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.
Wonderland
The Cult Lyrics
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While a hip young dude stood passionately
Succumbing to the he-dog sound
Of the mystifying beat combo that
Breaks down your door
Gonna take you high now, take you real high
Kickin' down the devil's door
City on fire becoming me
Let's hurry lover and fly together
Majestic high and soaring now
Babylon bares her breast again
Time's like quicksand
Soon again, I'm standing naked in
Wonderland
I feel mistreated, yeah, ow
Wonderland
I feel defeated but not for long
Oh, tear the petals from this sweet narcissus
Crumbles gently in the palm of my hand
What once was inviting is dull and blinding
Once magnificent has slipped away
Serpent in my belly stomach crawlin' now
Wipe the sweat from my furrowed brow
Time's like quicksand
Soon again, I'm standing naked in
Wonderland
I feel mistreated, yeah
Wonderland
I feel defeated, yeah, but not for long
Wonderland
Bound and branded, yeah, on my back
Wonderland
Tired and cheated, yeah-yeah
Ooh yeah
Divine intervention in this decaying world
While the hip young dude stood passionately
Succumbing to the he-dog sound
You know the sound that breaks down your doors?
Are listening to me, now?
The sound of a mystifying beat combo
That's gonna take you higher, baby
Wonderland
Bound and branded, look out
Wonderland
Tired, tired and cheated, yeah
Earth's your mother
Heed your brother
The lyrics of The Cult's song Wonderland are rich in imagery and metaphors, making it open to multiple interpretations. At its core, the song is about a longing for escape from the decaying world and finding solace in the mystical and transcendental experiences. The opening lines suggest a yearning for divine intervention in a world that is falling apart. However, the image of the "hip young dude" is a symbol of hope - a passionate and enthusiastic voice that refuses to succumb to the despairing sounds of the world. The "he-dog sound" is the image of the mystifying beat combo, that can break down doors and inspire us to transcend reality and take us higher.
The theme of escape is carried further through the rest of the lyrics. The allusion to the city being on fire, and the desperation for cheap thrills indicate a sense of urgency for escape. There's also a nod to the historical and mythological Babylon, which is known as the city of excess and indulgence, the imagery of barebreasts suggesting that being yourself is what will free you from society's trappings. The lyrics also take a darker turn in the latter half, where the singer experiences feelings of defeat and mistreatment; however, the hope is not lost - the reference to tear the petals signifies both destruction and renewal. The song ends with the earth as the mother and a call to unity with the brother.
Line by Line Meaning
Divine intervention in this decaying world
Divine help in this ruined world
While a hip young dude stood passionately
While a cool guy ardently watched
Succumbing to the he-dog sound
Giving in to the wild sound
Of the mystifying beat combo that
From the magical band that
Breaks down your door
Bursts through your entrance
Gonna take you high now, take you real high
Going to elevate you to new heights
Kickin' down the devil's door
Pushing past evil's obstacle
Cheap thrills baby, I need some more
I desire more thrilling and simple experiences
City on fire becoming me
The flaming town blending with me
Let's hurry lover and fly together
Hurry, dear, we can fly as one
Majestic high and soaring now
Proudly flying up high now
Babylon bares her breast again
The ancient city reveals herself once again
Time's like quicksand
Time's slipping faster and faster
Soon again, I'm standing naked in
Soon enough, I'll be vulnerable in
Wonderland
A wondrous yet uncertain place
I feel mistreated, yeah, ow
I feel taken for granted, oh
I feel defeated but not for long
I feel beaten but not permanently
Oh, tear the petals from this sweet narcissus
Tear off the petals from this charming flower
Crumbles gently in the palm of my hand
Falls apart delicately in my grasp
What once was inviting is dull and blinding
What once attracted is now boring and dazzling
Once magnificent has slipped away
Formerly superb, now lost
Serpent in my belly stomach crawlin' now
Snake inside that's moving in my belly now
Wipe the sweat from my furrowed brow
Cleanse the moisture off my wrinkled forehead
Wonderland
In a magical yet uncertain place
Bound and branded, yeah, on my back
Restrained and marked on my back
Tired and cheated, yeah-yeah
Exhausted and deceived, yes-yes
Earth's your mother
The planet is your origin
Heed your brother
Take care of your fellow human
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ian Robert Astbury, William Henry Duffy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind