Wakeford founded Sol Invictus in order to pursue his own musical ideas. He was an original member of Crisis and Death In June with Douglas P.. He formed Sol Invictus in 1987, working with Ian Read and Karl Blake. He has been the sole constant of the group, as it continues to bring forth new forms and conceptions.
Wakeford has described Sol Invictus as a "cabaret band from Hell for the fin-de-siècle" and has referred to his work as folk noir. He has said the name "comes from a pre-Christian Rome-based cult. Many of its trappings were taken over by the church. The name means 'the unconquered (or victorious) sun', and it was brought back by the legionnaires returning from Persia. The sun has always been an important symbol and as the cult of Sol Invictus nearly defeated Christianity at one point it seemed a good name to use. I also love the sound of Latin. "
Sol Invictus' imagery and lyrical content, especially initially, was strongly influenced by an antipathy for the modern world and materialism. The band also had considerable interest in Heathen and Mithraist themes, often reflecting an explicit antipathy to Christianity. Wakeford has written from a melancholic position of doomed Romanticism, which laments the loss of beauty, love, and Culture. He sees Americanism as a scourge upon Europe, as expressed with pitch-black humour in his song, "Death of the West" from the album of the same name.
In 2007 Tony Wakeford started working with Israeli producer and musician 'M'. The German label Prophecy will release a new Sol Invictus studio album, 'The Cruelest Month' in 2010.
Do not mix it up with the German band Soul_Invictus!
Down the Years
Sol Invictus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How easily the flock is steered
By hands so fine, cruel and kind
Hands that point us down the years
Down the years (x3)
Down, down the years
Awash in blood in history's mud
With assassins' bullets and martyrs' spears
Slaying and praying down the years
Down the years (x3)
Down, down the years
Sex and money, like birds of prey
Feed on the betrayer and the betrayed
Time's demon lovers go from poison cups
Their lying and plotting just got too much
And your paper heroes - they'll turn to dust
Like our knights in armor - they turn to rust
Go hang the scapegoat; let the masses cheer
Their idiot laughter an anthem down the years
Down the years (x3)
Down, down the years
The opening lines of Sol Invictus' "Down the Years" detail two groups of people who hold power over the masses: rulers and foolers. The lines "How easily the flock is steered/By hands so fine, cruel and kind" describes how these people are able to manipulate others through acts of kindness or cruelty. The next lines, "Hands that point us down the years," refers to how the actions of the powerful can shape the path of history.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Down the years," emphasizing how the actions of those in power can have long-lasting effects on society. The following verses describe how different forces have tried to gain power throughout history: the power of money or religion, violence, and lies. The lines "Sex and money, like birds of prey/Feed on the betrayer and the betrayed" highlight how those in power often use people's vulnerabilities to maintain control.
The final lines of the song suggest that those who hold power are ultimately fragile and temporary. Both "the scapegoat" and those who hold paper titles will eventually be forgotten, turning to dust along with the memories of their deeds. Meanwhile, the masses will continue to laugh and cheer, repeating the same patterns of history again and again.
Line by Line Meaning
Rulers rule, and foolers fool
Those in power manipulate and control those without it, while fools are deceived and swayed by those same manipulations
How easily the flock is steered
People are easily influenced and led in a particular direction
By hands so fine, cruel and kind
The same hands that can be gentle and compassionate can also be ruthless and inhumane
Hands that point us down the years
Those in power guide us towards a certain future, shaping the trajectory of our collective history
The power of gold, or even God above
Money and religion have both been used as tools of control throughout history
Awash in blood in history's mud
History is filled with violence, death, and suffering
With assassins' bullets and martyrs' spears
Violence and sacrifice have been used as means to further political or religious aims
Slaying and praying down the years
The same violence and sacrifice have been both condemned and celebrated over time
Sex and money, like birds of prey
Sex and money are often used as tools of manipulation and control
Feed on the betrayer and the betrayed
Those who have betrayed others and those who have been betrayed are both at risk of being consumed by those same tools
Time's demon lovers go from poison cups
Those who were once seduced by their own power, wealth, or other vices eventually fall victim to their own downfall
Their lying and plotting just got too much
Those who deceive and manipulate eventually become entangled in their own web of lies and schemes
And your paper heroes - they'll turn to dust
Those whom we esteem as heroes now will eventually fade away and be forgotten
Like our knights in armor - they turn to rust
Even the most formidable and invincible-seeming figures eventually deteriorate and fall apart
Go hang the scapegoat; let the masses cheer
Society often seeks to place blame on a convenient scapegoat, while onlookers cheer on the persecution
Their idiot laughter an anthem down the years
The same people who currently cheer on the downfall of others will themselves eventually be judged by history
Contributed by Caroline O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@janslacalek9942
I have found this band in 2005 when I lived in England and it brings the meories from those times and on that country back to me over and over. Today I am 40 years old and this release its just as perfect as back then when I was 25...
@WocklessGamingforAnimeMoms
I'm in my mid 20s too. There's a certain experimental Marvel to this band that u don't thinks really ever been lost. Strong agree.
@ichwill7042
profound as the seconds slip by...