The follow-up was Darkest Days. Despite several strong singles including Save Yourself, It failed to sell as well as its predecessor, although it attracted attention in Canada and Australia, and the band was dropped from Columbia Records. They signed to Koch Records, issuing Stabbing Westward, which was a considerably more commercial effort than previous albums, but failed to make any impact on the mainstream charts. Before a fifth LP could be recorded, Stabbing Westward broke up in late 2002.
Since then, lead singer Hall has formed The Dreaming.
In 2019, the band reformed and began to release new (and archival) materials on COP International Productions intending to release a full-length album in 2022.
Ungod
Stabbing Westward Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I think you never did
Silently I search for a reason to exist
I've found a way to feel you, I feel so fucking old
You're burning up inside me, but I feel so fucking cold
You are clutched tight in my fingers
You caress my skin so light
You are welling up inside me
You are flowing 'cross my pale skin
You are running down my arm
You are salty as I taste you
I have finally made you warm
I have finally made you warm
You stare at me so silent, you stare at me so cold
I think you stare right through me, that stare has made me old
I've found a way to fell you, I feel so fucking old
You're burning up inside me, I feel so fucking cold
You are clutched tight in my fingers
You caress my skin so light
You are welling up inside me
You have finally freed yourself
You are flowing 'cross my pale skin
You are running down my arm
You are salty as I taste you
I have finally made you warm
Take this as an offering
Take this as a sign
Take this as an offering
How much can you take from?
How much can you take from me?
I sink into this darkness, I sink into this cold
This emptiness is calling, I've nothing left to lose
I've found a way to kill you, I feel so fucking cold
You're burning up inside me, I feel so fucking old
You are clutched tight in my fingers
You caress my skin so light
You are welling up inside me
You have finally freed yourself
You are flowing 'cross my pale skin
You are running down my arm
You are salty as I taste you
I have finally made you warm
Take this as an offering
Take this as a sign
Take this as an offering
How much can you take from?
How much can you take from?
Take this as an offering
Take this as a sign
Take this as an offering
How much can you take from?
How much can you take from me?
The lyrics of Stabbing Westward's song "Ungod" are a haunting and intense look at the feelings of both power and emptiness that can come from addiction. The song seems to be sung from the perspective of someone struggling with drug addiction, as they find solace in the high of the substance while also feeling the weight of their emotional and physical detachment from the world around them. The opening lyrics "You don't understand this, I think you never did" seem to suggest a deep loneliness and isolation that the singer feels, as they believe that those around them cannot comprehend the depths of their internal struggles.
As the song progresses, the singer describes the physical sensations of using drugs, from the way they "clutch tight in my fingers" to the "salty" taste of the substance on their skin. However, there is also a sense of desperation and darkness here, as the singer admits to feeling "so fucking old" and "so fucking cold" even as they seek out the warmth of the high. There is a sense that the singer is trapped in a cycle of addiction and withdrawal, unable to break free from the hold that these substances have on them.
The final verses of the song take on a darker tone, as the singer seems to be contemplating death and the ultimate release that it might bring. The lines "I've found a way to kill you, I feel so fucking cold / You're burning up inside me, I feel so fucking old" are particularly striking, as they suggest a willingness to take extreme measures to escape the pain of addiction. The repeated refrain of "Take this as an offering / How much can you take from me?" seems to be directed both at the addiction itself, as well as at a higher power or deity who the singer may feel has abandoned them.
Overall, "Ungod" is a powerful and harrowing song that depicts the bleak reality of addiction and the toll it takes on those who suffer from it.
Line by Line Meaning
You don't understand this
The listener does not comprehend the thoughts and emotions being expressed.
I think you never did
The singer suspects that the listener never understood them.
Silently I search for a reason to exist
The singer is dwelling on the purpose of their existence internally.
I've found a way to feel you, I feel so fucking old
The artist has become emotionally attached to someone, making them feel older than they are.
You're burning up inside me, but I feel so fucking cold
The person the artist is attached to is consuming them internally, while the artist is feeling detached and lacking in feeling externally
You are clutched tight in my fingers
The singer is holding onto something tightly.
You caress my skin so light
The thing being held by the singer is soft and gentle.
You are welling up inside me
The feeling associated with the thing being held by the artist is building within them.
You have finally freed yourself
The thing being held by the artist has been set free from the artist's grip.
You are flowing 'cross my pale skin
The thing that was being held has now started to move across the artist's skin.
You are running down my arm
The thing that was being held has started to move down the singer's arm.
You are salty as I taste you
The thing that was being held has a salty taste as it comes into contact with the artist's tongue.
I have finally made you warm
The thing that was being held has now been made warm by the singer.
You stare at me so silent, you stare at me so cold
The listener is staring at the singer silently and coldly, implying that they are not interested in the singer's thoughts or feelings.
I think you stare right through me, that stare has made me old
The listener's stare makes the singer feel aged and unimportant, as if they are being seen right through.
Take this as an offering
The artist is offering something to the listener.
Take this as a sign
The artist wants the listener to understand something from what is being offered to them.
How much can you take from?
The singer is questioning how much the listener is willing to accept from them.
I sink into this darkness, I sink into this cold
The singer is descending into darkness and numbing coldness, both physically and mentally.
This emptiness is calling, I've nothing left to lose
The artist feels empty and unattached to anything, and there is nothing left for them to lose.
I've found a way to kill you, I feel so fucking cold
The artist has found a way to end their emotional attachment to the person that was previously making them feel cold and detached.
Take this as an offering
The artist is once again offering something to the listener.
Take this as a sign
The singer wants the listener to interpret what is being offered as a significant message from them.
How much can you take from?
The artist is questioning the listener's willingness to accept what is being offered.
How much can you take from me?
The singer is asking how much the listener is willing to accept from the singer specifically.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: CHRISTOPHER HALL, STUART ZECHMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
cliff jumper
It's okay to love Filter, Stabbing Westward and Tool. And while you're at it, might as well throw in Nine Inch Nails. They're all amazing. Nothing to fight about or be pissed off over.
crimpdaddy
4 of my favorite bands from that era.
Decoy303
Don't forget about Skinny Puppy and Ministry and Chemlab or Cubanate or Die Krupps or.... Yeah I could go on and on. Bring back the 90's!
Decoy303
Thank you. Can we just appreciate musical brilliance and also understand and realize music is spiritual. They were and are possessed by the same entity. Let's dance.
Adam Posey
I'm just proud that Filter and SW were able to share the riff. Good musicianship there. No bogus lawsuits and bs just bands making music. :p
KoRnFlake
Or it was the other guitarist who went to filter and originally wanted to add to the riff but stabbing westward and the other guitarist liked it as is, so when filter used it the other guy got to play it the way he wanted to and no drama over it.
KoRnFlake
Probably because both are the same guitarist. Its not one guitarist ripping off another
thedude5000
The story I heard, is that the guy who wrote the riff was Stuart Zechman, and that around 1993, he was a member of BOTH Filter and Stabbing Westward. In 1993, SW was recording Ungod, but Zechman decided to re-use the riff for HMNS, and the first demo of HMNS was released in 1993, so it makes sense. Two kick-ass songs, that's for sure.
Jarred McGuinn
4 year since a post... for some reason this album just popped into my head... It was a F*cking amazing album - I just linked it to my UK mate who has produced him own Metal album and been involved with other bands and credits this as a solid part of his electronic\metal history (and mine)
notyoursavior78
Great song, I love the build up to the chorus. Heh I loved playing this cd at work in the backroom. It gives some of my older co-workers nightmares probably.