Their sound has been described as an amalgamation of psychedelic rock, industrial, synth-pop and avant-garde. They have released over 40 records and continuously tour the world.
Members of the band have also collaborated with Nurse With Wound, The Dresden Dolls, Jarboe, HNAS, Jim O'Rourke, Skinny Puppy's cEvin Key, forming The Tear Garden. Ka Spel accompanied Skinny Puppy for a small part of their 1988 European 'Head Trauma' tour in Sweden. Key also appears on the 1994 album 9 Lives to Wonder.
Black Highway
The Legendary Pink Dots Lyrics
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The lyrics to "Black Highway" by The Legendary Pink Dots are a stream-of-consciousness account of a wild and dangerous night on the road. The singer offers to take someone with them, promising to speed them to heaven and cross the waters of the river Styx. But the ride quickly becomes chaotic and violent, with the singer mixing mescaline with hairspray and taunting their passenger to hold on tight to a crucifix.
As they drive through the city, they witness a truck crash and overturn, and the police and crowds gather around the site. The singer revels in the chaos and madness, fueled by the fact that their family has a history of insanity dating back centuries. They declare their intention to do harm to someone and lock their "dial on kill". Throughout the song, there are surreal and bizarre images, such as a girl with an ice cream cone dressed up in cellulite and sold to the world.
The overall effect is one of a fever dream or drug-induced haze, where reality and fantasy merge together in a dangerous and unpredictable way. The lyrics are rich in symbolism and metaphor, with a sense of both exhilaration and doom pervading every line.
Line by Line Meaning
There's space in my car, speed you to heaven.
There's room in my car, I can drive you really fast. It could be a dangerous ride.
Maybe scorch the Black Highway, pass the waters of the Styx.
I might drive really fast on the Black Highway, crossing dangerous waters like the Styx river from Greek mythology.
Mix my mescaline with hairspray; well past caring, but I'll show you some excitement - better clutch a crucifix!
I'm so reckless that I'm mixing drugs and hairspray. I don't care about the consequences, but I'll make sure to give you a thrilling ride. You might want to hold onto a crucifix for safety.
Goodness gracious, great balls of fire glow in the city's stainless streets.
Wow, there's a lot of excitement and danger in the city. It's like there are balls of fire lighting up the streets.
Policemen waves as a crowd admires, as a mess is covered with a sheet, dancing in the street.
As the police look on and a crowd gathers, there's chaos in the streets and something bad has happened. But the people are still dancing and having fun.
A truck overtakes; the truck overturning, twisting cartwheels on the concrete, dancing over a ledge.
A truck passes us and then crashes in a spectacular way. It flips over, cartwheels on the road, and even dances over a ledge.
Shall I make it a duo? Tiny heart a-flutter, pitter-patter! As I slide out from the gutters and it's sliding through a hedge.
Should I invite someone to join me on this crazy ride? My heart is racing with excitement. I'm leaving behind my normal life and sliding through a hedge into something dangerous.
Goodness gracious, a whop-bop-a-loo-bop, a-whop-bam-boom, crash crash!
This is getting really wild and crazy, with lots of crashes and loud noises.
Policemen waves as the crowd perspires, as a mess is covered with a sheet, dancing on the sheet.
The police are still watching as the crowd gets more excited and sweaty. The chaos continues and there's now something covered by a sheet that people are dancing around.
Madness in my family since the sixteenth century, and it seeps through my finger when I'm poised behind the wheel.
My family is known for being crazy for hundreds of years, and that craziness is now affecting me as I take control of the car.
Tonight I'm feeling nasty - some bastard's gonna suffer, be crying for his mother, 'cos my dial is locked on kill!
Tonight I'm really angry and want to hurt someone. They'll be crying for help, but I'm not going to stop until they're hurt or dead.
Oh goodness gracious! A hot old time in the old town tonight, as a mess is covered with a sheet.
Things are really getting crazy and out of control. There's chaos and destruction, and something bad has happened, covered by a sheet.
The siren shouts murder, splinters the sunrays. A fireman weeps as he picks up a towel.
The sirens are blaring and it feels like someone has been killed. A firefighter is crying as they try to clean up the mess.
Still they arrive in their cars and their gamblers, pitching tents, picking hampers, searching quietly for holes.
Even though there's chaos and danger, people keep coming to the scene. They're setting up tents and looking for ways to take advantage of the situation.
Goodness gracious, good golly Miss Molly, we're having a ball! Lens dipped and focused on the girl with an ice cream.
Wow, we're having so much fun, despite all the craziness and destruction. Someone is even recording everything on camera, focusing on a girl with an ice cream.
Dressed her up in cellulite and sold her to the world. Make the morning petitions, the face of exhibitions, the opposition, an uncle who cut off her curls.
The girl with the ice cream has been sold out to the world, her image used for profit. People are petitioning and protesting her use as an exhibition, and someone has cut off her hair.
Oh goodness gracious, good golly Miss Molly, you sure look bald! A policeman waves as a crowd admires, as a mess is covered with a sheet dancing in a sheet.
Oh wow, you really don't have any hair! The police are still watching as a crowd gathers and there's something covered by a sheet that people are dancing around.
Contributed by Emma V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.