Lead singer and main song-writer Sarah McLeod formed the band in late 1994 … Read Full Bio ↴Lead singer and main song-writer Sarah McLeod formed the band in late 1994 with guitarist (and her guitar teacher at the time) Chris Tennent, drummer Paul Berryman and bass player Stuart Rudd. They were originally called Hell's Kitchen before changing their name to The Superjesus on the eve of the 1994 Big Day Out in Adelaide.

Says Paul Berryman of the name: "It was basically just a piss-take on commonly used words in the 90's. Like The Jesus and Mary Chain, 'Jesus Built My Hot Rod', Jesus Lizard, Jesus Jones; there's just heaps of Jesus' out there in the music world so we thought we would have that and super was kind of like a 90s catch word."

The group's debut EP, "Eight Step Rail", was released in May 1996 and spent a couple of months on top of the Australian Independent charts and won a couple of ARIA awards.

All has not always well with the band internally and in 1997 Chris Tennent temporarily left the band. Aaron Tokona from Wellington, New Zealand band Weta filled in, though chose to turn down the band's offer to become a permanent member.

They released their debut album, Sumo, through Warner Music in 1998 and its success in Australia led to a US release. The band has released two subsequent albums, Jet Age, in 2001, and Rock Music, in 2003. All albums charted well in Australia.

Chris Tennant left the band permanently in 1999 and was replaced by Tim Henwood (who has since himself left to concentrate on his work with The Androids). Jason Slack (an unofficial member) has since been playing guitars with the band.

In June 2004, the band split with Warner Music Australia and indicated they would take time off while individial members pursued other projects. McLeod is said to be working on a solo album of material not suited to the band. Her solo single released in 2005 is entitled "Let's Get Together", while her album to be released in the same year is called Beauty Was A Tiger.

Recently there has been much controversy over whether the band has split: a number of articles describe McLeod and Berryman as "former" members. Fans continue to speculate over online message boards, some reasoning that the writers of such articles jump to conclusions after seeing each member doing his/her own thing. The band has so far remained silent on this issue, although the band's website has disappeared.

Strips of You
The Superjesus Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I could crawl
Beneath it all, for you.
With words that lied,
The smile they hide, in you.
Just leave it all behind.

Choking inside.
Fear you hide away.

Tangled below.
The faces show decay.

As the sun falls to your feet,
And the choices seem to slip away,
Lost in the shade.

Strips, of you,
Are peeling through the core.
Drowning who,
And all that you adore

As the sun falls to your feet,
And the choices seem to slip away,
Lost in the shade.
Lost in the shade.
Lost in the shade.

Who can save you when you're down?
And who decides which way the penny falls?
Wish it away.

I could crawl
Beneath it all, for you.

As fear turns around
The peace that they found, in you.

Overall Meaning

In the song "Strips of You" by The Superjesus, the lyrics paint a grim picture of someone who is struggling with internal turmoil and fear, causing them to experience decay and drown out everything they once loved. The opening line "I could crawl beneath it all, for you" suggests a willingness to do anything to help this person, even if it involves facing their own, hidden struggles. However, the second line suggests that they may have already tried to help, but their efforts were fraught with lies and false promises. The smile that the person hides suggests that they may be masking their fear and pain, but the singer can still detect it.

The song goes on to describe the person's inner turmoil as "choking inside" and "tangled below." The "faces show decay" could indicate a loss of hope or a damaged spirit. The climax of the song is reached when the person is described as being "lost in the shade," suggesting that they have reached a point of complete despair and darkness. The final lines of the song express a sense of hopelessness and futility, with the singer wondering who can save the person and who decides their fate.

Overall, "Strips of You" is a haunting and emotional song that depicts the struggle of someone who is drowning in their own fear and pain.

Line by Line Meaning

I could crawl
I am willing to do whatever it takes for you.

Beneath it all, for you.
I will go to great depths for you.

With words that lied,
Words have the power to deceive.

The smile they hide, in you.
You hide your true emotions with a smile.

Just leave it all behind.
Let go of the past and move forward.

Choking inside.
Feeling suffocated by your emotions.

Fear you hide away.
You try to conceal your fear from others.

Tangled below.
Feeling trapped and overwhelmed.

The faces show decay.
The faces around you reflect a sense of decay or decline.

As the sun falls to your feet,
When the day comes to an end.