The Prodigy first emerged in the underground rave scene in the early 1990s and achieved popularity and worldwide recognition with UK number one singles such as "Firestarter" and "Breathe", both singles coming from their UK and US chart topping album The Fat of the Land (1997). A third single from the album, “Smack My Bitch Up”, was also successful. They earned titles like "the premiere dance act for the alternative masses" and "the Godfathers of Rave", and remain one of the most successful electronic acts of all time. They have sold an estimated 25 million records worldwide, and won numerous music awards during their career, including two Brit Awards for Best British Dance Act, three MTV Video Music Awards, two Kerrang! Awards, five MTV Europe Music Awards, and received two Grammy Award nominations.
The Prodigy were founded in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by keyboardist and songwriter Liam Howlett. He had taken piano lessons in his youth and gained the ability to play difficult passages in just a few run-throughs. After he decided to pursue a music career, Howlett met dancer and vocalist Keith Flint in mid-1989 at a rave at which Howlett was DJing. After Flint requested Howlett make a mix tape for him, Howlett obliged, returning a cassette several days later with a collection of his own songs on the other side. Howlett had scratched the word "Prodigy" onto the cassette, the same name as the Moog Prodigy analogue synthesiser, and Howlett's moniker. The tape was well-received by Flint and keyboardist Leeroy Thornhill who developed new dance sequences to the music and suggested to Howlett they begin a group together. They were soon joined by MC and vocalist Maxim, then known as Maxim Reality, and female dancer and vocalist Sharky, a friend of Flint's. Together they became the first line-up of the Prodigy.
On 4 March 2019, Keith Flint was found dead at his home in Essex, just weeks after playing six live dates in Australia and New Zealand. On 5 March, the band announced on Twitter that "all forthcoming concerts in 2019 would be canceled, effective immediately".
Following Flint's death, fans began using the Twitter hashtag "Firestarter4Number1" on various social media platforms to get "Firestarter" to top the British singles charts again. This was done out of respect for Keith Flint and to raise awareness of suicide among men.
On 20 August 2019, one day before his 48th birthday, Liam Howlett posted on the band's official Instagram page, saying he is "back in the studio making noise [...] brand new Prodigy tunes are gonna roll", referring to his intention to keep on releasing music under the Prodigy moniker.
Along with the Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim, the Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s. The Prodigy, however, is not considered entirely representative of the genre as their production "often reflected the more intelligent edge of trip-hop, and rarely broke into the mindless arena of true big beat" according to AllMusic. The Prodigy are also considered alternative dance, techno, electronica, breakbeat hardcore, and rave.
Liam Howlett cited early electro as a big influence, mentioning tunes like "Clear" by American music group Cybotron and "Al Naafiysh" by Hashim. Liam Howlett also cited The Bomb Squad, Public Enemy, and Rage Against the Machine as influences.
What Evil Lurks
The Prodigy Lyrics
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Hold the beat,
Stop the beat,
Drop the beat,
Come on y'all (X7)
Stop the beat,
Drop the beat,
What evil lurks in the hearts of men,
Hold the beat,
Stop the beat,
Drop the beat,
Come on y'all (X8)
What evil lurks in the hearts of men, (X2)
Hold the beat,
Stop the beat,
Drop the beat,
What evil lurks in the hearts of men,
What evil lurks in the hearts of men,
The lyrics of The Prodigy's song "What Evil Lurks" are minimalistic and repetitive, consisting mostly of the phrase "What evil lurks in the hearts of men" repeated over a beat that is held, stopped, and dropped multiple times. However, the repetition and emphasis on the beat convey a sense of urgency, as if the song is urging listeners to pay attention to the darkness that exists within humanity.
The lyrics seem to suggest that there is a hidden darkness within us all, and that it can be unleashed through music, specifically through the manipulation of beats. The song may be a commentary on the power of music to tap into primal emotions and desires, and how those emotions can be dangerous if left unchecked.
Overall, the lyrics of the song are open to interpretation, but they convey a sense of unease and tension that is echoed in the music.
Line by Line Meaning
What evil lurks in the hearts of men,
The song begins with a contemplation about the sinister motives and intentions that human beings could harbor in their hearts.
Hold the beat,
The command to hold the beat means to pause the music for a moment, as if to reflect on the previous line's deep meaning.
Stop the beat,
Another command to stop the beat indicates the gravity of the situation being discussed, and the need for undivided attention to the issue at hand.
Drop the beat,
The final command to drop the beat means to resume the music, but with a more intense, ominous tone, suggesting that the subject matter at hand is more serious than what was previously being discussed.
Come on y'all (X7)
The repetition of the phrase 'Come on y'all' serves as a rallying call or invitation to the listeners to join in on this serious conversation about the darkness in human nature.
What evil lurks in the hearts of men,
This line is repeated frequently to drive home the central theme of the song, which is to explore and reflect upon human beings' potential for evil.
Contributed by Cameron T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.