The Cult's debut studio album Dreamtime was released in 1984 to moderate success, with its lead single "Spiritwalker" reaching No. 1 on the UK Indie Chart. Their second studio album, Love (1985), was also successful, charting at No. 4 in the UK and including singles such as "She Sells Sanctuary" and "Rain". The band's third album, Electric (1987), launched them new heights of success, also peaking at No. 4 in the UK and charting highly in other territories, and spawned the hit singles "Love Removal Machine", "Lil' Devil" and "Wild Flower". On that album, The Cult supplemented their post-punk sound with hard rock; the polish on this new sound was facilitated by producer Rick Rubin. After moving to Los Angeles, California, where the band has been based for the remainder of their career, The Cult continued the musical experimentation of Electric with its follow-up album Sonic Temple (1989), which marked their first collaboration with Bob Rock, who would produce several of the band's subsequent albums. Sonic Temple was their most successful album to that point, entering the Top 10 on the UK and US charts, and included one of the band's most popular songs "Fire Woman".
By the time of their fifth album Ceremony (1991), tensions and creative differences began to surface among the band members. This resulted in the recording sessions for Ceremony being held without a stable lineup, leaving Astbury and Duffy as the only two official members left, and featuring support from session musicians on bass and drums. The ongoing tension had carried over within the next four years, during which they released one more studio album, The Cult (1994), and called it quits in 1995. The Cult reformed in 1999 and released their seventh album Beyond Good and Evil two years later. The commercial failure of the album and resurfaced tensions led to the band going back on hiatus in 2002. They resumed activity in 2006, and have since released three more studio albums: Born into This (2007), Choice of Weapon (2012), and Hidden City (2016).
According to music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine, the band fuse a "hardcore punk revivalist" sound with the "pseudo-mysticism ... of the Doors and Uriah Heep and the guitar-orchestrations of Led Zeppelin and The Cure ... while adding touches of post-punk goth rock". In 1985 Astbury said, "Our music is just melodies and guitars. We're like Big Country and U2, only better!".
On August 15, 2020, Duffy announced on his Twitter that the band were recording a new album with producer Tom Dalgety at Rockfield Studios, where The Cult had recorded their debut album Dreamtime 36 years earlier.
The Cult is also the name of a Las Vegas funk group that recorded one album in 1976, an Australian psych rock band that released one single in 1965, a UK punk band that released one 7" in 1980 and a garage rock band (featuring Allan Springfield of Chelsea Beige) that released two singles in 1965 and 1966.
Libertine
The Cult Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
their destruction makes me weak my experience is so deep
her voice is beating down she pushes through the crowd
and kisses me on the mouth and her name is libertine
libertine and i can't quite control myself
libertine and i can't quite control myself
libertine and i can't quite control myself
all my friends are at the feast angry righteous free
fighting the disease violence against the seed
The lyrics to The Cult's "Libertine" illustrate the poetic conflict of the singer's desire to indulge in hedonistic pleasures (represented by Libertine) while witnessing the destruction caused by such indulgences. The first verse uses vivid imagery, blessing both the innocence of children and the freedom of animals, but also acknowledging the pain caused by their destruction. The second verse brings the focus to Libertine, whose voice "beats down" and presence thrusts the singer into a state of uncontrollable desire.
The chorus repeats the line "libertine and I can't quite control myself," emphasizing the struggle between giving into the temptation of hedonism and maintaining control despite the inevitable destruction that follows. The final line of the verse, "violence against the seed," adds another dimension to the struggle, suggesting a deeper societal discordance fueled by the same desire for freedom and individuality that leads to personal indulgence.
Overall, "Libertine" is a contemplative exploration of the human condition, which examines the intricate relationship between indulgence and destruction, individual pleasure, and societal chaos.
Line by Line Meaning
bless the children and the beasts so beautiful unique
I admire and cherish the innocent and pure things in the world, whether it be children or animals, because they are rare and special.
their destruction makes me weak my experience is so deep
Witnessing the harm or destruction of the beautiful and unique things in the world is painful and affects me deeply due to my previous experiences.
her voice is beating down she pushes through the crowd
Despite the chaos and noise around us, her powerful voice breaks through and she fights her way towards me.
and kisses me on the mouth and her name is libertine
She passionately kisses me on the mouth and reveals that her name is Libertine.
libertine and i can't quite control myself
The intense attraction and desire I have for Libertine is overwhelming and difficult to manage.
all my friends are at the feast angry righteous free
My friends are all gathered together at a celebration, united in their passionate beliefs and embracing their freedom and righteousness.
fighting the disease violence against the seed
They are actively fighting against the corrupt and destructive forces in the world that seek to harm and control the innocent and pure things in life.
Contributed by Nolan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
killtheglobalists
Beyond Good and Evil a great album and I find this song 18 years later and my version never had this one .Only in Australia and Japan.
This being a bonus track should it have been released in North America it would have done well.
Thanks for putting up a great lost track .
As for the Cult we like all the bonus tracks just make sure we can all get them now not later.
Guardian's Garden
If they would have just waited a bit longer before releasing the box set then this hidden gem would have been included on it.
Arch Angel
Why the Fuck didn’t this song make it to the album! This track is Fucking Badass! I bought Beyond Good and Evil the day it came out and after almost 20 years I’m just discovering this song now! WTF!? This is an absolute killer song! Damn did the Cult make an amazing album with Beyond Good and Evil! 💪🏻🤘🏻
Will_Lawrence_
I guess only the Australia and Japanese releases included this bonus track. Would have been nice to have it on the U.S. release because I absolutely love this album also. Probably dare I say my favorite Cult album..?
Mats From
Just how underrated can a band get. A mountain of fantastic songs.
JohnnyRingo
Jesus,so many bands would give up a nut just to write a song this good and Libertine did'nt even make it on Beyond Good & Evil.....Wound up as just a bonus track in a couple of countries.....
Arch Angel
I totally agree with you! This is one fine Fucking Badass song! What bothers me is that I bought Beyond Good and Evil the day it came out and after almost 20 years I’m just discovering this song now! WTF!? But like you said, so many bands would give up a nut just to write a killer track like this and Libertine didn’t even make the final cut! Bob Rock always did excellent work with the Cult but he ultimately cut this song from the final track list!? Why? This song definitely deserved to be on Beyond Good and Evil!💪🏻🤘🏻
Dantres
Amazing bonus track! These guys really CAN'T write a bad song!
Cowboy Mouth
They really can't
Arch Angel
The entire Beyond Good and Evil Album is amazing and you’re so right, these guys can’t write a bad song!