The Mark of Cain is a hard rock/alternative metal band from Adelaide, South… Read Full Bio ↴The Mark of Cain is a hard rock/alternative metal band from Adelaide, South Australia. Their style has been likened to that of Helmet and Rollins Band, yet this band predates both of those groups and was influenced by the early work of Joy Division and US hardcore. The Mark of Cain was formed in 1984 by brothers John (guitar) and Kim Scott (bass guitar), with Rod Archer on vocals and Roger Crisp playing drums. Before long, Archer had left the group and John Scott took on the vocal role; The Mark of Cain has remained a trio ever since. The Scotts have been the core of the band which has featured some 15 different drummers. Currently, that position is held by former Helmet member John Stanier, who is also concurrently with Tomahawk and Battles.

The band's first release was a single, "The Lords of Summer" issued by Sydney label Phantom Records in 1988. Following this, The Mark of Cain's drummer situation became reasonably stable for some time with the addition of Campbell Robinson and the band issued two albums on Adelaide label Dominator Records, Battlesick in 1989 and The Unclaimed Prize in 1991. The band's music came to the attention of Steve Albini, who produced their next release, the 1993 EP "Incoming". This was the recording debut for Robinson's replacement Aaron Hewson, who had joined the band shortly after the release of The Unclaimed Prize.

Albini's involvement with The Mark of Cain in turn led to Henry Rollins producing the band's breakthrough album, 1995's Ill at Ease. The first release on Sydney alternative label rooArt, Ill at Ease was the also the first to win wide radio support, with Triple J giving the singles "First Time" and "LMA" solid airplay. A national tour followed, after which Hewitt left and Campbell Robinson returned. The next year, The Mark of Cain released Rock And Roll, a collection of remixes by artists such as Paul Mac and B(if)tek. The band also contributed some songs to the soundtrack of the Australian film Idiot Box including a cover of "Degenerate Boy" by early Australian punk band X. This was a minor hit. Robinson was replaced by Stuart Baguley in late 1998 but Stanier was mooted as a member from mid-1999. He was taken on to provide the drumming on the next album This is This which was produced by Andy Gill of Gang of Four, one of The Mark of Cain's early influences. This is This was released by BMG in 2001 with the announcement that Stainer was now the band's permanent drummer.

According to their official website, www.tmoc.com.au, The Mark of Cain will be entering the studio with John Stanier to record a new album in February 2008.

Interloper
The Mark Of Cain Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You ought to know what a liar I can be
I lay my cards on the table
I let you know everything about me
So how the fuck didn't you know?

You only saw what you wanted to see
You only heard what you wanted to hear
But just the same, but just the same

What gave you the right to interfere?

What I needed to know
What I wanted to know
What I needed to know
Who made you the interloper?

What I needed to know
What I wanted to know
What I needed to know
Who made you the interloper?

You wanna know about misdirection?
You wanna know about misconception?
Well all these things, all these things
How the fuck couldn't you know?

You only saw what you wanted to see
You only heard what you wanted to hear
But just the same, but just the same
What gave you the right to interfere?

What I needed to know
What I wanted to know
What I needed to know
Who made you the interloper?

What I needed to know
What I wanted to know
What I needed to know
Who made you the interloper?

Interloper

You sick, you fuck

I took you in, you turned me out
You sucked me in, I spat you out

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Interloper" by The Mark Of Cain seem to explore the themes of betrayal, deception, and misconceptions. The singer seems to be addressing someone who they trusted and confided in, but who turned out to be a liar and an interloper who interfered with their life. The first verse seems to express the singer's frustration at the other person's perceived lack of insight into their true character, despite them being transparent about who they are. The second verse questions the other person's right to interfere in their life and asks who made them an interloper. The repeated refrain of 'what I needed to know, what I wanted to know' suggests that the singer's trust was misplaced, and they were misled by the other person's misdirection and misconceptions.

The chorus of the song seems to be a direct address to the interloper, questioning their motives and their right to interfere in the singer's life. The use of profanity throughout the song suggests a strong emotional response, perhaps indicating the depth of the betrayal felt by the singer. The final lines of the song, 'you took me in, you turned me out, you sucked me in, I spat you out' suggest a cyclical pattern of manipulation and deception between the two parties, with both of them having betrayed each other in some way.

Line by Line Meaning

You ought to know what a liar I can be
I'm about to confess to being a liar, so it's not my fault if you get hurt

I lay my cards on the table
I'm being honest with you

I let you know everything about me
I trusted you with my deepest secrets

So how the fuck didn't you know?
You should have seen the truth, you were deliberately blind

You only saw what you wanted to see
You chose to ignore the warning signs

You only heard what you wanted to hear
You ignored reality and listened to what you wanted to hear

What gave you the right to interfere?
You had no right to meddle in my affairs

What I needed to know
I wanted the truth

What I wanted to know
I wanted the truth

Who made you the interloper?
Why did you get involved in something that wasn't your business?

You wanna know about misdirection?
Do you want to know how I deceived you?