The Southern Death Cult emerged from the ashes of the seminal Bradford punk band Violation. In place at that time were Aki Nawaz-drums, Barry Jepson-bass, Mick-guitar & Mick Brady-vocals. Notable songs in their set were 'Boys in Blue' & 'Assault & Battery'- The high point for this line-up is probably their support slot to the Clash at Bradford's St. Georges Hall in 1980.
In 1981, Ian Astbury had moved into a new house in Bradford and reportedly discovered a band rehearsing in the cellar. Ian Astbury (performing under the name "Ian Lindsay") sang alongside guitarist David Burrows, bassist Barry Jepson and drummer Haq Qureshi (a.k.a. Aki Nawaz). Astbury renamed the band Southern Death Cult, after an obscure Indian tribe around the Mississippi delta area in the 14th and 15th centuries. The Southern Death Cult's first ever performance was at the Queen's Hall in Bradford, England, on 29 October 1981. The setlist the band played was: Crow, The Girl Apache, Vivisection, (unknown song), Moya, The Crypt, and there is a bootleg recording of that show in circulation. The fifth song is sometimes referred to as 'War Song', but its real title is unknown, seeing as the band never performed it again, nor was it ever recorded by them in the studio. The band toured heavily in the UK promoting its double A side single "Moya/ Fatman/ The Girl", which had gone to #1 on the independent charts, and even peaked at number 88 in Top 100. The band toured with Theatre of Hate (that featured Billy Duffy, and then succeeding in getting a slot opening for Bauhaus, at the end of 1982, but Astbury disbanded the group after a show on 26 February 1983.
Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy (of The Nosebleeds and Theatre of Hate) came together later in April 1983 to form a different band, with a similar name, first called "Death Cult" and then, after releasing a four song EP and a single, the band changed their name to simply The Cult. The other members of The Southern Death Cult formed Getting the Fear. Later they changed their name to Into A Circle. Qureshi went on to form the political, Islamic hip hop group Fun-Da-Mental and to create the label Nation Records.
The Southern Death Cult's singles, demos, and some live recordings were later collected onto a ten song compilation album by Beggars Banquet, simply entitled Southern Death Cult. The vinyl version was released in a dozen countries after The Cult's popularity grew in the 1980's. An early ten song CD version was released in 1987 in Japan. It was issued on CD in 1988 with five bonus tracks, and then remastered and reissued on CD again in 1996. The songwriting credits to "A Flower in the Desert," off of The Cult's Dreamtime album, are from the Southern Death Cult line up – a credit which is sometimes omitted from the various different pressings of Dreamtime.
The other three ex-members of Southern Death Cult, augmented by vocalist Paul "Bee" Hampshire, formed Getting the Fear, who released one single, "Last Salute", on RCA Records before splitting up in 1985. Jepson and Hampshire went on to form Into a Circle, releasing the Assassins album in 1988. Jepson later worked as a concert promoter and currently teaches live sound and tour management at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute.[citation needed]
Burrows and Qureshi formed a band called Joy.
Qureshi then went on to form the political Islamic hip hop group Fun-Da-Mental and created the label Nation Records.
Faith
The Southern Death Cult Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
sweat drips
sweat sticks
sweet smells
of Gin
static
Heaven knows
Heaven knows
nobody
A once proud noble man
fades down the roadside
a bottle of whiskey clutched in his hand
out of sight out of mind
we will survive
Wild Ones crucified
Brought Christianity to your land
Jerusalem
we don't understand
Jerusalem
Afterwards tricked you into trading
your lives for beads
Wild Ones will survive
we will survive
We brought greed and ignorance to your land
Jerusalem
We don't understand
Don't understand
Afterwards tricked you into trading for beads
wild ones will survive we shall survive
ignorance to your land
Jerusalem
don't understand
Jerusalem
Jerusalem
Jerusalem
Afterwards
afterwards we discovered
faith
it's all you need
Faith
it's all your need
work it up
give me some
work it up
give me some give me some
faith
The Southern Death Cult's song "Faith" is a deep and layered piece of art that speaks to the complexities of faith, colonization, and the corruption of power. The song starts with the repeated phrase "just have faith" followed by vivid descriptions of physical sensations such as sweat, gin, and the static of a broken connection. These descriptions give the impression of an unsteady, uncertain state of being, which sets the tone for the rest of the song.
The lyrics then turn to a once-proud nobleman who has fallen from grace, clutching a bottle of whiskey by the roadside. This description contrasts with the earlier imagery of powerful sensations and suggests a more desolate, defeated state. From there, the song shifts to the arrival of the "Wild Ones" who brought Christianity to Jerusalem, but the singer admits, "we don't understand." The lyrics continue to describe how the "Wild Ones" brought greed and ignorance to the land, tricking the people into trading their lives for beads. Through all of this upheaval and injustice, the message of the song remains that the "Wild Ones" will survive and that "faith" is all we need.
The lyrics of "Faith" are steeped in historical references and symbolism, which underscores the message of the song. The repeated references to Jerusalem evoke the conflicted history of that city, which has been fought over for centuries by different religious groups. The idea of trading lives for beads is a reference to the historical exploitation of native peoples in the Americas and elsewhere by European colonizers. The repeated phrase "wild ones will survive" speaks to the resilience of marginalized groups in the face of oppression and violence.
Line by Line Meaning
just have faith
Have faith in something, anything
sweat drips
Sweating profusely in a moment of intense emotion or physical exertion
sweat sticks
Sweat clinging to the skin due to heat or humidity
sweet smells
Pleasant aroma in the air
of Gin
A nod to the singer's alcoholic intake
static
A distorted, unclear message or communication
Heaven knows
Acknowledging a divine, possibly unknowable element in the situation
nobody
No one has a concrete answer or solution
A once proud noble man
Referring to a specific individual (possibly metaphorical) who has fallen from grace
fades down the roadside
Person has lost their status and is now unimportant or forgotten
a bottle of whiskey clutched in his hand
This person has succumbed to addiction or despair
out of sight out of mind
Once someone is gone, they are soon forgotten
we will survive
We will persevere and continue on despite hardships
Wild Ones crucified
People of non-conforming, non-traditional lifestyles or beliefs are vilified and punished
Brought Christianity to your land
Bringing a new way of thinking to a foreign culture
Jerusalem
A metaphor for a fraught, controversial situation
we don't understand
We lack understanding or insight into this situation
Afterwards tricked you into trading your lives for beads
Exploiting a population's naivety or desperation for personal gain
we will survive
We will persist and overcome these adversities
We brought greed and ignorance to your land
Admitting fault and culpability for previous wrongdoing
Jerusalem
Continuing to use the metaphor for a contentious or vexed scenario
don't understand
Unable to comprehend or fully grasp the situation
Jerusalem
Final repetition of the recurring metaphor
Afterwards
Following these events, at a later time
afterwards we discovered
After the dust had settled, we came across something revelatory
faith
Putting trust in a higher power, despite a lack of concrete evidence
it's all you need
This new discovery seems to be the solution to all problems
work it up
Putting effort into building and cultivating faith
give me some
Requesting more of this newly-discovered, all-powerful faith
work it up
Continuing to put effort into building and maintaining faith
give me some give me some
A desperate plea for more of this newfound, seemingly all-powerful faith
faith
Closing out the song with a repetition of the new focus and solution
Contributed by Jacob I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.