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.
This Night In The City Forever
The Cult Lyrics
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Will I see them again?
I dream of dreams to come and temples built with love
I’m not a slave.
This city lights are fading, calling me again
Like diamonds in the rain
Where prophets tag their name, her rivers filled with shame
The time will never end, the larger truth is in
My skies will show again.
My fire works ignite, the spirit now takes flight
And have the glory fame.
I don’t mess around
Throw your weapon to the ground
Now, witches gather round
They have to make no sound.
The Cult's song This Night In The City Forever touches upon the theme of urban alienation and explores the emotions of the singer who is feeling detached from the world around him, while also dreaming of a better future. The opening lines of the song, "All my friends are drunk in a sense of flame, Will I see them again?" suggest that the singer is surrounded by people who are lost in their own ways, and he might be afraid of losing them forever due to their reckless attitude.
The singer then goes on to dream of a better world, marked by love and peace, where he is free from the clutches of materialism and slavery. As he looks at the city, he sees the lights fading away, and the rivers filled with shame. The few faces that stay the same are symbolic of people that are true in their hearts, even in the face of change and turmoil.
The final lines of the song suggest a sense of rebellion against the forces that hold people down. The singer asks people to throw their weapons down and unite against oppression. The line "Now, witches gather round, They have to make no sound" could be interpreted as the marginalized sections of society finally finding their voice and coming together to fight for their rights.
Line by Line Meaning
All my friends are drunk in a sense of flame
All of my acquaintances are drunk on passion and intensity.
Will I see them again?
I wonder if I will ever see them again.
I dream of dreams to come and temples built with love
I have aspirations of creating a future filled with love and spirituality.
I’m not a slave.
I am free from any shackles that may hold me down.
This city lights are fading, calling me again
The lights of the city that once drew me in are beginning to fade, but they still call to me.
Like diamonds in the rain
The city lights still shine brightly and beautifully, like diamonds in the rain.
Where prophets tag their name, her rivers filled with shame
This city is full of people who claim to be prophets, but it is also full of polluted rivers and regret.
Few faces stay the same.
Very few people in this city stay the same or remain constant.
The time will never end, the larger truth is in
Time itself may never truly end, and the bigger, more universal truths are found within it.
My skies will show again.
The sky will be visible again at some point.
My fire works ignite, the spirit now takes flight
My passion and energy have been reinvigorated, and my soul is soaring.
And have the glory fame.
And may experience greatness and recognition.
I don’t mess around
I am serious and focused.
Throw your weapon to the ground
Abandon any violent or aggressive tendencies.
Now, witches gather round
Now, let us come together and embrace our power.
They have to make no sound.
There is no need for them to be silent or covert any longer.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IAN ROBERT ASTBURY, WILLIAM HENRY DUFFY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind