Originally, the Australian band was called The Boys Next Door, comprising Cave, Howard, Mick Harvey (guitar, drums, organ, piano), bassist Tracy Pew, and drummer Phill Calvert. After the Door Door album and Hee Haw EP under that name, the band moved to London and switched its name to the deceptively benign Birthday Party. Once they arrived in Britain, their demented, knotty post-punk began to gel. They released their first international album, Prayers On Fire, in 1981, earning critical praise in the U.K. and U.S. While the band was preparing to record the follow-up, Pew was jailed for drunk driving; former Magazine member Barry Adamson, Harry Howard, and Chris Walsh filled in for the absent Pew on 1982's Junkyard.
After the release of Junkyard, Calvert joined Psychedelic Furs and the band moved to Germany, where they began collaborating with such experimental post-punk acts as Lydia Lunch and Einstürzende Neubauten. Harvey left in the summer of 1983. The group briefly continued with drummer Des Heffner, but it soon disbanded after a final concert in Melbourne, Australia. Cave had the most successful solo career, recording a series of albums in the '80s and '90s that maintained his status as a popular cult figure; Harvey joined Cave's band Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. Howard joined Crime & The City Solution, which also featured his brother Harry and Harvey. Tracey Pew toured with The Saints before dying of an epileptic seizure in 1986.
--Review from AMG Allmusic Guide
Several Sins
The Birthday Party Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
if I could make this print talk
you made a deep mark/deep mark on me
and only saints say such things as these
so I slid under the floor
under the oak and the iron
with you under oak and iron
under the thick and under the thin
I forgot to tell you several things - Ma
I forgot to tell you several things - Ma
I forgot to tell you several things - Ma
I forgot to tell you 'bout the 7 sins
and I spat dead letter words
and all the breath that I own
imprinted one word in red/I read
and only saints say such things as these
about the marks on your throat
under the oak and the iron
under the fat and the thick and the thin
and all of that, and a few 100 more
and only fire grow
I heard the fire grow
alone in the...
I forgot to tell you several things - Ma
I forgot to tell you several things - Ma
I forgot to tell you several things - Ma
I forgot to tell you 'bout the 7 sins
[repeat to end]
The Birthday Party's "Several Sins" is a haunting song about the pain of remembering something you forgot to tell someone before it's too late. The lyrics are full of images of being buried beneath the earth, where only fire can grow, and the desperation of trying to communicate something important. The singer speaks to their mother, using the refrain "I forgot to tell you several things - Ma" to drive home the sense of urgency and regret they feel.
The idea of a "dead letter tale" is interesting because it implies that the message is not only coming too late, but also that it may not be able to be understood or acted upon. The singer's attempt to "make this print talk" is doomed to fail, as the mark that the other person made on them is too deep and too complicated to convey in words. The sense of claustrophobia and isolation in the song is palpable, with the singer feeling trapped under the floor, under the oak and iron, unable to communicate even as they try to scream out their message.
Line by Line Meaning
this is a dead letter tale
The story I have to tell is one that has already passed and cannot be changed, like a message delivered by a dead letter.
if I could make this print talk
If I could make the words on this page come to life and speak, they would reveal the truth of what happened.
you made a deep mark/deep mark on me
You had a significant impact on my life and left a lasting impression that I cannot forget.
and only saints say such things as these
Only the purest and holiest of individuals would dare to speak of such taboo topics and dark secrets.
so I slid under the floor
I retreated into hiding or secrecy, away from the light and prying eyes of others.
under the oak and the iron
Beneath the sturdy and unyielding surfaces of the oak and iron, I found a place to hide and protect myself.
with you under oak and iron
You were there with me in the hidden, sheltered space beneath the oak and iron, sharing in my secret and shame.
under the thick and under the thin
Through both the good and the bad times, I remained trapped in my own darkness and unable to escape.
where only fire grows...
In this place of hidden shame and secrets, the only thing that can flourish and grow is the burning passion within.
I forgot to tell you several things - Ma
There were things I wanted to share with you, but I was too afraid to admit the truth and reveal my sins.
I forgot to tell you 'bout the 7 sins
I failed to reveal the seven deadly sins that I have committed and cannot escape from.
and I spat dead letter words
The words that I spoke were like a message delivered by a dead letter - empty and without life or meaning.
and all the breath that I own
With all the strength and energy that I possess, I tried to speak the truth but could not find the courage to do so.
imprinted one word in red/I read
A single word stood out to me, as if highlighted in red, revealing the truth of the situation.
about the marks on your throat
I know the truth about the marks on your neck, the evidence of our shared shame and guilt.
and all of that, and a few 100 more
There are countless secrets and sins that I cannot reveal, each one adding to the weight of my burden and suffering.
and only fire grow
The passion and intensity within me continue to burn and grow, even in the darkest and most shameful moments.
I heard the fire grow
As I dwell in my own darkness, I observe the burning intensity within me growing stronger every day.
alone in the...
Trapped in my own thoughts and secrets, I am forced to face the truth of my guilt and shame all alone.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Santiago Sánchez Blanco
Esta canción cerraba la cara A del vinilo,del Long play y era una de mis favoritas.Tuve el disco en 1985.And now I am today one dirty old man.
RLee Roberts
One of their GREATS
Steven Morris
I love this!!!!! 😎
Monariver66
Very good album ! When my neighbours did shit I put this album
Santiago Sánchez Blanco
This guys was very,very goods.Clasics of yard rock electric,very electric.
ΑΝΤΙ'
this is a dead letter tale
if I could make this print talk
you made a deep mark/deep mark on me
and only saints say such things as these
so I slid under the floor
under the oak and the iron
with you under oak and iron
under the thick and under the thin
where only fire grows...
I forgot to tell you several things - Ma
I forgot to tell you several things - Ma
I forgot to tell you several things - Ma
I forgot to tell you 'bout the 7 sins
and I spat dead letter words
and all the breath that I own
imprinted one word in red/I read
and only saints say such things as these
about the marks on your throat
under the oak and the iron
under the fat and the thick and the thin
and all of that, and a few 100 more
and only fire grow
I heard the fire grow
alone in the...
I forgot to tell you several things - Ma
I forgot to tell you several things - Ma
I forgot to tell you several things - Ma
I forgot to tell you 'bout the 7 sins
[repeat to end]
raisedby wolves
<3 Rowland
Prince Bonnie
Merci!
RLee Roberts
ABOUT THE MARKS ON YOUR THROAT.