They are notable for being the first of the British punk bands to release a single, put out an album, and tour the United States. Their debut album, Damned Damned Damned, was released six months before The Sex Pistols' debut, Never Mind The Bollocks.
The Damned have dissolved and reformed many times, with singer Dave Vanian remaining the sole constant. They have incorporated many styles in their music, most notably garage rock, psychedelic music, the British theatrical rock of Screaming Lord Sutch and The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, and New Romantic.
In addition to serving as inspiration for many of the young bands who created hardcore punk in the US, The Damned are also generally regarded as one of the founders of goth music.
Original members Dave Vanian (David Lett), Captain Sensible (Raymond Burns), and Rat Scabies (Chris Millar) were all members of the semi-legendary Masters of the Backside which included future Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde.
Original guitarist Brian James (Brian Robertson) was a member of the early punk band London SS, a unit that never played live, but whose members later found fame in bands including The Clash and Generation X. Rat Scabies was also tried as the drummer for London SS, but was rejected.
Maintaining the goth connection, between 1996 and 2004 the bass guitarist of the Damned was one-time the Sisters of Mercy / the Sisterhood / Gun Club member Patricia Morrison. Morrison married Dave Vanian in 1996 but left the band after the birth of their daughter Emily. She originally joined the band after bassist Paul Grey was injured during a concert.
Discography:
Damned, Damned, Damned – February 25, 1977 (# 36)
Music For Pleasure – November 18, 1977
Machine Gun Etiquette – November 2, 1979 (# 31)
The Black Album – October 20, 1980 (# 29)
Strawberries – October 1, 1982 (# 15)
Phantasmagoria – July 15, 1985 (# 11)
Anything – December 5, 1986 (# 40)
Not of This Earth – November 11, 1995 (Retitled I'm Alright Jack & The Beanstalk in the UK, Germany and Sweden)
Grave Disorder – August 21, 2001
So, Who's Paranoid? – October 28, 2008
Evil Spirits – April 13, 2018
Darkadelic - April 28, 2023
Curtain Call
The Damned Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Between your teeth
The heat of the lights
The crack of the whip
The snapping sound
Of someone's nerves
If you pay you get
What you deserve
We're coming up from the deep
The lizard sheds it's skin
Night obliterates the day
And all the fun begins
Shadow boxing with yourself
Just seems to get you nowhere
You don't want to cheat
When playing solitare
Three faces come alive
Try and focus and be one
never let it be said that
The jester comes undone
A wreckless gambling pace
With time enough to borrow
Time enough to measure
All of our tomorrows
Curtain call and lights grow dim
Tragedy, love all lie within
Each player takes his chance to play
And lives to fight another day
What boundaries to cross
What chances for the taking
Stepping in the angels' way
Not to be forsaken
No more will I roam
Our childish dreams are soon outgrown
But here we stand
In our theatreland
Curtain call
About to fall
The Damned's "Curtain Call" is a song with a melancholic and nostalgic tone that reflects on the fleeting nature of life and the stage. The lyrics suggest the end of the show is imminent, as the lights grow dim, and the performers take their final bow. The singer paints a vivid picture of the audience and performers' sensory experiences, with lyrics describing the grit between teeth, heat of the lights, snapping sound of nerves, and the crack of a whip.
The song's lyrics also touch on the theme of duality, with references to the lizard shedding its skin, shadow-boxing with oneself, and three faces coming alive. The lyrics suggest that one must embrace both the light and the darkness within oneself to fully understand and navigate the world. The song's final verse brings the audience's attention to the deeper meaning of the lyrics, reminding them that, despite life's challenges, one should never give up hope, and always strive to fight another day.
Overall, "Curtain Call" is a hauntingly beautiful track that reflects The Damned's unique punk/goth sound and insightful lyrical approach.
Line by Line Meaning
Can you taste the grit
Can you feel the harshness of reality
Between your teeth
Within yourself
The heat of the lights
The intensity of the moment
The crack of the whip
The pressure of society
The snapping sound
The breaking point
Of someone's nerves
Of one's own anxiety
If you pay you get
You get what you deserve
What you deserve
The consequences of your actions
We're coming up from the deep
Overcoming obstacles
The lizard sheds it's skin
Change and renewal
Night obliterates the day
Darkness overpowers light
And all the fun begins
The excitement and thrill of life
Shadow boxing with yourself
The struggle with inner demons
Just seems to get you nowhere
A losing battle
You don't want to cheat
Honesty with oneself
When playing solitaire
When facing life alone
Three faces come alive
Different aspects of oneself
Try and focus and be one
Unity within oneself
Never let it be said that
Don't give up
The jester comes undone
The consequences of foolishness
A reckless gambling pace
Taking risks
With time enough to borrow
With a chance to make things right
Time enough to measure
A chance to reflect
All of our tomorrows
The future that awaits
Curtain call and lights grow dim
The end is near
Tragedy, love all lie within
Life is full of both joy and sorrow
Each player takes his chance to play
Everyone has a role to play in life
And lives to fight another day
A chance to try again
What boundaries to cross
What limits to push
What chances for the taking
What opportunities to seize
Stepping in the angels' way
Going against what is expected
Not to be forsaken
Not to be abandoned
No more will I roam
No more wandering
Our childish dreams are soon outgrown
The end of innocence
But here we stand
Despite everything, we are still here
In our theatreland
In this world of drama and performance
Curtain call
The final act
About to fall
The end is near
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joyce Ellingsen
I think its more than a bit of a masterpiece. Sometimes, when I'm lonely or discouraged at night, I play this. I will do my best to make sure this song is never lost.
John Hetherington
That would be a shame, it's a classic.
Sandra Ann Longfield
Joyce I also play this when feeling low or lost ..its fuel to my soul and am back there in that audience eternally. .
Joanne Geoghegan
First time I heard this song was from watching The Damned play live and it's become a favourite ever since then. They are such a great band to see live.
The Chad TI
It transcends the rest of the catalog into some strange dimension where it exists on it's own. I'm in the I love it camp but I understand the other side. Well, maybe not understand but accept 😂
_ ANARCHY0RA_
If you like the Damned , you might like this band 'the blood , false gestures for a devious public '... a great all time punk rock super star album.. i realy like your comment ..i agree , that guy with the yello spikes is a fuckin great dude .you could tell how he feels about that song ..lol
ofkmusik
One of the best band ever! And I realize I've been listening to them for so many years... never got bored, part of my life!
stephen wivver P
Me too. I've been listening since 1977 and still put them at the top of the tree . All songs brilliantly written and sung better than anybody else could have done. 👍👍👍
Future’s Gonna Be Okay
Dave is so beautiful and this song is incredible.
Scott Davis
I remember hearing Curtain Call for the 1st time in the late 80s. He's right it is a bit of a masterpiece!