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 Hill
The Legendary Pink Dots Lyrics
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why people shook him by the hand,
then laughed at him and talked behind his back.
Michael didn't know the rules,
Abused, confused at all the schools they sent him to - gave him the view to leave.
Michael's got a gun,
Watch the people run,
shooting down the kids at play,
He'll teach them all to stay away.
Mothers screaming, running round
No-one laughs at Michael now!
Out the classroom window stood a hill which made him feel so good,
He thought he'd like to have it as a home.
People never spoke to him,
Ignored, deplored, he got so bored,
He ran away and bought himself a gun.
Michael's got a gun...
Michael lay down in the sun,
Perhaps he'd put away the gun if only they would leave him quite alone.
No-one heard his point of view,
The crowd of vigilantes grew,
so Michael used the gun just one last time...
Michael's got a gun,
Now he's buried on the hill...
The Legendary Pink Dots's song The Hill is a tragic story of a misunderstood and mistreated individual named Michael. The song describes the pointless cruelty that Michael endures at the hands of his peers and authority figures. The first verse highlights Michael's confusion about the fake gestures of friendship and the backbiting that follows. He seems to be perpetually lost, never quite grasping the rules of social engagements. Michael is sent to various schools, but none of them seem to have helped him. He is abused and confused and is left with no other option but to leave.
The second verse reveals Michael's newfound identity as a killer who lives on a hill. The people who used to ignore and mock him are now afraid of him. He takes revenge and shoots down the kids at play, a chilling image of a broken individual who has lost his grip on reality. The image of mothers screaming and running around in circles heightens the sense of tragedy. Michael's last moments are depicted in the final verse, where he lies down in the sun. Although he aims to put away the gun, the people's constant harassment leaves him with no option but to use the gun one last time.
The song delves into themes of alienation, revenge, and mental health issues. Michael is portrayed as a victim of his surroundings and the absence of empathy from others. The song is a sad reminder of the devastating consequences that arise from ignoring or mistreating those who are misunderstood or different.
Line by Line Meaning
Michael couldn't understand,
Michael was unable to comprehend the behavior of the people around him.
why people shook him by the hand,
He didn't understand why people were friendly towards him before talking behind his back.
then laughed at him and talked behind his back.
People were mocking him when he wasn't around.
Michael didn't know the rules,
Michael was unaccustomed to social norms.
Abused, confused at all the schools they sent him to - gave him the view to leave.
He was mistreated and bewildered by the different schools that he was sent to, prompting him to want to escape.
Michael's got a gun,
Michael acquired a weapon.
Now he's living on the hill.
He has gone and taken over the hill, making it his new home.
Watch the people run,
He derives pleasure from seeing people flee from him.
shooting down the kids at play,
He is taking pleasure in hurting children who are merely enjoying their free time.
He'll teach them all to stay away.
He intends to intimidate people into staying away from him.
Mothers screaming, running round
The mothers of the children that he has hurt are reacting with shock and distress.
No-one laughs at Michael now!
He is excited that he has people's attention and respect, even though it is because they are afraid of him.
Out the classroom window stood a hill which made him feel so good,
He feels happy and content just looking at the hill outside of his classroom.
He thought he'd like to have it as a home.
He imagines living on the hill as his ideal living situation.
People never spoke to him,
People would ignore him and choose not to engage with him.
Ignored, deplored, he got so bored,
He was lonely and disheartened by people's treatment of him.
He ran away and bought himself a gun.
He decided to escape the situation and purchase a weapon.
Michael lay down in the sun,
He took a moment to relax and bask in the sunshine.
Perhaps he'd put away the gun if only they would leave him quite alone.
He would consider discarding his weapon if people would just stop bothering him.
No-one heard his point of view,
Despite his best efforts, people would not listen to his side of the story.
The crowd of vigilantes grew,
A group of citizens began to form who intended to punish or harm him for his behavior.
so Michael used the gun just one last time...
He decided to use his weapon one last time.
Now he's buried on the hill...
He is now dead and buried on the hill that he loved so much.
Contributed by London N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@deborah3250
You did a really awesome job, wow! 🤍
@sharonben-tov8513
Great video for a great song , i remember i heard it the first time , it was really A defining moment. Asylum is one of the greatest albums ever.
@sisyphus4889
Why is this so brilliant!
@patrickwright7939
Hi David, I'm Patrick Q Wright the guy that wrote this song and I really like what you did! I'd like to put a version of your video on my forthcoming CD/DVD and obviously fully credit you etc. Please let me know how you feel about it. You can find me at https://www.facebook.com/patrick.wright.355138 or better still https://patrickq.bandcamp.com/ where you can listen to the new album (which contains a sequel to "The Hill" called "Still burying Michael") and find my email address.