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.

Soma Bath
The Legendary Pink Dots Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Powdered Heaven dressed in plastic pulled the shades down on his eye.
Pinprick pupils soaring skywards Offer him no alibis. But then, who needs
them? He's quite perfect. Perfect body, perfect teeth that flash sublime
and blind the kids who Spread their legs for their belief. Who cross
themselves at the drop of a parable; Who scream they're saved when they've
touched his jeans Who swear his wisdom's just infallible and beg for mercy
-- in his dreams... Another day. another sermon. Broken bread, forgotten
lines. A line for comfort keeps him human. The needle trembles, band on

tight. Another little perforation ventilates him and paints him white. A
wordless song, a prayer to no-one but still he whistles through the night.
They found him on his throne of porcelain. A rusty chain draped 'round his
neck. Incapable. Incoherent. His eyes switched off but a king no less!
The jury all wore black chewed razors. Witnesses were D.O.A. O.D'd,
amoral, senses skewered. Dribbling lies and tooth decay. They declared his
guilt. The defence said nothing... sobbing as the judge turned blue and
washed his hands and said "Lord forgive us, for we know not what we do..."
"Drown in your soma bath!" They said, "Drown in your soma bath! What are

we gonna do with you? Let the punishment fit the crime! We have the
technology. We got the instruments. Down! Down in your soma bath..."

Overall Meaning

The Legendary Pink Dots' "Soma Bath" is a haunting and critical reflection on society's reliance on prescription drugs and the false sense of perfection that they promise. The song tells the story of a man who has become addicted to drugs and is tragically consumed by them. The opening lines describe his powdered heaven, a vision of the "perfect" life that the drugs have promised him, yet his pinprick pupils reveal that he is not truly living. He is blind to the reality of the world around him, and those who fall for his facade are nothing more than blind believers, clinging to their faith in him.

The song paints a picture of a society that has turned to drugs in search of something greater, something perfect, but in the end, it is a false promise that leads to destruction. The man's life is cut short, his body painted white by the drugs that have consumed him, and his throne of porcelain becomes his deathbed. He is no longer the "perfect" leader that his followers had sought after, but a broken and lost soul.

The final lines of the song reveal the ultimate fate of the man, drowned in his soma bath, as the jury, witnesses, and judge all become complicit in his demise. The punishment fit the crime, but in the end, they all wash their hands clean of the guilt, absolving themselves of their responsibility. It is a poignant and powerful statement on the dangers of addiction and the societal pressures that lead us down dangerous paths.

Line by Line Meaning

Powdered Heaven dressed in plastic pulled the shades down on his eye.
An imagery of a person who is on drugs, closing his eyes to block the reality around him.

Pinprick pupils soaring skywards Offer him no alibis.
The person's drug-induced state is causing his pupils to dilate, and this is his escape from the reality.

But then, who needs them? He's quite perfect.
The person doesn't need alibis as he considers himself perfect in his surreal world.

Perfect body, perfect teeth that flash sublime and blind the kids who Spread their legs for their belief.
The person has a perfect body and teeth and he uses them to attract young people, who idolize and follow his every word.

Who cross themselves at the drop of a parable; Who scream they're saved when they've touched his jeans Who swear his wisdom's just infallible and beg for mercy -- in his dreams...
The young people are blindly devoted to him and do everything he asks of them.

Another day. another sermon. Broken bread, forgotten lines. A line for comfort keeps him human.
The person has to keep preaching to keep his followers in check. He feels alone and thus does it to be a part of the crowd.

The needle trembles, band on tight. Another little perforation ventilates him and paints him white.
The person is addicted to drugs, and he takes another dose of it to escape the reality and get a high.

A wordless song, a prayer to no-one but still he whistles through the night.
The person whistles a wordless song to himself, seeking comfort in his surreal world.

They found him on his throne of porcelain. A rusty chain draped 'round his neck.
The person is found sitting in a state of stupor on the toilet seat, with a rusty chain around his neck.

Incapable. Incoherent. His eyes switched off but a king no less!
The person is unable to communicate, and he seems like he is not from this world, yet he still commands a following.

The jury all wore black chewed razors. Witnesses were D.O.A. O.D'd, amoral, senses skewered. Dribbling lies and tooth decay.
The people who testify against him have lost their minds due to drugs and are in no position to judge him.

They declared his guilt. The defence said nothing... sobbing as the judge turned blue and washed his hands and said "Lord forgive us, for we know not what we do..."
The defense couldn't do anything to defend him, and the judge washes his hands of the matter, feeling helpless in such situations.

"Drown in your soma bath!" They said, "Drown in your soma bath! What are we gonna do with you? Let the punishment fit the crime! We have the technology. We got the instruments. Down! Down in your soma bath..."
The authorities advise him to continue the drug-induced lifestyle, and they will provide him with the drugs to punish him through his addiction.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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