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.
Lucifer
The Cult Lyrics
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You're sucking on the crack
You're high for the devil
But you got no name
You are my Lucifer
You're animal does cry nature
You are my Lucifer
A dire seek of power
sugar power
You're blowing haste
Yeah you, yeah you
I swear
Got the power, got the power
You blew the lights
Yeah you
You are my Lucifer
Blow your mind
You're a slayer
You are my Lucifer
Yeah you a slayer'
You're working hard for the Devil
You're picking up the sweat
Hard for the devil
You got no shame
You are my Lucifer
Getting high from a paper back
You are my Lucifer
A shocking clam creeping on your backs
You got the power
You got the power
Relax
you, yeah you
You a slayer
You got the power
Yeah the power
You blow my mind, you blow my mind
You are my Lucifer
You blow my mind
You a slayer
You are my Lucifer
You blow my mind
You a slayer
You're working hard for the Devil
You are my Lucifer
You are my Lucifer
You are my Lucifer
Time to cheat
Tie on the seat belt
You are my Lucifer
Getting high from a paper back
You are my Lucifer
In my heart
like a poison
He is
Got the power
You blow my mind
You my slayer
Got the power
You blow my mind
You my slayer
You are my Lucifer
Blow your minds
Crush it hard
You are my Lucifer
The lyrics of The Cult's song "Lucifer" express a dark and dangerous obsession with power and addiction. The singer describes someone who is "working hard for the deal" and "sucking on the crack" in a quest for success, even if it means making a deal with the devil himself. This person is "high for the devil" and "got no name," suggesting that their identity is tied to their desire for power.
The singer then refers to this person as "my Lucifer," a nod to the biblical character known as the “light-bringer” who fell from grace and became the embodiment of evil. The person’s animal instincts are likened to a cry of nature. The singer is drawn to this person's power and describes them as a "slayer," someone who can crush their competition and dominate their field. The repeated phrase "you got the power" further emphasizes this theme.
However, the lyrics also suggest a warning of the dangers of such obsession. The lyrics hint at the physical and emotional toll of addiction, with lines like "blow your mind" and "getting high from a paper back." The repeated refrain "you are my Lucifer" could also be seen as the singer being trapped in this dangerous cycle, unable to break free from the allure of power.
Overall, "Lucifer" is a cautionary tale warning against the seductive nature of addiction and the pursuit of power at any cost.
Line by Line Meaning
Working hard for the deal
You are putting in a lot of effort to get what you want
You're sucking on the crack
You are addicted to something that is harmful
You're high for the devil
You are enjoying something that is evil
But you got no name
You are anonymous and unknown
You are my Lucifer
You are my embodiment of evil and temptation
You're animal does cry nature
Your primal instincts are calling out
A time to cheat,
A dire seek of power
sugar power
You are willing to deceive and do whatever it takes to gain power
You're blowing haste
Yeah you, yeah you
I swear
You are rushing and acting recklessly
Got the power, got the power
You feel like you are powerful and in control
You blew the lights
Yeah you
You caused chaos and destruction
You are my Lucifer
You are still my embodiment of evil and temptation
Blow your mind
You are going to experience something mind-blowing
You're a slayer
You are capable of destroying things
You are my Lucifer
You are still my embodiment of evil and temptation
You're working hard for the Devil
You are still putting in a lot of effort to serve evil
You're picking up the sweat
You are doing something difficult and tiring
You got no shame
You are unapologetic about your actions
Getting high from a paper back
You are finding pleasure in something that is temporary and fleeting
A shocking clam creeping on your backs
You are being haunted by something unexpected and unsettling
You got the power
Relax
you, yeah you
You need to calm down even though you feel powerful
You a slayer
You got the power
You are still capable of destruction even though you feel powerful
Yeah the power
You blow my mind, you blow my mind
You my slayer
You are still making a big impact on me and capable of destroying me
You are my Lucifer
You are still my embodiment of evil and temptation
Time to cheat
Tie on the seat belt
You are preparing to deceive and hurt someone
Getting high from a paper back
You are still finding pleasure in something that is temporary and fleeting
In my heart
like a poison
He is
Your evil presence is poisoning me and causing harm
You blow my mind
You my slayer
You are still capable of making a big impact on me and destroying me
Blow your minds
Crush it hard
You are going to surprise and devastate someone
You are my Lucifer
You are still my embodiment of evil and temptation
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IAN ROBERT ASTBURY, WILLIAM HENRY DUFFY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind