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.
Peace Dog
The Cult Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She used to be a painted bird, yeah
And war, she's a whore
Don't you know we love her more and more?
Peace is a dirty word
She used to be a painted bird, yeah
War, she's a whore
B-52 baby, way up in the sky
Come droppin' your lovin' on me, child
B-52 baby, way up in the sky
Drop your love on me tonight, yeah
Poor man, sad man, you should be a glad man
Stand up for your rights, peace, talkin' about peace
Good dog, bad dog, roll over and play dead
Do it again, baby, peace, peace dog, yeah
B-52 baby, way up in the sky
Come droppin' your lovin' on me, child
A B-52 baby, way up in the sky
Drop your love on me, ow
Oh, war, she's a loser
Peace dog user
(Peace dog)...
Babe, baby, baby...
Baby, way up in the sky
Come droppin' your lovin' on me child
A B-52 baby
Drop your love
(Peace dog)...
Drop your love on me, me, me, me, me, me, yeah, ow
Come droppin' your lovin' on me, wow
B-52 baby
Drop your love on me, yeah, ow
The Cult’s “Peace Dog” is a song about the dichotomy between war and peace. In the first verse, the lyrics describe the way that peace is viewed as dirty and tainted, while war is celebrated as something to love more and more. The second part of the song talks about a B-52 bomber, which is used by the US military to drop bombs, and how the singer is asking it to drop “loving” instead of bombs. The refrain of the song includes the words, “peace dog”, which seems to be a reference to the idea that war and peace are like two sides of the same coin, with one being a “good dog” and the other being a “bad dog”.
The song seems to criticise the way that society often celebrates war and violence, while deriding peace and nonviolent solutions. They make an analogy to a B-52 bomber, which is used by the US military to drop bombs, and how he wants it to drop “loving” instead of bombs, which shows a desire for peaceful solutions. Overall, the song is a plea for peace and makes people aware of the damage caused by war and violence.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, peace is a dirty word
The concept of peace is often seen in a negative light and has lost its true meaning to people.
She used to be a painted bird, yeah
Peace was once sought after like a beautiful bird that had been painted with beautiful colors.
And war, she's a whore
The love for war has turned into something that resembles infatuation or obsession, which is seen as shameful in a societal context.
Don't you know we love her more and more?
People have further deepened their infatuation with war the more it has occurred throughout history.
B-52 baby, way up in the sky
Referencing the use of a B-52 bomber, which is a metaphor in the song for an idea or force that is imposing.
Come droppin' your lovin' on me, child
The idea of a B-52 dropping bombs is twisted in the song to reflect the idea that people desire power and control over others.
Poor man, sad man, you should be a glad man
The song suggests that those who have less are often more appreciative of life and less desireful of war, and should feel grateful for this mindset.
Stand up for your rights, peace, talkin' about peace
The song encourages peaceful actions to pursue change, rather than using war and violence to accomplish goals.
Good dog, bad dog, roll over and play dead
Metaphorically, this line reflects the idea that people are often submissive, but should instead fight for what they believe is right.
Do it again, baby, peace, peace dog, yeah
Advocating for the pursuit of peace and its promotion, despite its negative connotations in society.
Oh, war, she's a loser
Demonstrating that war ultimately yields negative results and does not yield the desired outcome.
Peace dog user
Encouraging individuals to use and support peaceful tactics to resolve conflicts, rather than resorting to war and violence.
Babe, baby, baby...
A continuation of the chorus.
Come droppin' your lovin' on me child
The repeated use of this line represents the desire for power and control over others.
A B-52 baby
Referencing the idea behind this bomber as previously stated.
Drop your love
Metaphorical usage of 'love' in place of bombs.
(Peace dog)...
Continuing to advocate for peace and peaceful initiatives.
Drop your love on me, me, me, me, me, me, yeah, ow
Reiteration of past lines, emphasizing the desire for acceptance and power.
Come droppin' your lovin' on me, wow
Reiteration of past lines, emphasizing the desire for acceptance and power.
B-52 baby
Referencing the idea behind this bomber as previously stated.
Drop your love on me, yeah, ow
Metaphorical usage of 'love' in place of bombing, emphasizing the desire for power and control.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IAN ROBERT ASTBURY, WILLIAM HENRY DUFFY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind