The Legendary Pink Dots are a Netherlands-based band formed in August 1980 … Read Full Bio ↴The Legendary Pink Dots are a Netherlands-based band formed in August 1980 in the UK who, although distinctly underground, have been musically influential over the years. The band name was derived from pink dots of nail varnish on the piano in their squat, where founding members Edward and April lived. The band has as its focal point vocalist Edward Ka-Spel, who is, along with Phil "The Silverman" Knight, one of the original remaining members of the band. In the mid eighties the band resettled in the Netherlands, where they still reside today. Apart from Edward and Phil, the line-up has gone through many changes. Members such as Ryan Moore, a Canadian bass player, who joined in 1991 after the recordings of the Last Man to Fly with the Tear Garden (he joined as a session musician), went on to form their own labels and musical projects. See Twilight Circus and M Records. Their music is nothing if not original and it is difficult to categorise, but comparisons may be drawn with bands like Pink Floyd and Can.

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.

Jungle
The Legendary Pink Dots Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Parcels for the kids, the parcel bombs were
Left in bins... They were singing hymns and
Rattling tins. A hand stretched out and
Caught him, knocked him through a window.

And they were fingering his coat, looking
For the price tag. Took his fags. Shook his
Wallet. Stripped him of his shoes. Left him

Naked - like a mannequin that's bleeding.

A weeping doll without a string to pull.
A shop assistant hauled him to the dump
With all the others.

Struck a match and up they went!
Only brave men make it in the jungle!

Overall Meaning

The song "Jungle" by The Legendary Pink Dots is a commentary on the violent and cutthroat nature of urban society. The lyrics describe a scene in which innocent parcels intended for children are replaced with bomb-filled packages left in bins. The perpetrators of this heinous act are singing hymns and rattling tins, indicating that they may be motivated by religious or philanthropic beliefs, while at the same time carrying out a gruesome act of violence.

The next verse depicts the mugging and humiliation of an unsuspecting victim. The assailants ransack his possessions, stripping him of his coat, wallet, and shoes, leaving him naked and bleeding like a mannequin. The image of a "weeping doll without a string to pull" suggests a sense of powerlessness and despair.

The chorus of the song states that "only brave men make it in the jungle," emphasizing the idea that the urban environment is a harsh and unforgiving place where only the strong and ruthless survive. Overall, the lyrics of "Jungle" paint a bleak portrait of modern society and the struggle for survival within it.

Line by Line Meaning

Parcels for the kids, the parcel bombs were Left in bins... They were singing hymns and Rattling tins.
The kids were expecting parcels, but instead parcel bombs were left in the bins. The perpetrators were singing hymns and making noise with tin cans.

A hand stretched out and Caught him, knocked him through a window.
The victim was caught and pushed through a window by someone.

And they were fingering his coat, looking For the price tag. Took his fags. Shook his Wallet. Stripped him of his shoes. Left him Naked - like a mannequin that's bleeding.
The perpetrators went through the victim's coat, took his cigarettes, shook his wallet, and even took his shoes, leaving him naked and helpless like a bleeding mannequin.

A weeping doll without a string to pull. A shop assistant hauled him to the dump With all the others.
The victim was like a crying doll without the ability to control his fate. A shop assistant threw him into the dump with the other discarded items.

Struck a match and up they went!
The perpetrators of this crime burned everything they had thrown into the dump.

Only brave men make it in the jungle!
The song concludes that only truly brave individuals can survive in this cruel and unforgiving world.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MARIE SCAGLIONE, RAY ALLEN, WANDRA MERRELL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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