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.
Nirvana
The Cult Lyrics
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Till I hung up my blues on a nail in your wall
It rained flowers when the music began
Love all around when the music is loud
Every day, nirvana
Always this way, yeah, yeah, yeah
I wish that every day, nirvana
I'm not looking for girls or cheap thrills and pills
Or happy to sit on your merry-go-round, no, no
I don't think there's an easy way out of here
But when the music is loud, we all get down
Every day, nirvana
Always this way, always this way, yeah
I wish that every day was like nirvana
Always this way
Take it here, now
Run this through your head
Oh, every day, nirvana
Always this way, yeah, yeah, yeah
I wish that every, like the sun, nirvana
Always this way, oh yeah, yeah
Every day, nirvana
Always this way, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Every, like the sun, nirvana
Always this way, oh yeah
Every day, nirvana
Always this way, oh yeah, yeah
I wish that every, like the sun, nirvana
Always this way
Nirvana
The song "Nirvana" by The Cult speaks about how music can create a state of bliss and transcendence that is reminiscent of the Buddhist concept of Nirvana. The singer is someone who tends to drift through life without much purpose, but when they listen to music, they feel truly alive. They hung up their blues on a nail in a wall, perhaps symbolizing letting go of their own emotional struggles and getting lost in the music. When the music starts, their surroundings transform into a beautiful landscape, with flowers raining down and love all around them.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Every day, nirvana, always this way" as if to say that if every day was like this, life would be perfect. The singer is not interested in shallow pleasures and distractions such as drugs or cheap thrills, but finds true joy and fulfillment in the music. They acknowledge that life is not easy, and there is no easy way out of their struggles, but when the music is loud, they can forget about everything else and just dance with abandon.
Overall, "Nirvana" is a celebration of the transformative power of music and the hope that it can provide amidst the struggles of life.
Line by Line Meaning
I float through day and night life, well most of the time
I go through my days and nights without much thought or effort, just floating along most of the time
Till I hung up my blues on a nail in your wall
But then I found something that brings me joy and meaning, like hanging up my troubles on a nail in your wall
It rained flowers when the music began
When I started listening to music, it was like a magical experience – it felt like it was raining flowers all around
Love all around when the music is loud
With the music turned up high, the feeling of love and joy is all around
Every day, nirvana
Every day feels like a blissful state of being
Always this way, yeah, yeah, yeah
Always feeling this way, filled with happiness and contentment
I wish that every day, nirvana
I want to feel this good every single day of my life
I'm not looking for girls or cheap thrills and pills
I'm not interested in superficial pleasures, like chasing girls or drugs
Or happy to sit on your merry-go-round, no, no
I'm not content to just sit still and let life pass me by, I want more
I don't think there's an easy way out of here
I know that life isn't easy and there's no simple solution to all of our problems
But when the music is loud, we all get down
But with music blasting and everyone dancing together, we can forget our worries and just enjoy the moment
Take it here, now
Let's focus on the present moment and enjoy life right now
Oh, every day, nirvana
Every day feels like a blissful state of being
Take it here, now
Let's focus on the present moment and enjoy life right now
Run this through your head
Think about these ideas and try to embrace them fully
I wish that every, like the sun, nirvana
I want to feel this good every day, shining like the sun
Every day, nirvana
Every day feels like a blissful state of being
Oh yeah, yeah
Just reveling in this feeling of happiness and contentment
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IAN ROBERT ASTBURY, WILLIAM HENRY DUFFY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind