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!
English Murder
Sol Invictus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I sit and watch the world go by, sometimes I just sit and cry
Just another English murder, a poster on the station wall
Just another English murder, Britannia gone rotten to the core
I carry my guilt like a watch, but one that just won't stop
Doomed by the hands of God, whose giggling won't stop
Chorus
By the line she lies dead, beneath a mattress, her deathbed
In England - this septic isle; in England—Maxwell smiles
Chorus
Just another English murder, your photo on my wall
Just another English murder, it doesn't look like you at all in the dark
The song "English Murder" by Sol Invictus delves into the theme of guilt and remorse for a murder committed. The initial lines suggest that the singer is residing near the coast, surrounded by the ghosts of the past. The singer is observing the world and sometimes breaks down, as guilt engulfs him. The reference to ghosts and coastal location can also suggest the idea of a limbo-like existence, where the singer is floating in between worlds, not fully alive, and not fully dead.
The central theme of the song revolves around the act of murder. The reference to the "poster on the station wall" suggests that the murder had taken place publicly, and was perhaps an act of rebellion or political stance. The lines “Britannia gone rotten to the core” further suggest that the murder was a response to the decay of British society. The singer carries his guilt like a watch, but it won't stop, suggesting that the guilt is going to be with him forever.
In the chorus, the singer sings about the death of a woman, whose body lies beneath a mattress, and the murderer is known as Maxwell. The repetition of the line "Just another English murder" highlights the theme of the song, suggesting that murder is not an isolated incident, but a recurring event in English society.
Line by Line Meaning
I wait here by the coast, in the company of ghosts
I am waiting by the sea, haunted by the past and memories of those who have passed on.
I sit and watch the world go by, sometimes I just sit and cry
I observe as life passes me by, and sometimes I am overwhelmed with emotions and sadness.
Just another English murder, a poster on the station wall
The murder of someone in England is so common that it has become just another statistic with a poster to mark the memory.
Just another English murder, Britannia gone rotten to the core
The repeated occurrence of murders reveals the decay of British principles and values.
I carry my guilt like a watch, but one that just won't stop
I am plagued with guilt, as if it were a never-ending timepiece.
Doomed by the hands of God, whose giggling won't stop
I feel hopeless, believing that a higher power is responsible for my inescapable guilt.
By the line she lies dead, beneath a mattress, her deathbed
The victim's body lies still and lifeless, hidden away underneath a mattress, her final resting place.
In England - this septic isle; in England—Maxwell smiles
The song speaks of England as a disgustingly polluted island where criminals like Maxwell are free to thrive.
Just another English murder, your photo on my wall
The victim's photograph serves as a somber reminder of her life that has since been taken away.
Just another English murder, it doesn't look like you at all in the dark
The photo of the victim can hardly be recognized in the darkness, and it brings to light the disturbing idea that one can never truly know what darkness hides.
Contributed by Mason B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
wecoloron
IN ENGLAND, THE SEPTIC ISLE