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
W
The Damned Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a darkened room
Just to gather folks opinions
Can you stand the heat?
Can you wrong the rights
And I love you, thanks a million
And if there's a god
Knowing that you can't deliver
But you held me up
And you hung me out
And we're waiting still for you to bring
Light to a darkened room
But I know you will
It'll make my day
When I see your face
On a dollar bill
And they counted you out
Then they counted you in
And they're counting still
And for all the lies you're about to tell
May the lord make us
Truely thankfull
In a two horse race
If you bet each way
Could you maybe stay the distance
And if I should hide
From your puppeteers
Will they make me look ridiculous
Did you like the game
Can you take the blame
After all the dust has settled
Did you ever hope
For a hopeless world
Hungry for the time that you'd bring a
Light to a darkened room
But I know you will
It'll make my day
When I see your face
On a dollar bill
And they counted you out
Then they counted you in
And they're counting still
And for all the lies you're about to tell
May the lord make us
Truely thankfull
We could talk all night
Never touch the side
But I don't mean to demean you
Ever felt the cold
When you saw the light
Did the mirror show that dream of you
All the endless miles
And the babies smiles
While the mothers pledge allegiance
To uphold the wrong
To opress the right
Ready to sign up when you bring the
Light to a darkened room
But I know you will
It'll make my day
When I see your face
On a dollar bill
They counted you out
Then they counted you in
And they're counting still
And for all the lies you're about to tell
May the lord make us
Truely thankfull
The Damned's song W revolves around the idea of one's desire to stand out and be recognized for their achievements, but questioning whether they can actually handle the pressure and responsibility of success. The first verse sets the tone, asking if one can handle the criticism and scrutiny that comes with being in the public eye. The second verse references a higher power, questioning whether one can live up to their promises and deliver on their goals. The chorus brings a glimmer of hope, holding onto the belief that the person in question will eventually succeed and be celebrated, but also acknowledging the possibility of them failing and lying.
The bridge brings a new dimension to the song, acknowledging the potential consequences of striving for success. The endless miles and babies' smiles represent the hard work and sacrifices that are made in pursuit of success. However, the line "to uphold the wrong, to oppress the right" highlights the ethical implications that can arise from seeking power and influence. The bridge ends on a note of hope, with the belief that if the person in question brings light to a darkened room, all will be forgiven.
Overall, the song is a complex exploration of the desire for recognition and success, and the potential pitfalls that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
You could spend your time
In a darkened room
Just to gather folks opinions
Can you stand the heat?
You may choose to isolate yourself in a room just to collect opinions from people. But, can you handle the criticism that comes with it?
Can you wrong the rights
And I love you, thanks a million
Are you capable of committing wrongs against the rights and yet be thanked for it?
And if there's a god
Let him strike you down
Knowing that you can't deliver
But you held me up
And you hung me out
And we're waiting still for you to bring
If there is a god, let him punish you for your inability to deliver, even though you were responsible for my success. We're still waiting for you to bring something significant.
Light to a darkened room
But I know you will
It'll make my day
When I see your face
On a dollar bill
I believe you will bring light to this dark room. It'll be a pleasant surprise when I see your face on the dollar bill.
And they counted you out
Then they counted you in
And they're counting still
And for all the lies you're about to tell
May the lord make us
Truly thankful
People have doubted and supported you, but they are still keeping track. If you tell any lies, may we be thankful for the consequences that follow.
In a two horse race
If you bet each way
Could you maybe stay the distance
And if I should hide
From your puppeteers
Will they make me look ridiculous
If there are only two options, can you make it through the end by betting on both? If I hide from your controllers, will they make me look foolish?
Did you like the game
Can you take the blame
After all the dust has settled
Did you ever hope
For a hopeless world
Hungry for the time that you'd bring a
Did you enjoy the game? Can you take responsibility after the game is over? Have you ever wished for a hopeless world, waiting for you to bring something significant?
We could talk all night
Never touch the side
But I don't mean to demean you
Ever felt the cold
When you saw the light
Did the mirror show that dream of you
We could talk all night without getting into the essence of the matter, but it's not my intention to belittle you. Have you ever felt cold when you saw the truth about yourself in the mirror?
All the endless miles
And the babies smiles
While the mothers pledge allegiance
To uphold the wrong
To opress the right
Ready to sign up when you bring the
Despite having traveled miles and seen many happy moments, mothers still pledge loyalty to the ones who enforce what is wrong, while oppressing the right. They are ready to join you when you bring a significant change.
Light to a darkened room
But I know you will
It'll make my day
When I see your face
On a dollar bill
They counted you out
Then they counted you in
And they're counting still
And for all the lies you're about to tell
May the lord make us
Truly thankful
I believe you will bring light to this dark room. It'll be a pleasant surprise when I see your face on the dollar bill. People have doubted and supported you, but they are still keeping track. If you tell any lies, may we be thankful for the consequences that follow.
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