Formed in 1995 in Karlstad, Sweden, by Rob Coffinshaker (Robert Fjällsby), the Coffinshakers eked out an existence from small printings of 7" red vinyl singles and occasional gigs to a mostly uninterested audience. Their first single, "Dracula Has Risen from the Grave," inspired by the classic Hammer horror film, appeared in 1996. Consisting of Rob on vocals and guitar, Joe Undertaker on bass, Fang on electric guitar, and Andy Bones on drums (after the 2000 departure of Blackfist Bill "to study voodoo practices"), the band survived the audience indifference by the boldness of its idea and the near flawless execution. The band's direction of merging traditional country sounds of Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings to subject matter closer to Roky Erickson & the Aliens may have sounded loony, but Rob Coffinshaker's voice echoed the same gloomy low registers as his influences. The traditionally performed songs were catchy and entertaining, the Ennio Morricone and Ventures influences cleverly integrated, and the lyrics were...full-bodied.
Their first full-length record appeared in 1999. We Are the Undead continued in the same vein as the early singles, and they had a small but rabid following -- mostly in the neighboring Finland. After their first Finnish gig in 2001 they followed up with a mini-LP, Dark Wings Over Finland. Small tours and slightly escalating interest didn't quite convince the band to keep up, and they spent more time in their (not-quite eternal) resting places than they did recording new material. Lured out with an offer they couldn't refuse -- unlimited recording time in a studio and a good contract -- a Finnish promoter got the band back on the road, and they recorded their self-titled second album The Coffinshakers in early 2007. With this first release by a budding Finnish record label, these graveyard country-rockers creeped up to the Finnish Top 40 to mostly excellent reviews and a very receptive audience. ~ JT Lindroos, Rovi
Evil
The Coffinshakers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't walk alone through the park
Never know just who'll be hangin' around
Not the kind who takes advice?
Well, a walk is always nice…
Just don't expect no turning back
You won't even hear a sound
'Cause in the corner of your eye
A shadow is sweeping by
You push your senses to the limit
All efforts are in vain
Can't escape the pain
It's the end of the world as you know it
You don't even hear a sound
But your heart's beginning to pound
When there's Evil in the air
And you know it's always there
Run like hell, I am Evil
Seem to have dropped your keys
Searching on your knees
Your careless ways are bringing you down
I'm a stalker of the night
The reason of your fright
I'm the Coffinshaker, chasing you through town
You don't even hear a sound
But your heart stops to pound
When there's Evil in the air
And you know it's always there
Run like hell, I am Evil
The song "Evil" by The Coffinshakers is a chilling warning about the dangers that lurk in the darkness. The opening verse sets the scene by cautioning against walking alone in the park at night, as you never know who might be hanging around. But for those who don't take advice, the allure of a nighttime stroll may be too strong to resist. The chorus highlights the palpable sense of fear that pervades the air when evil is present, as even the slightest movement catches your eye and causes your heart to race. The second verse describes a specific scenario in which a careless person drops their keys and searches for them on their hands and knees, unaware that a stalker of the night is lurking nearby. The Coffinshaker embodies this darkness, chasing down their prey through the town as the song reaches its haunting conclusion.
Overall, the lyrics of "Evil" paint a vivid and unsettling picture of nighttime terrors and the dangers of wandering alone in the dark. It's a cautionary tale that encourages listeners to remain vigilant and aware of their surroundings, lest they fall prey to the lurking dangers.
Line by Line Meaning
You know it's getting dark
The time of darkness is approaching
Don't walk alone through the park
It's not safe to walk through the park alone
Never know just who'll be hangin' around
There might be strangers lurking around
Not the kind who takes advice?
Do you refuse to take advice?
Well, a walk is always nice...
Walking is an enjoyable exercise
Just don't expect no turning back
Don't assume you can turn back whenever you want
You won't even hear a sound
You won't hear any audible noise
But your heart will begin to pound
Your heart will start racing with fear
'Cause in the corner of your eye
Because you see movement out of the corner of your eye
A shadow is sweeping by
A dark silhouette is moving past you
You push your senses to the limit
You try to heighten your awareness
All efforts are in vain
Despite trying hard, you're unsuccessful
Can't escape the pain
You can't avoid the fear and discomfort
It's the end of the world as you know it
Your world as you know it is over
When there's Evil in the air
When there's a sense of malevolence around
And you know it's always there
And it never goes away
Run like hell, I am Evil
Flee as fast as you can, for I am the embodiment of Evil
Seem to have dropped your keys
Appears like you've dropped your keys
Searching on your knees
You're frantically searching for your keys on the ground
Your careless ways are bringing you down
Your negligence is causing you problems
I'm a stalker of the night
I'm someone who follows and intimidates you in the dark
The reason of your fright
I'm the one who's causing your fear
I'm the Coffinshaker, chasing you through town
I'm the one who chases and scares you around the whole city
But your heart stops to pound
Your heart suddenly stops beating quickly
Contributed by Connor Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.