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
Edward The Bear
The Damned Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My toys have all been packed away
The rocking horse rocks in its box
A spinning top and Corporal Clott
Are a dusty lot
Many times I said I'd drop you a line
I guess I'm just a rotten swine
And walks for fun when she should run
The damaged one is you old chum
Who's the sucker now
Who's the sucker now
Could someone shed some light on this love affair
And help to make me quite aware
Of what is meant by wicked thoughts
That have been sent
My memory is empty
Who's the sucker now
Who's the sucker now
It's too late now there's no time
The truth is locked in my mind
To wonder and look in my eyes
Who's the sucker now
Who's the sucker now
The Damned’s Edward The Bear is a melancholy reflection on childhood memories and lost love. The song starts with a nostalgic tone as the singer walks down memory lane about the places they used to play as kids, but quickly turns into a lament about a failed love affair. The first verse talks about how the toys have been packed away, and nothing remains from the childhood days. The rocking horse in its box, a spinning top and Corporal Clott, who were once precious and played with, are now dusty lot. In the second verse, the song takes a different turn from the first, as the singer talks about a failed love affair. They confess that they've been a rotten swine for not reaching out and instead took their own sweet time to walk when they should have been running. The singer admits that the damaged one is their lover and not themselves.
The chorus repeatedly questions who the 'sucker' is now, implying that they recognize that they are the one who lost the lover, and that they are now left alone to rue their mistake. The line, "Could someone shed some light on this love affair and help to make me quite aware of what is meant by wicked thoughts that have been sent," suggests that the singer is confused as to why the love affair ended so abruptly and if they did something wrong.
The song's mood shifts between a sentimental recollection of the past and a regretful reckoning of the present. The melancholy and reflective lyrics, paired with the upbeat but slightly ominous melody, make this a classic song of lost love.
Line by Line Meaning
Shadows fall in the places we used to play
The singer remembers the places they played as a child, but they are now of a different disposition or outgrown the activities they used to enjoy.
My toys have all been packed away
The singer has put away their childhood toys signifying that they have grown up.
The rocking horse rocks in its box
The singer notes the stillness of their toys that used to be animated; the rocking horse used to move now remains fixed.
A spinning top and Corporal Clott
A spinning top and Corporal Clott are just two examples of the artist's old toys.
Are a dusty lot
The disuse of the artist's former toys is evidenced by the fact that they have become dusty.
Many times I said I'd drop you a line
The singer promises to keep in touch with someone, but they don't follow through with that promise.
I guess I'm just a rotten swine
The singer acknowledges that they are a bad person for not keeping in touch.
Who takes his time
The artist is in no hurry to get things done or keep promises.
And walks for fun when she should run
The person who the artist promised to keep in touch with is desperate to hear from the artist, but they are not as eager to get in contact.
The damaged one is you old chum
The artist puts the blame on the other person for feeling neglected.
Who's the sucker now
The singer is asking someone who used to think the singer was foolish if they still hold that belief after all the changes that have happened.
Could someone shed some light on this love affair
The artist is asking for someone to explain what's going on in their romantic life.
And help to make me quite aware
The singer needs someone's help to fully understand the situation they are in.
Of what is meant by wicked thoughts
The singer wants to know what is meant by thinking of someone in a bad or impure way.
That have been sent
The singer is confused by the idea that someone could send them hateful or malicious thoughts without their knowledge.
My memory is empty
The artist does not remember what could have provoked malice, despite feeling the after-effects of their existence.
It's too late now there's no time
The situation has passed the point of being salvageable.
The truth is locked in my mind
The singer has a secret or something they don't want others to know.
To wonder and look in my eyes
Even though the singer's secret cannot be seen, the urging of the people around them is inquisitive enough to prompt the singer to explain themselves.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Not Kidding
on Shakin’ All Over
English artist
Pierre Clary
on Feel the Pain
DROP SOME BLUES = take some 3french blues3 pills -popular amphetamine and barbiturate drug since the '60's, see movie Quadrophenia