1. An industrial group from LA
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.
Swim
Spahn Ranch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Things Can′t Get Any Worse
Night Is Getting Colder Sometimes?
Life Feels Like It's A Curse
I Can′t Carry These Sins On My Back
Don't Wanna Carry Anymore
I'm Gonna Carry This Train Off The Track
Gonna Swim To The Ocean Floor
Crash To The Other Shore
(Mmmmmmmm)
Swim To The Ocean Floor
Children Killing Children While The
Students Rape Their Teachers
Comets Fly Across The Sky
While The Churches Burn Their Preachers
We Can′t Carry These Sins On Our Back
Don′t Wanna Carry Anymore
We're Gonna Carry This Train Off The Track
We′re Gonna Swim To The Ocean Floor
(Mmmmmmmm)
Crash To The Other Shore
(Mmmmmmmm)
Swim To The Ocean Floor
Let The Water Wash Over You
Wash It All Over You?
Swim To The Ocean Floor
So That We Can Begin Again
Wash Away All Our Sins
Crash To The Other Shore
(Mmmmmmmm)
I Can't Carry These Sins On My Back
Don′t Wanna Carry Anymore
I'm Gonna Carry This Train Off The Track
I′m Gonna Swim To The Ocean Floor
(Mmmmmmmm)
Crash To The Other Shore
(Mmmmmmmm)
Swim To The Ocean Floor
We Can't Carry These Sins On Our Back
Don't Wanna Carry Anymore
We′re Gonna Carry This Train Off The Track
We′re Gonna Swim To The Ocean Floor
Crash To The Other Shore
Swim To The Ocean Floor
(Mmmmmmmm)
The lyrics of Spahn Ranch's song "Swim" seem to express the frustration, sadness, and hopelessness felt by the singer and possibly society as a whole. The opening lines, "Put your head on my shoulder, baby / Things can't get any worse / Night is getting colder sometimes / Life feels like it's a curse" suggest a desire for comfort or solace in the face of difficult circumstances. The repeated desire to "swim to the ocean floor" can be interpreted as a metaphor for escaping one's problems or finding a final resting place. The lyrics also touch on themes of violence and disillusionment, with lines like "children killing children while the students rape their teachers" and "churches burn their preachers."
The chorus, with its repeated "Mmmmmmm" sounds, emphasizes the emotions contained in the lyrics and the idea of crashing to the other shore can be taken as a final moment of release and rest. The final lines, "So that we can begin again / Wash away all our sins" offer a glimmer of hope that perhaps things can change and people can start anew.
Line by Line Meaning
Put Your Head On My Shoulder Baby?
Can you please rest your head on my shoulder?
Things Can't Get Any Worse
The situation is already as bad as it can get.
Night Is Getting Colder Sometimes?
The nights are getting colder and more uncomfortable, occasionally.
Life Feels Like It's A Curse
The hardships and difficulties of life feel like a curse.
I Can't Carry These Sins On My Back
I cannot bear or endure the weight of these sins on my conscience.
Don't Wanna Carry Anymore
I do not want to bear or endure this burden any further.
I'm Gonna Carry This Train Off The Track
I will take bold and decisive action to disrupt the current situation.
Gonna Swim To The Ocean Floor
I will metaphorically dive deep into my troubles to face them and move on.
Crash To The Other Shore
I will undergo a transformative experience by crossing to an unfamiliar place.
Children Killing Children While The Students Rape Their Teachers
The world is full of senseless violence and corruption.
Comets Fly Across The Sky While The Churches Burn Their Preachers
Even natural wonders like comets cannot overshadow the destructive forces of organized religion.
We Can't Carry These Sins On Our Back
We cannot bear or endure the weight of these collective sins on our conscience.
Let The Water Wash Over You
Allow yourself to be cleansed and purified by the water.
Wash It All Over You?
Do you want to be baptized by the water and leave your troubles behind?
So That We Can Begin Again
We will emerge renewed and ready to start anew.
Wash Away All Our Sins
Allow the water to cleanse us of our sins and mistakes.
We're Gonna Carry This Train Off The Track
We will take bold and decisive action to disrupt the current situation together.
Crash To The Other Shore
We will undergo a transformative experience by crossing to an unfamiliar place together.
Swim To The Ocean Floor
Together, we will metaphorically dive deep into our troubles to face them and move on.
Writer(s): Madonna Ciccone, William Orbit
Contributed by Sarah M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.