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.
The Gallery
The Legendary Pink Dots Lyrics
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Staring at the street.
They sometimes topple forwards,
Then stick at one another,
Passing freaks.
They rarely speak and though I don't feed them--
Still they keep their double (their quadruple) chins.
Their garbage bins are emptied each day.
Their wives in-- they're PEEPING!
They're peeping at the methylated man who spits in a can,
Spreads his hands for silver,
Pans for gutter gold.
He mutters old forgotten songs his father taught him,
Rolls on the floor.
He rolls in alcoves,
Gets caught in waterfalls down rotting walls.
(He's bored.)
My friends applaud, throw pennies and wait. . .
Peeping from the gallery.
The Legendary Pink Dots's song "The Gallery" describes a building full of people who spend their days peeping through small holes at passersby on the street below. The singer of the song describes the "little holes with heads in," and how the people inside "sometimes topple forwards" as they try to catch a glimpse of something that interests them. Despite the fact that the people inside don't speak or interact with each other or the world outside, they still manage to keep their "double (their quadruple) chins," a reference to their compulsion to keep peeping through the small holes.
The song goes on to describe the man that these people are peeping at: the "methylated man who spits in a can, spreads his hands for silver, pans for gutter gold." This man is a forgotten character, living in the shadows of the city and singing old songs that his father taught him as he rolls around on the floor of abandoned buildings. The singer's friends are among the peeping gallery, throwing pennies at the man below and waiting for his next performance. Overall, the song explores themes of voyeurism, isolation, and the human compulsion to observe and consume others from a distance.
Line by Line Meaning
My building's full of little holes with heads in,
The building has many small holes where people peep out from and watch the activities outside.
Staring at the street.
The peeping people in the building are intensely watching the street outside.
They sometimes topple forwards,
The peeping people in the building lean forward eagerly to watch the outside activities.
Then stick at one another,
They also look at each other in the building when they are not peeping outside.
Passing freaks.
They see unusual people or strange events happening on the street outside.
They rarely speak and though I don't feed them--
The peeping people are mostly silent and the observer does not provide them with anything.
Still they keep their double (their quadruple) chins.
Despite not being provided with anything, they appear to be well-fed.
Their garbage bins are emptied each day.
The waste disposal in the building is taken care of every day.
By night waiting with lights off, their cats out,
During nighttime, they wait in the dark with their pets outside.
Their wives in-- they're PEEPING!
Their wives are also peeping along with the men from the building.
They're peeping at the methylated man who spits in a can,
The peeping people are watching a man who is drinking methylated spirit and spitting it into a can.
Spreads his hands for silver,
The man is asking for money from the peeping people by spreading his hands.
Pans for gutter gold.
The man is trying to collect money from every possible source including from the gutter.
He mutters old forgotten songs his father taught him,
While begging for money, the man is singing old songs that he learned from his father.
Rolls on the floor.
The man is rolling on the ground aimlessly.
He rolls in alcoves,
The man is rolling inside the alcoves of the building.
Gets caught in waterfalls down rotting walls.
The man is trapped in the waterfalls that are coming down from the damaged walls of the building.
(He's bored.)
The man is feeling bored and aimless, and is indulging in such activities for his entertainment.
My friends applaud, throw pennies and wait. . .
The observer's friends appreciate the antics of the man and throw coins at him while waiting for something to happen.
Peeping from the gallery.
The observer and his friends are peeping out from the gallery of the building while observing the activities of the man.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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Ghxst Mxxse
Long Live Dave Kühl!!! This song will forever remind me of you and your brother Andrew those many long yet short nights over at your house in mastic beach!! RiP bro
Luigi Zantti
grandiosi Pink Dots
moby boy
let the minority people enjoy this songs. I feel so unique
SweetSweetWaldo
Methylate: To add a methyl group to a substance.