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.
Revolution
The Cult Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't see what these images mean
Locked inside me, can't set the rainbows free
Like perishing flowers they sag and twist and die
There's a revolution
There's a revolution, yeah
There's a revolution
Sorrow, what does revolution mean to you?
To say today's like wishing in the wind
All my beautiful friends they've all gone away
Like the waves they flow and they and die
There's a revolution
There's a revolution
There's a, there's a revolution
There's a revolution
There's a revolution
There's a revolution
There's a revolution
There's a revolution, yeah yeah
Joy or sorrow, what does revolution mean to you?
To say today's like wishing in the wind
All my beautiful friends have all gone away
Like the waves they flow and they and die
There's a revolution
There's a revolution
There's a revolution
There's a revolution
Revolution, revolution
Revolution, revolution
Revolution, revolution
Revolution, revolution, yeah
The lyrics to The Cult's song Revolution seem to speak about the fleeting nature of dreams and the constant state of change in life. The first verse speaks about pictures of never-ending dreams and the inability to comprehend their meaning. The metaphor of the perishing flowers that sag, twist, and die speaks to the impermanence of these dreams. The chorus then repeats multiple times, emphasizing the idea of revolution, perhaps representing a desire for change or a call to action in the face of this impermanence.
The second verse continues the theme of change and loss with the mention of sorrow and the fading away of beautiful friends. The metaphor of waves that flow and die reinforces the idea of the transient nature of life. Overall, the song seems to be a commentary on the human experience of trying to make sense of the fleeting and ever-changing nature of existence.
Line by Line Meaning
Pictures of never ending dreams
Vague, unclear images of dreams that can last forever.
I can't see what these images mean
The dreams are incomprehensible.
Locked inside me, can't set the rainbows free
These dreams are trapped within the singer and unreachable.
Like perishing flowers they sag and twist and die
The dreams are slowly fading away like dying flowers.
There's a revolution
Something is changing.
There's a revolution, yeah
The singer is excited for the changes.
Sorrow, what does revolution mean to you?
The singer questions if the changes are causing sadness for anyone.
To say today's like wishing in the wind
Today is fleeting and meaningless.
All my beautiful friends they've all gone away
The singer has lost many loved ones.
Like the waves they flow and they and die
Their lives were like the waves, born and gone.
There's a, there's a revolution
The revolution is still happening.
There's a revolution, yeah yeah
The singer is excited again.
Joy or sorrow, what does revolution mean to you?
The singer questions if the changes are making anyone happy.
Revolution, revolution
The changes are happening.
Revolution, revolution
The changes are still happening.
Revolution, revolution
The changes are still happening.
Revolution, revolution, yeah
The singer likes the changes.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ian Robert Astbury, William Henry Duffy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@waftpict
Pictures of never ending dreams
I can't see what these images mean
Locked inside me
Can't set the rainbows free
Like perishing flowers
They sag and twist and die ....
Joy or sorrow
What does revolution mean to you?
To save today's like wishing in the wind
All my beautiful friends have all gone away
Like the waves
They flow and ebb and die ...
@tilerman
Probably sounds really stupid but i want to cry listening to this, takes me back to a happier better time, a carefree time when nothing mattered. I miss my old mates, probably never see them again and this track reminds me of all of them.
@srpdesigns
Right there with ya my friend, back in 89 I went to school in Boston and became friends with some of the funniest characters I've ever met in my life.. Winter in the city, playing cards, partying and laughing all night long in that old run down place with friends I'll probably never cross paths with again.. If any one of them ever come across this comment.. Love You Guys SRP
@kevingault7353
Mee too
@everly-shadystudios9900
This was my little brother's favorite band, he turned me on to The Cult in the late 80s mid-90s I became a huge fan and still am to this day, this song hits me hard, my little brother died in 97 and the part of the funeral where everyone one by one pays their last respects at his coffin, I had the funeral director play this song and Sanctuary during that time, my little Brothers two favorite songs by them..R.I.P DJ..
@lowlyrover358
Sorry for your loss.
@everly-shadystudios9900
@@lowlyrover358 thank you
@chriscronin7952
Beautiful tribute. RIP
@sabrinadurando4498
Oh damm!.. your little brother left you a great gift: the love for The Cult. Beautiful to have someone playing your favourite songs in your funeral. I asked for it for my friend's funeral,who gave me two great years of great music live...but someone didn't agree. One day i'll give him a band playing music at his annual cerimony. I don't know wich year but i'll do! And that's my promise to him.
@bigc-up2ok
I am sorry for your loss.
@maxxam6456
This song is magic. It has the power to take me back to those years... I'm so lucky i lived the eighties