So far, TBM have released eight studio albums: Nothing and Nowhere (2002), Violet (2005), Walking With Strangers (2007), Pins and Needles (2010), Hide and Seek (2012), Superstition (2014), Under Your Spell (2017), and Diamonds (2020). They have also issued the DVD Blue (2005), the live album/DVD Show and Tell (2009), and the EPs Violet (2004), Looking Glass (2008), Imaginary Monsters (2011), and Imagica (2016).
The group originated in London, Ontario under the name Imagica, inspired from the novel "Imajica" by Clive Barker. The band's original lineup consisted of: Chibi, Rainbow, Michael Falcore, and Aslan (bass). Dank played live keyboards and O.E. joined the group on live drums. A seven-song limited edition demo was released.
In 2001, Dank left the group, and the others relocated from London to Toronto, Ontario, to begin recording. There, they recorded another limited edition demo, this time with five songs. In 2002, the band adopted the name The Birthday Massacre in order to avoid confusion with a metal band. They chose the name "The Birthday Massacre" since people were already familiar with the song of the same title. The song was later retitled as "Happy Birthday".
In July of 2002, The Birthday Massacre independently released their debut album entitled Nothing and Nowhere. In 2003, Adm joined the band on live keyboards and Rhim on drums.
On 20 July 2004, The Birthday Massacre released a nine song EP entitled Violet and at the end of the year, re-released Nothing and Nowhere with new sleeve artwork. Adm soon left thereafter to explore his own projects.
In the fall of 2004, the band was signed to Repo Records in Germany, and released a remastered and expanded version of Violet in Europe. The expanded version of Violet included four re-recorded and slightly reworked tracks from Nothing and Nowhere.
In 2005 the band signed to Metropolis Records and released Violet in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and most of South America. Owen joined on live keyboards and in August, the band began a series of international tours taking them to Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Belgium.
Also in August 2005, a DVD consisting of a video for the song "Blue" was released. It also included behind-the-scenes footage, interviews, a studio performance of "Nevermind" as well as live performances of "Violet" and "Video Kid". The centerpiece of the DVD was the Dan Ouellette-directed video for "Blue".
In early 2006, the Birthday Massacre toured North America, playing across Canada, the United States, and Mexico on their "Broken Minds" tour. They also played Europe in the summer of 2006.
In June 2007, it was announced that the band was working on a new record with Canadian producer/engineer Dave "Rave" Ogilvie (producer of many industrial acts such as Skinny Puppy), and that bass player Aslan had left the band for his own project named Aslan Osiris. Aslan was replaced on bass by former drummer O.E. .
On 11 September 2007 the band released their third album Walking With Strangers in North America, entering at #10 on the Billboard "Top Heatseekers" chart for 29 September. The album was released in Europe on 21 September and in the UK on 22 October. Walking With Strangers included the singles "Kill the Lights" and "Looking Glass". An EP, Looking Glass followed in 2008.
In spring 2009, The Birthday Massacre issued their first live album, Show and Tell. It was recorded in Hamburg, Germany in Autumn 2007. A DVD with the Hamburg show and extra video content was released later in Europe (2009) and North America (2010).
The band's fourth studio album, Pins and Needles was issued on 14 September 2010 in North America, debuting at #152 on the Billboard 200, #6 on the heatseekers, and #34 on independent. O.E. left the group and was replaced by Nate Manor.
On 9 August 2011 the band released the EP Imaginary Monsters. In 9 October 2012, TBM released the fifth studio album, Hide and Seek.
Superstition is the sixth studio album by Canadian electronic rock band The Birthday Massacre, released on November 11, 2014 through Metropolis Records. The album was funded through PledgeMusic. To promote the album, a subsequent North America tour and music video for "Beyond" followed the album's release.
Under Your Spell is the seventh studio album by Canadian electronic rock band The Birthday Massacre, released on June 9, 2017 through Metropolis Records. The album was funded, once again, through PledgeMusic.
