They began their career in 1991, cutting their first 7" record later that year with the lineup of Joey Vindictive (vocals), Johnny Personality (bass), Billy Blastoff (guitar), Dr. Bob (guitar), P.J. Parti (drums) and Erik Elsewhere (drums). The band would end up releasing 12 albums until July of 1996, when Joey Vindictive revealed that his health issues would prevent the band from going on. Luckily for him, he overcame his ailments to re-form the band in 2000, cutting a new album and overseeing the re-release of a significant part of their catalog. Dr. Bob died in 2003 due to a heroin overdose. Their song "The Invisible Man" was featured in the Ubisoft game Watch Dogs, where it attracted attention to restart the band once more in 2013, releasing a new EP titled Mono-Flexi, and to remaster most of their previous songs as Songbooks coming in volumes starting from I to III.
The Vindictives' website is currently down indefinitely.
You Should Have Never Opened That Door
The Vindictives Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mama, where's your little daughter?
She's here, right here on the altar
You should never have opened that door
Now you're never gonna see her no more
Chop off your head so you better relax
You should never have opened that door
Now you're never gonna see her no more
You should never have opened that door
Now you're never gonna see her no more
[Repeat All Once]
The Vindictives's cover of The Ramones's You Should Have Never Opened That Door is a classic example of a horror-themed punk rock song. The lyrics are straightforward and are screaming out to the listener to heed the warning of not opening the door. The song reflects the darker side of humanity and the consequences that come with meddling in matters we do not understand. The lines, "Mama, where's your little daughter? She's here, right here on the altar," immediately set the scene for something eerie and disturbing. The singer has gone ahead and done something dangerous, leading to the loss of someone close to them. The use of 'axe' in the next line sets the stage for a potential killing that hasn't taken place yet, but the premonition is already there.
The repetition of, "You should never have opened that door, now you're never gonna see her no more," highlights the finality of the situation. Whatever it is that the singer has done has already sealed their fate and that of the person they love. The Vindictives's cover of the Ramones's song is brilliant in its simplicity. The song's message is focused and unambiguous, making it a hit with people who enjoy the horror genre. As the song ends, we are left to ponder about what could have transpired if the door had remained closed.
Line by Line Meaning
Mama, where's your little daughter?
The singer is asking where the mother's daughter is.
She's here, right here on the altar
The daughter is on the altar.
You should never have opened that door
The mother made a mistake by opening a door.
Now you're never gonna see her no more
As a result of opening the door, the mother won't be able to see her daughter again.
You don't know what I can do with this axe
The singer is warning the mother about the power they have with the axe.
Chop off your head so you better relax
The singer threatens to harm the mother with the axe unless she calms down.
You should never have opened that door
Again, the mother made a mistake by opening the door.
Now you're never gonna see her no more
The mother won't be able to see her daughter again as a result of her mistake.
You should never have opened that door
The repetition of this line emphasizes the mother's mistake.
Now you're never gonna see her no more
The repetition of this line emphasizes the tragic consequences of the mother's mistake.
Contributed by Christian R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.