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
Kill
The Damned Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I beat a lot a, lot of crime away
There's nothing baby I can't take
With that crime I'm gonna make your body ache
It's no kind of big deal
No Carnegie steal
I don't feel like no heel
Said I'm born
Yeah I'm born
And I'm born to kill
Said I'm born
Yeah I'm born
Know I'm born
When I'm born to kill
Jet along and jive my back
Don't tread on my toes and don't skivvy my back
Cheddar bone chops you real fine-fine-fine
Well take a chance honey you can be mine
It's no kind of big deal
No Carnegie steal
I don't feel like no heel
Said I'm born
Know I'm born
Yeah I'm born
When I'm born to kill
Said I'm born
Y'know I'm born
Yeah I'm born
When I'm born to kill
Born to kill
Born to kill
Born to kill
Born to kill
The lyrics to The Damned's song Kill are straightforward and explicit in their message. The singer expresses his desire to commit acts of violence and his skill in doing so. He declares that he is "born to kill," and that there is nothing he can't take when it comes to committing crimes. He speaks of beating away a lot of crime and making his victim's body ache. The tone of the song is aggressive, and the lyrics suggest a desire for domination and control over others.
The song could be seen as a meditation on the darker aspects of human nature, and the impulses that drive people to commit acts of violence. It speaks to the idea that some people are simply born with a predisposition towards aggression and a desire to dominate others. It could also be interpreted as a commentary on the societal forces that can lead people down a path of violence, such as poverty or abuse.
Overall, the lyrics to Kill are provocative and unsettling, and they speak to the primal instincts that lie within all of us.
Line by Line Meaning
I get a calling time of day
I have a sense of when it's time to take action
I beat a lot a, lot of crime away
I have overcome a lot of obstacles and am prepared to face more
There's nothing baby I can't take
I am not afraid of any challenge
With that crime I'm gonna make your body ache
I will conquer any crime or obstacle and leave my opponent defeated
It's no kind of big deal
This is nothing unusual or difficult
No Carnegie steal
I'm not trying to get ahead through dishonest means
I don't feel like no heel
I do not feel guilty or ashamed of my actions
Said I'm born
I am naturally inclined to do this
Yeah I'm born
I was made for this
And I'm born to kill
I have a natural talent for taking down my opponents
Jet along and jive my back
Hurry up and follow my lead
Don't tread on my toes and don't skivvy my back
Do not get in my way or try to sabotage me
Cheddar bone chops you real fine-fine-fine
I am very skilled and precise in my strikes
Well take a chance honey you can be mine
If you are willing to take a risk, you can join me and share in my success
Born to kill
It is my destiny to defeat my opponents
Born to kill
This is what I was meant to do
Born to kill
I have the innate ability to take down my opponents
Born to kill
This is who I am
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BRIAN JAMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tate Hammontree
Black night
All still
Stealth calls
Cold kill
Night gloves
Black gown
Job done
Quit town
We're just having some fun
Messing round with a gun
Don't get excited
I'm just killing some time
It's a fantasy crime
And I'm living it again
Cops swarm
The scene
Detective
Is keen
Autopsy
The clue
Strobe flashing
Pursued
Pipkin Hopkins
The Damned are the best rock n roll group ever. and Vanian has to have of one of the finest vocals in rock n roll. They are so underrated.
Sanford Gallant
+Pipkin Hopkins definitely underrated - great band!
Joe Cicala
love the opening bassline, overall awesome song
Michael Barnard
Fantastic musicians
Alan Malczewski
How I love this song, best song on a great album
Maximiliano Orellana
Que genial subiste todos los temas de Grave disorder! salud!
MrFoodAndDrink
The first 1:30 is some of the best music ever. Whaling guitar, sick bassline, snair drum madness
El_chico_punk_ contracultural
2018 la sigo escuchando damned maravillosos!!!!
Black Hat
That drumming and and that wailing riff.
Theodorus Rex
Great band - one of the best...