Spahn Ranch is the name of two bands:
1. An industrial group from LA Read Full Bio ↴Spahn Ranch is the name of two bands:
1. An industrial group from LA
2. A post-punk act from Detroit

The first and most well known is the Los Angeles electronic-industrial music group, formed in 1992 by Matt Green and his New York-based collaborator, Rob Morton. The group signed to Cleopatra Records. That same year, a self-titled, four-song EP with vocals supplied by Scott Franklin (later to become bassist for The Cramps), was released. In 1993, they added vocalist Athan Maroulis and recorded their debut album Collateral Damage. Their sophomore effort, The Coiled One, appeared two years later in the midst of Morton leaving the band due to creative and logistical differences. After his departure, the line-up was expanded to include Christian Death drummer David Glass, Screams for Tina guitarist Kent Bancroft, and Tubalcain drummer Harry Lewis. This offered a beginning of the fuller, more diverse, dark electro-industrial sound that Spahn Ranch would continue to pursue. By 1997 Spahn Ranch pared themselves down to a tight, three-piece unit of Green, Maroulis and Lewis.
Architecture, released in 1997, featured contributions from Killing Joke/Prong bassist Paul Raven and Rockats/Nancy Sinatra guitarist Danny B. Harvey. This album took an even more experimental appraoch to the Spahn Ranch sound, incorporating elements of drum and bass, dub and for the first time, live guitar parts. Beat Noir, in 1998, followed a similar path even further and included work with Bauhaus/Love & Rockets bassist David J.The band regularly toured throughout North America during their existence with the likes of Front Line Assembly, Front 242, Switchblade Symphony and The Electric Hellfire Club. Spahn Ranch also made a couple of European treks prior to their demise as a group in 2000. Closure was a posthumous release in 2001 of their final album recorded in 2000.

The second band was formed in Detroit, MI in 1986 and released one album in 1987 called Thickly Settled. In it's infancy, the band played in many local venues on the bill with various local bands. Quickly a strong following developed, which immediately precipitated a self titled cassette release of six tracks on the Ikthus Network label. After having missed their own billing at a show, the band was introduced to Eric Cope of Insight Records from San Francisco, CA. He offered them a contract with Insight after reviewing their cassette and video work. The band accepted and began recording their first LP, 'Thickly Settled' in California where they were welcomed by receptive audiences. 'Thickly Settled' was hailed as one of the best albums of the year by England's Underground Magazine, and also met favorable reception in the U.S.A. None of the members of Spahn Ranch had any formal music training and had not played an instrument prior to forming the group. "The sound they create is tense and raw, not polished to distract from the music itself. Drummer Odell Nails lays down a thick, almost tribal drum beat, accompanied by Hobey Echlin's bass foundation for the music. Guitarist Bradley Horowitz adds the energetic, consuming guitar melodies, changing the tunings for each song in order to make no two sets alike. Bob Sterner's vocals with a touch of folk influence, mesh with the instrumental sounds that give the finished product, intense music which envelopes and audience." Hobey Echlin later joined the band as bassist.

Breath and Taxes
Spahn Ranch Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I can breathe
When it was revealed
Became what you hate
Become what you hate
Behind curtain one
There is a charge
A bowl of fees
Just breathe

Charles
Charles in a jar
Jesus syringe
From the makers of God
Mainline Christ
Wallet from plastic
Develop the classes
The chordless master

We're in Ed's car
We're in Ed's car

Overall Meaning

The Spahn Ranch's song Breath and Taxes is an interesting song that requires a sense of speculation to interpret. The first lines 'I can breathe' are very suggestive since the crucial aspect of living is to breathe, to be alive. The next line 'When it was revealed' most likely refers to the revelation of what the person or subject of the song became or transformed into. 'Became what you hate' and 'become what you hate' suggest that the person did something that they detest and became what they hate. 'Behind curtain one, there is a charge' most likely refers to the hidden things that come with transformation, and no matter how much one tries to hide it, there would always be a cost. 'A bowl of fees just breathe' could mean that no matter how much the fee or cost is, just breathe until you are free from it.

The lines 'Charles, Charles in a jar, Jesus syringe, from the makers of God' could refer to a cult or religious sect that practices preservation of objects or people. 'Mainline Christ' could suggest injections, and 'Wallet from plastic' could indicate just how far and deep the deception goes. 'Develop the classes, the chordless master' could mean that the person or subject of the song has transcended classes and is unreachable, untouchable. The last line 'We're in Ed's car, we're in Ed's car' is ambiguous and could mean so many things from the literal sense of being in Ed's car to being taken for a ride or being deceived or taken on a journey of transformation.

Line by Line Meaning

I can breathe
I am finally able to take a breath and relax

When it was revealed
After the truth was made known

Became what you hate
Started embodying the traits you despised in someone else

Become what you hate
Transformed into the very thing you loathed

Behind curtain one
Something is hidden or undisclosed

There is a charge
There is a price to pay

A bowl of fees
A multitude of charges or expenses

Just breathe
Stay calm and take deep breaths

Charles
A reference to Charles Manson

Charles in a jar
A morbid representation of Manson being captured and contained

Jesus syringe
A metaphorical drug that can give someone religious zeal