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
Obscene
The Damned Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The scene
The dream
Obscene
Demi-gods on golden thrones
Spend most of their time all alone
We're living through them until a decent to hell
Flesh and blood to dust return
But fantasy we learn goes on and on
The dream
Shining with an inner light
Indefinable and bright
We begin to smell the kill
Sharing every precarious thrill
Flesh and blood may now decay
But forever young - always you will stay
Obscene
The scene
The dream
But look - coming on the scene
Another cat to die for teenage dream
Obscene
The scene
The dream
Obscene
The Damned's song Obscene explores the concept of worshiping idols and the obsession with celebrities. The lyrics describe those in positions of power as "demi-gods on golden thrones" who spend most of their time alone, yet people still look up to them and live through them. The song suggests that this obsession with celebrities has become so prevalent that it has become a part of society's daily routine, even becoming a thrill for some. The chorus repeats the word "obscene," which is a reflection of how excessive and extreme this behavior has become.
The lyrics also suggest that while flesh and blood may eventually decay, fantasies and dreams live on forever. The dream is portrayed as something that shines with an inner light, and sharing in its precarious thrills becomes part of daily life. This obsession is further emphasized by the line "But look, coming on the scene, Another cat to die for teenage dream."
Line by Line Meaning
Obscene
Something that is morally offensive and repulsive.
The scene
The environment in which something happens.
The dream
The idealized version of something that may or may not be achievable.
Obscene
Something that is morally offensive and repulsive.
Demi-gods on golden thrones
People in positions of power and wealth who are idolized by others.
Spend most of their time all alone
These people are often isolated due to the demands of their position.
We're living through them until a decent to hell
We aspire to be like these people, but their lifestyle often leads to negative consequences.
Becomes our breakfast thrill
We are obsessed with the decadent and often immoral lifestyle of these people.
Flesh and blood to dust return
We all eventually die.
But fantasy we learn goes on and on
Our idealized version of these people and their lifestyle lives on.
The dream
Our idealized version of these people and their lifestyle.
Shining with an inner light
Our idealized version of these people is often glamorous and alluring.
Indefinable and bright
Our idealized version of these people is often difficult to define, but always seems appealing.
We begin to smell the kill
We become obsessed with the idea of achieving this lifestyle for ourselves by any means necessary.
Sharing every precarious thrill
We become so obsessed with the idealized version of these people that we are willing to do anything to achieve their lifestyle.
Flesh and blood may now decay
We may age and die, but the allure of this lifestyle lives on.
But forever young - always you will stay
Our idealized version of these people and their lifestyle will always be appealing.
Obscene
Something that is morally offensive and repulsive.
The scene
The environment in which something happens.
The dream
The idealized version of something that may or may not be achievable.
But look, coming on the scene
There is always someone else who will take the place of these idols when they eventually fall from grace or succumb to age and death.
Another cat to die for teenage dream
There is always someone else who will be idolized by the next generation in the same way these people are idolized by us now.
Obscene
Something that is morally offensive and repulsive.
The scene
The environment in which something happens.
The dream
The idealized version of something that may or may not be achievable.
Obscene
Something that is morally offensive and repulsive.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
1992NL
I had been looking everywhere for this song! Thanks for uploading it
Seba Cortez
muy buen tema 🤘🇦🇷✌🍺
Castiel Melmoth
Your welcome :) Is there another song or album you'd like me to upload?
g man tramp
D,ye have to???
k block
Forty Fourth ☠️