The Germs disbanded following Crash's suicide on December 7, 1980. Their music was influential to many later punk rock acts. Pat Smear went on to greater fame performing with Nirvana and the Foo Fighters.
In 2005, actor Shane West was cast to play Crash in the Germs biographical film What We Do Is Secret (named after a song by the Germs). He performed with Smear, Doom, and Bolles at a production party for the film, after which the Germs reformed with West as singer. The new lineup of the band has performed a number of tours in the United States, including performances on the 2006 and 2008 Warped Tours.
On January 16, 2019, bassist Lorna Doom (born as Teresa Ryan) passed away.
Communist Eyes
The Germs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Communist eyes
I'm seeing planes in bloodshot skies
I see the flag of a working people
Who conceal the lies in the stars
And sickle
It's a double edge, it's a double edge
I can't ever find the way out
Communist eyes, lost inside
I never get a day out
I'm looking through Communist eyes
All I see is an old man's alibi
There's a world outside
But I'm unaware
I open my books but the pages stare
It's a double edge, it's a double edge
Communist eyes, all so blind
I can't even play the game now
I'm living through Communist times
I wave my flag and hold my head high
I can feel the glory of my
Comrades in masses
But I'm waiting for the day
When this madness passes
It's a double edge, it's a double edge, it's a double edge, it's a double edge
It's a double edge, it's a double edge, it's a double edge, it's a double edge
It's a double edge, it's a double edge, it's a double edge, it's a double edge
The Germs were a pioneering punk rock band from Los Angeles in the late 1970s, known for their raw, high-energy performances and politically charged lyrics. "Communist Eyes," from their 1979 album "GI," is a scathing critique of Communist ideology and its failures, expressing disillusionment with the movement's promises of liberation and equality.
The song begins with the singer looking through "Communist eyes," seeing "planes in bloodshot skies" and recognizing the flag of the working class, but also seeing the lies and deception hidden behind the imagery of the "sickle and stars." The refrain "It's a double edge" refers to the irony that the Communist movement, which was supposed to liberate the masses from oppression, often ended up being just another form of oppressive power, leading to a double-edged sword.
The second verse continues the theme of disillusionment with the Communist ideology, with the singer feeling stuck and unable to find a way out. There's a sense of frustration and despair in the lines "There's a world outside / But I'm unaware / I open my books but the pages stare." The third verse expresses a conflicted sense of pride in being part of the Communist movement, but also a desire for the madness to end and for a better future to emerge.
Overall, "Communist Eyes" is a powerful commentary on the contradictions and failures of Communist ideology, as well as the struggles of those who believed in its promises, yet found themselves trapped within its limitations.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm looking through Communist eyes
Viewing everything through the lens of communism
I'm seeing planes in bloodshot skies
Seeing destruction caused by those in power
I see the flag of a working people
Identifying with the oppressed and exploited workers
Who conceal the lies in the stars
Recognizing that the ruling class uses symbols of patriotism and nationalism to hide their deception
And sickle
Referring to the hammer and sickle symbol of communism
It's a double edge, it's a double edge
Acknowledging the complex nature of the struggle for communism
Communist eyes, c'mon inside
Inviting others to join the communist movement
I can't ever find the way out
Feeling trapped in the capitalist system
Communist eyes, lost inside
Feeling lost within the communist movement as well
I never get a day out
Feeling as though there is no escape from the struggle
All I see is an old man's alibi
Viewing the ruling class's justifications for their actions as excuses
There's a world outside
Aware of the larger world beyond the communist movement
But I'm unaware
Feeling unable to connect with the world outside the communist movement
I open my books but the pages stare
Struggling to understand and make sense of the world around them
Communist eyes, all so blind
Admitting that even those within the communist movement may be blind to certain things
I can't even play the game now
Feeling as though they can no longer participate in the capitalist system
I'm living through Communist times
Existing within a specific historical period marked by communist struggle
I wave my flag and hold my head high
Feeling proud to be a part of the communist movement
I can feel the glory of my Comrades in masses
Feeling a sense of togetherness with other communists
But I'm waiting for the day when this madness passes
Hoping for an eventual end to the struggle for communism
It's a double edge, it's a double edge, it's a double edge, it's a double edge
Reiterating the dual nature of the communist struggle
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Darby Crash, Georg Ruthenberg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@st.fiacre6685
What a radical drummer.The tempo keeps changing throughout the song, listen to when he slows it down at the end...around 2:01.Awesome.
@johnalexander4372
The drummer is fucking brilliant
@Jinxedbeyondrepair
Wow I just realized the drummer has a Go Go's beat sounds like a song off their Vacation album.
@mattenglish8202
I suppose
@basballer182
The guy who played drums on this record had no idea how to play when he joined. He traveled from Arizona to LA after hearing their debut single. He harassed them and demanded an audition, which was held in a flooded men's room in two inches of water. The rest is history.
@adamgregory9198
@FunkBunny You are aware the Go Gos fucked with the Germs and Belinda Carlisle was a member for a minute right? Seriously.
@TranzparentMethods
I'm about to be 42 this year. I got into Punk Rock in my pre-teens, 1994, Green Day got me interested (say what you will), and I haven't come up from the rabbit hole. GI is one of those albums that I keep going back to. Darby's rushed vocals, Pat's weird guitar tone, Lorna's accidental double stops and Don's pulsating kick drum, 1:09. That's Punk Rock to me!
@kylevaldes3974
this record takes a while to really dig..when i was in highschool i wanted to like it..but i didnt love it..now i love it..once it grows on you it grows.
@kotaku636
I got into them from my first listen
@marcrollins
So you were a bitch as a kid and regret being a bitch. God to know.