ThouShaltNot have built strong fanbases through their national tours and their work with acts such as The Dresden Dolls, VNV Nation, Alphaville and David J (of Bauhaus). Their club hits "Cardinal Directions," "Without Faith," "Last Comfort," and "Inside of You, In Spite of You," have been played at nearly every dark alternative and goth venue in America, while their more organic "True Love" and "When Everyone Forgets" have appeared to acclaim on high profile compilations that exceed the limits of genre.
ThouShaltNot's music, throughout its thoughtful subject matter, is hook-laden and complex in its emotional and intellectual architecture. With their latest releases, Land Dispute and the New World EP, ThouShaltNot is poised to change the way you think and feel about music.
The band consists of: Alex Reed (vocals, keyboards, guitars, programming, samples), Aaron Fuleki (percussion, programming, samples, guitars, backing vocals) and Jeremy David (guitars, backing vocals, piano, keyboards, programming).
The Haunted Phonograph
ThouShaltNot Lyrics
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You, my dear
For there are times I swear that it's alive
I chase at night the whispering from the music
Room so clear
But I'm mocked with silent scorn when I arrive
I try to play Caruso but the needle skips the
Groove
And there beside that damned machine, you lie
And never move
I'm cuckolded by metal and shellac
It comes to me in dreams and it declares "I'm
Joan of Arc—
You can burn me, but I've power from above!"
But I fear it's not a dream, and you'll be
Swallowed in its darkness
It will one day speak your words for you, my love
I tried to throw it out but back again the
Trashmen came
They were ashen white like they'd seen Father
Death
And they told me that it cried aloud and spoke
To them by name
So they returned it, ran, and prayed under their
Breath
And every night I long to coax you from that
Phonograph
But it's drained the appetites I once fulfilled
Its gaping mouth, obscene and wide, turns every
Tune to laughter
And its arm, it waves commands to have me killed
It comes to me in dreams and it declares "I'm
Joan of Arc—
You can burn me, but I've power from above!"
But I fear it's not a dream, and you'll be
Swallowed in its darkness
It will one day speak your words for you, my love
And now that you've gone deaf to every word
That I could say
I'm reaching out the only way you'll hear
I beg into a microphone for you to turn my way
And with my voice on wax, my body disappears!
So play me on your phonograph and swear that I'll
Be yours
Though your heart and voice can nevermore be
One/won
Just drag that needle on me as I spin my loving
Course
Dreaming only of your kiss
All the charms of yours I miss
As I pop and as I hiss
Spiraling into the abyss
Oh my God, it's come to this
We've been undone!
Put another record on
Play that music all night long
And by the break of dawn
We'll be in love
ThouShaltNot's "The Haunted Phonograph" is a haunting song about obsession and possession. The singer, who curses the day he bought the phonograph for his love, explains how it seems to be alive and to taunt him. While he tries to play a certain record, it keeps coming back to him, and his love is lying beside the machine, never moving. In his dreams, the phonograph declares that it is Joan of Arc, telling the singer that he can burn it but it has power from above. He fears that his love will be swallowed in its darkness, as one day it will speak her words for her.
Despite his efforts to throw it out, the trashmen, who had seen Father Death, returned it, ran, and prayed under their breath. The singer longs to coax his love from the phonograph, but it has drained the appetites he once fulfilled. Its gaping mouth, obscene and wide, turns every tune to laughter, and its arm waves commands to have the singer killed. Finally, the singer tries to reach out to his love, who has gone deaf to every word he said. He begs her to turn his way by speaking into a microphone, and with his voice on wax, his body disappears. In the end, the singer gives up, saying, "Put another record on, play that music all night long / And by the break of dawn, we'll be in love."
This song uses personification to create a haunting image of the phonograph as a living and malevolent being. The image of the singer disappearing as his voice is captured on wax seems to suggest that he has been consumed by the phonograph, which has taken over his identity. The overall theme of the song is obsession and possession, and how they can lead to destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
I curse the day I bought that phonograph for
Regret for the purchase of the phonograph
You, my dear
Addressing the recipient of the message
For there are times I swear that it's alive
Feeling like the phonograph is alive
I chase at night the whispering from the music
Pursuing the faint sounds coming from the phonograph at night
Room so clear
Describing the clarity of the sound in the room
But I'm mocked with silent scorn when I arrive
Feeling ridiculed by the phonograph's silence
I try to play Caruso but the needle skips the
Attempts to play a specific record without success
Groove
Describing the issue with the needle jumping on the record
While calypso and Ravel keep coming back
Other random records keep playing instead of the desired one
And there beside that damned machine, you lie
The recipient of the message is lying next to the phonograph
And never move
Describing the recipient's lack of movement
I'm cuckolded by metal and shellac
Feeling betrayed by the phonograph and its materials
It comes to me in dreams and it declares "I'm
The phonograph appearing in the dream and declaring
Joan of Arc—
Referencing Joan of Arc
You can burn me, but I've power from above!"
The phonograph claims to have power beyond destruction
But I fear it's not a dream, and you'll be
Doubting that it was just a dream and worrying that
Swallowed in its darkness
The recipient of the message may be consumed by the phonograph's darkness
It will one day speak your words for you, my love
The phonograph may speak on the recipient's behalf in the future
I tried to throw it out but back again the
Attempts to dispose of the phonograph
Trashmen came
Garbage collectors that took it away
They were ashen white like they'd seen Father
The garbage collectors appear shocked and frightened
Death
A metaphor for the intensity of their fear
And they told me that it cried aloud and spoke
The garbage collectors claim that the phonograph cried out and spoke to them
To them by name
Implying that the phonograph knew who they were
So they returned it, ran, and prayed under their
The garbage collectors' fear drove them to return the phonograph
Breath
Being afraid even to breathe
And every night I long to coax you from that
Longing for the recipient to move away from the phonograph
Phonograph
Referring to the object causing fear
But it's drained the appetites I once fulfilled
The phonograph has taken away the desire for other things
Its gaping mouth, obscene and wide, turns every
Describing the phonograph's appearance and actions
Tune to laughter
Turning music into something sinister
And its arm, it waves commands to have me killed
The phonograph's arm symbolizing threats against the recipient
And now that you've gone deaf to every word
The recipient has become deaf to the artist's words
That I could say
Implying that the artist has tried everything
I'm reaching out the only way you'll hear
Turning to technology as a way of communication
I beg into a microphone for you to turn my way
Using a microphone to amplify the voice to the phonograph
And with my voice on wax, my body disappears!
Using the phonograph to immortalize oneself
So play me on your phonograph and swear that I'll
Asking the recipient to play a particular record
Be yours
Implying that the singer belongs to the recipient
Though your heart and voice can nevermore be
The recipient's heart and voice are unattainable
One/won
Pun on the words 'one' and 'won'
Just drag that needle on me as I spin my loving
Metaphorical description of being played on the phonograph
Course
The record playing as it spins
Dreaming only of your kiss
The artist's desire for the recipient's love
All the charms of yours I miss
Missing the recipient's traits that are charming
As I pop and as I hiss
The sound of the record playing
Spiraling into the abyss
Metaphor for being consumed by the phonograph
Oh my God, it's come to this
Expressing shock and despair
We've been undone!
Everything has fallen apart
Put another record on
Asking to play another record
Play that music all night long
Requesting for continuous music
And by the break of dawn
Continuing to play music until morning
We'll be in love
Aspirations for the recipient's love
Contributed by Elizabeth B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.