With keen pop sensibilities, a skewed sense of humour and a willingness to draw inspiration from diverse sources (notably punk rock), Therapy? came to attention in the early 1990s rise of alternative rock, but have endured for more than a decade since; Critic Johnny Loftus writes, "After a ten-plus year career that has seen them outlast competitors and outwit industry attempts at categorization, Therapy? are still headbangers with their thinking caps screwed on tight."
Current line-up :
Andy Cairns (guitar, vocals) (1989 - )
Michael McKeegan (bass guitar, backing vocals) (1989 - )
Neil Cooper (drums) (2003 - )
Past members:
Fyfe Ewing (drums) (1989 - 1996)
Martin McCarrick (cello, guitar, backing vocals) (1996 - 2004)
Graham Hopkins (drums) (1996 - 2001)
Discography:
-Hard Cold Fire (2023)
-Cleave (2018)
-Disquiet (2015)
-A Brief Crack of Light (2012)
-Crooked Timber (2009)
-One Cure Fits All (2006)
-Never Apologise Never Explain (2004)
-High Anxiety (2003)
-Shameless (2001)
-So Much For The Ten Year Plan - A Retrospective 1990-2000 (2000)
-Suicide Pact - You First (1999)
-Semi-Detached (1998)
-Infernal Love (1995)
-Troublegum (1994)
-Face the Strange E.P. (1993)
-Shortsharpshock E.P. (1993)
-Nurse (1992)
-Pleasure Death (1992)
-Babyteeth (1991)
Northern Ireland, 1989.
Heaven's Gate
Therapy? Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Another ugly bang that I dreaded coming
Go back to sleep, let the curtains protect me
Keep them closed so the light won't get me
Stuck inside, afraid of big spaces
Too much noise and too many faces
All mail left unanswered
I've been waiting on it coming
Waiting so long
I wanna be there when it all goes off
And everything I need is in the verification of your genius
OK, but I'm not ready
To get up and go 'cause I feel so guilty
Is anybody there? The door's still ringing
It's not for me, just another religion
Someone selling something
I'd let you in but the house is so empty
Feed me any salvation
I'm paying through the nose for my inspiration
I've been waiting on it coming
Waiting so long
I wanna be there when it all goes off
And everything I need is in the verification of your genius
Wish I could sleep forever
It's all catching up and I surrender
Clock keeps chipping at my insistence
Final reminder, always there in the distance
I've been waiting on it coming
Waiting so long
I wanna be there when it all goes off
And everything I need is in the verification of your genius
The song “Heaven’s Gate” by Therapy? is a butchering commentary on the mundanity and delusion of the modern world, using a piercing tone of resigned nihilism as its major theme.
The opening lines of the song, “Oh shit, here comes morning, Another ugly bang that I dreaded coming. Go back to sleep, let the curtains protect me, Keep them closed so the light won't get me,” reflects the mundane existence of the song's character, waking up in the morning to face another tiresome day. The character of the song is unable to leave his house due to agoraphobia, as described in the lyrics, “Stuck inside, afraid of big spaces, Too much noise and too many faces.”
The chorus “I've been waiting on it coming, Waiting so long, I wanna be there when it all goes off, And everything I need is in the verification of your genius” explores a feeling of detachment and isolation from the society as well as a desperate yearning to escape and find salvation. Overall, the song is a sobering critique of the reality of modernity, despair, and the falsehood of its promises.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh shit, here comes morning
The singer is dreading the start of another day.
Another ugly bang that I dreaded coming
The start of the day is like an unpleasant noise that the singer was anticipating.
Go back to sleep, let the curtains protect me
The singer wants to retreat from the world and hide from the light.
Keep them closed so the light won't get me
The artist wants to avoid the daylight and is fearful of what might happen if exposed to it.
Stuck inside, afraid of big spaces
The artist is agoraphobic and has a fear of wide open spaces.
Too much noise and too many faces
The singer feels overwhelmed by the sensory bombardment of the world around them.
All mail left unanswered
The singer is avoiding contact with the outside world.
Kicking down my door like a final reminder
The artist feels like the outside world is forcing itself upon them.
I've been waiting on it coming
The artist has been anticipating something for a long time.
Waiting so long
The artist has been anticipating this for an extended period of time.
I wanna be there when it all goes off
The singer wants to be present when something significant happens.
And everything I need is in the verification of your genius
The artist is looking to someone else to provide them with meaning and purpose.
OK, but I'm not ready
The singer is hesitant and unsure about what to do next.
To get up and go 'cause I feel so guilty
The singer is experiencing guilt about their current situation and is struggling to motivate themselves to leave.
Is anybody there? The door's still ringing
The singer is looking for connection with others but is not finding it.
It's not for me, just another religion
The artist is skeptical of organized religion and sees it as a false promise.
Someone selling something
The artist feels like everything in the outside world is a transaction or a sale.
I'd let you in but the house is so empty
The singer is feeling lonely and isolated and is unable to connect with others.
Feed me any salvation
The singer is searching for some form of redemption or purpose.
I'm paying through the nose for my inspiration
The artist is struggling to find inspiration and is paying a high personal cost for it.
Wish I could sleep forever
The artist is exhausted and looking for a way to escape the world permanently.
It's all catching up and I surrender
The artist is unable to keep running from their problems and is giving in to them.
Clock keeps chipping at my insistence
The singer feels trapped by the relentless march of time.
Final reminder, always there in the distance
The artist is constantly aware of some kind of impending reckoning or final judgment.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDREW CAIRNS, GRAHAM HOPKINS, MARTIN MCCARRICK, MICHAEL ROBERT MCKEEGAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind