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 Grain Kings
The Legendary Pink Dots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
wait then we shall gather fruits to feed our hungry mouths. We'll feast,
we'll toast the one who sends the storm, who shapes the corn. We line the
circles. In the Fall, we fall...... Come the dawn he'll stretch his hands
and take the last born to the land beyond our tidy tidy lawns, and no, no
lamb of ours will be deformed!
In The Legendary Pink Dots's song The Grain Kings, there is a sense of cooperation and nurture present in the lyrics. The first stanza speaks of sowing seeds together and tending to the fertile ground. This speaks to the idea of community and how through working together to grow crops, people can ensure that everyone is fed. The second stanza speaks to the abundance that the land can produce and how it can sustain people. The celebration and feast in this stanza are a nod to the importance of acknowledging the land's bounty.
The third stanza of the song is where the lyrics take a dark turn. It speaks of sacrificing the last born to the "land beyond our tidy tidy lawns." This line may refer to how the elite and wealthy people lead comfortable lives while others, often the poor, are exploited or suffer. The mention of the "lamb" symbolizes innocence, and the fact that it will not be deformed speaks to how innocence is precious and should not be harmed by society's actions.
Overall, the song is a complex and metaphorical commentary on society's relationship with the land as well as the hierarchies that exist within it.
Line by Line Meaning
We will sow the seeds together.
We will work together and plant the seeds for our crop.
We shall feed the fertile ground.
We will nourish the fertile soil to promote growth.
We will wait then we shall gather fruits to feed our hungry mouths.
After patiently waiting, we will harvest the fruits of our labor to feed ourselves.
We'll feast, we'll toast the one who sends the storm, who shapes the corn.
We will celebrate and give thanks to the forces of nature and our deity who have helped our crops grow.
We line the circles.
We create patterns or formations in our crops for reasons such as aesthetics or practicality.
In the Fall, we fall......
As Autumn approaches, we let go of the crops and allow them to transition into the next stage of their life cycle.
Come the dawn he'll stretch his hands and take the last born to the land beyond our tidy tidy lawns,
At dawn, our deity will take the last crop of the season to another realm beyond our orderly homes and gardens.
and no, no lamb of ours will be deformed!
We take pride in our crops and ensure that they are of the highest quality, free from defects or abnormalities.
Contributed by Liliana B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@just888another888ide
can listen to again, again, again, and again...and never grow tired of it.
@daviddavid-ud9bt
I've probably listened to this about 140 times so far. That's an estimate.
@432HzSocialClub
my youth best moments
@larsenvisuel
1ere écoute il y a plus de 25 ans, toujours le même effet surpuissant. La musique des Pink Dots survivra tous les ages. Amour éternel <3
@DagmarDollmaier
The best sex song ever made! I fell in love with Edward Ka-Spel's music when I first saw him play live (with Skinny Puppy who were also amazing) in a junkyard in Phoenix, Arizona called Crash in 1986. He never disappoints.
@sex6cult9revolution
RIP Bob Pistoor. What a great solo!
@greeninja040
so many songs are user friendly. a good song DisTurbS me! Jolts hidden feelings from my gut and bounces their ideas around in my mind. Memorable tunes chafe me, scratch me and make me bleed sunsets from ages ago. thank you LPD :)
@toryficarola
SO FUCKING MIND-BLOWINGLY DOPE!! A stand out track on arguably the best album the Dots put forth.
@pchapellin
what an epic song!!! mastermind!!!
@Mannchild11
Great video for a great group.