The one permanent fixture amidst the Fall's ever-changing line-up was Mark E. Smith (1957 – 2018). Smith's lyrics are free, unboxed and unpredictable, touching on an extremely wide range of subjects and places, and caring little for being tied down to easily digestible messages.
Smith's singing could put off some people, but others find it a uniquely expressive instrument. Smith was not a conventionally great vocalist, but his keen sense of rhythm, his energy and personality more than made up for this.
The Fall's music changed depending on the line-up at a given time. Always experimental, Mark E. Smith claimed to invent several musical genres, including house music; "we were doing that years ago" and even the internet. "He told me I didn't understand, that we were from the bleak industrial wastes of North England, or something, and that we didn't understand the Internet. I told him Fall fans invented the Internet. They were on there in 1982." One thing that is for sure is that The Fall (and their fans) always pushed the boundaries, and were never afraid to experiment.
The Fall were a favorite group of DJ John Peel, recording 24 sessions for his BBC1 radio program over the years.
The Fall's back catalogue consists of 29 studio albums, and is very fragmented with a seemingly endless number of compilations and semi-official live albums.
In 2006, British music-critic Dave Simpson published an entertaining account of a journalist's attempt to track down all 43 former members of The Fall in the Guardian. Many previous members have been fired, often with little or no notice. Simpson's ongoing effort was subsequently described at greater length in his book "The Fallen" (2008). His effort to track down the final unaccounted stragglers of at least 50 previous members of The Fall - including drummer Karl Burns - continues in his blog. Having decried Simpson's book as a "hatchet job" in the pages of Pseud. Mag., a Fall fan-mag, Mark E. Smith countered in short order with his autobiography "Renegade: The Lives and Tales of Mark E. Smith" (Viking, 2008/Penguin 2009).
Mark E. Smith died on 24 January 2018, aged 60.
Key Albums include:
# Live At the Witch Trials (debut)
# Dragnet
# Totale's Turns (It's Now Or Nevr)
# Grotesque (after the Gramme)
# Perverted By Language
# Hex Enduction Hour
# This Nation's Saving Grace
# Middle Class Revolt
# Bend Sinister
# Extricate
# The Infotainment Scan
# Country on the Click aka The Real New Fall LP
# Fall Heads Roll
# Reformation Post TLC (new)
Compilations/Singles/B-Sides:
# 50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong: 39 Golden Greats
# The Complete Peel Sessions 1978-2004
# Totally Wired: The Rough Trade Anthology (disc 1) and Totally Wired: The Rough Trade Anthology (disc 2)
# 458489 A-Sides
# 458489 B-Sides
Spectre Vs Rector
The Fall Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
Yog Sogoth. Rape me Lord.*
I've suffered a great wrong
Such hatred, Church's song
Part One: Spectre v. Rector
The Rector lived in Hampshire
The Spectre was not focussed on
The evil dust in the air.
The Rector locked his doors
An Inspector drives through Hampshire
Has to sleep because of the fog
And thinks of his new director.
Meanwhile the Spectre possesses Rector
Spectre blows him against the wall
Says
These lyrics from The Fall's song Spectre Vs Rector contain multiple layers of symbolism and references. The first line, "M.R. James, be born, be born", refers to the British author and scholar of supernatural fiction, Montague Rhodes James, who was popular for his ghost stories. The line is an invocation for James to be reborn, as if The Fall are asking for James' spirit to permeate through the song. The line is also a nod to the fact that The Fall took inspiration from James' stories for the song.
The line "Yog Sogoth. Rape me Lord" is a reference to another influential writer in the horror genre, H.P. Lovecraft. Yog-Sothoth is a deity in Lovecraft's mythology, often associated with interdimensional travel and sinister powers. The line "rape me Lord" is a suggestion that the singer is willing to be taken over by this dark force, perhaps as a way of reclaiming power in a situation where they feel victimized.
The second stanza references a "great wrong" that the singer has suffered and links it to the "hatred" of the Church's song. This suggests a conflict with religion, where the singer may feel wronged by the Church's teachings or practices. The line "Part One: Spectre v. Rector" is a nod to a potential series or showdown between the two figures.
The third stanza paints a picture of the Rector in Hampshire and the Spectre that is haunting him. The Rector locks his doors, indicating a sense of fear or isolation. The Inspector driving through Hampshire adds to the atmosphere of mystery and intrigue. The Spectre's possession of the Rector and the confrontation that ensues adds to the tension and drama of the song.
Overall, this song is a complex and layered exploration of supernatural themes and conflicts with religion. The Fall's use of literary references and vivid imagery creates a sense of unease and mystery throughout the song.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: CRAIG ANTONY SCANLAN, MARC RILEY, MARK EDWARD SMITH, MIKE LEIGH, STEPHEN HANLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind