.
But we are all bound by these systems and society

To be honest there's not much I can do
To be truthful, I am limited in what I can do