Official site: www.thebirthdaymassacre.com
Play Dead
The Birthday Massacre Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They speak without meaning
The only time they talk is in their sleep
And girls are a bore
They touch without feeling
Their secrets always far too grim to keep
And up until now
You've lived in their shadows
But they'll never change
As long as they're breathing
[Chorus]
Thinking hurts and thoughts don't rhyme
To those of us who've never tried
To find a face behind our lipstick smiles
And as our pretty faces die
Our broken hearts will wonder why
The make-up just won't hide
The scars of time
And boys are so cruel
So don't let them find you tonight
And girls are so vain
So put them behind you tonight
I'll cast you a spell
A magic where everyone
Plays dead forever
And after tonight
They'll never remind you
[Chorus]
The Birthday Massacre's song "Play Dead" is a dark and enigmatic tale of the perils of life that we must endure, particularly when it comes to relationships. The lyrics in the song can be summarized as a commentary on the futility and discomfort of dealing with superficial people. The opening two lines "And boys are so cold, They speak without meaning" hints at the fact that, according to the persona or narrator, men are often detached and lack empathy. In contrast, the third line "The only time they talk is in their sleep" is a metaphor that suggests that men only open up when they are unconscious or vulnerable. The fourth line in the first stanza "And girls are a bore, They touch without feeling" implies that women lack sensitivity and don't really care about their partners.
The chorus to this song, "Thinking hurts and thoughts don't rhyme
To those of us who've never tried
To find a face behind our lipstick smiles" suggests that the search for a meaningful relationship is difficult for some people as it requires intense introspection and can be quite painful. The second part of the chorus "And as our pretty faces die
Our broken hearts will wonder why
The make-up just won't hide
The scars of time" hints at the fact that we all eventually age, which can be exacerbated by the emotional turmoil we experience throughout our lives. The last stanza in the song "And boys are so cruel, So don't let them find you tonight
And girls are so vain, So put them behind you tonight
I'll cast you a spell
A magic where everyone
Plays dead forever
And after tonight
They'll never remind you" implies a desire to escape a world of superficiality and cruelness. In this verse, the persona/narrator acknowledges that sometimes it is necessary to leave behind people who do not value or respect us, which may mean cutting ties with both genders.
Line by Line Meaning
And boys are so cold
Males have an indifferent and unfeeling attitude
They speak without meaning
Their words lack sincerity or purpose
The only time they talk is in their sleep
When they are not consciously aware, they reveal their true selves
And girls are a bore
Females lack excitement or interest
They touch without feeling
Their caresses lack warmth or affection
Their secrets always far too grim to keep
They have haunting and unpleasant hidden thoughts
And up until now
Until this moment of realization
You've lived in their shadows
You've been overshadowed and submissive to them
Trying hard to please them
You've made extreme efforts to satisfy them
But they'll never change
They will never transform their attitudes or beliefs
As long as they're breathing
Their personalities will always remain the same as they are alive
[Chorus]
Refrain
Thinking hurts and thoughts don't rhyme
Contemplation causes pain, and ideas carry no harmoniousness
To those of us who've never tried
For individuals who have not dared to diverge from conformity
To find a face behind our lipstick smiles
To discover the true identity lying behind a facade
And as our pretty faces die
As our superficial appearance fades away
Our broken hearts will wonder why
Our shattered emotions will question why we clung to that image so desperately
The make-up just won't hide
Cosmetics cannot conceal the pain or sorrow within us
The scars of time
The wounds inflicted by time that cannot be healed completely
And boys are so cruel
Males can be brutal and merciless
So don't let them find you tonight
Do not allow them to locate or encounter you
And girls are so vain
Females are self-absorbed and narcissistic
So put them behind you tonight
Keep them out of sight tonight
I'll cast you a spell
I'll perform a magic ritual
A magic where everyone
An enchantment that involves everyone
Plays dead forever
Remains motionless and lifeless eternally
And after tonight
Following this night
They'll never remind you
You will never be reminded of them
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALEX MUNGO, JASPER JOHN NIELSON STAINTHORPE, DAVID TAYLOR, STEPHEN WREN, MARK ROBERT TIPLADY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind