Initially a avantgarde thrash metal / prog rock hybrid, Thought Industry's signature sound is showcased on their first two albums; Songs For Insects and Mods Carve The Pig: Assassins, Toads And God's Flesh, however by the time of their third album Outer Space Is Just A Martini Away, the band had started to shed their metal roots and had moved into alternative and art rock by the time they recorded their fourth album, 1997's Black Umbrella. The band are known to have remained active as of 2001 but disbanded shorly after the release of their magnum opus Short Wave On A Cold Day.
Horsepowered
Thought Industry Lyrics
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Christ, slurping dead Jim's fat ass wife with shamrocks
and driftwood. I'm an articulate man, but the chanty
says to fuck. Scrape.
Sterilized aqua rectum. Chumly the Walrus.
Adventures bloop gumption's "if"? Catholics crust lust
my stomach, Jim's dumb tame moray. How many
and rinse. Scrape.
Cheap man's lumbering hulk city bus will swoop me
off at nine. 'tards with lunch pails. Bums hacking snot.
Some fruit sniffing shampoo. A drunk bus driver. Kill
that bus driver. Kill the fucking bus driver. Scrape.
"Hey, here's part of my new book. A clever political
anthology. It's for the pretentious and cute. So I named
it 'America, will you please stick it in and ride?' Fly
dove. We fly."
Vacillate stance silver Zippo and cotton. My
varicolored weapons and wasps. I'm ok. I'm fine. Feel
swell. It's neat. Don't bump me. Bang bang delicious.
Go bang bang delicious in the bathroom at Crossroads
mall. Scrape.
I'm a fucking pop star. Non-threatening music.
Chipped meat hunk seen on Fox. Scrape. I'm a fucking
pop star. Budweiser sponsored. I've made it. Put it
there, chum. Scrape.
"I bought a song. Some sort of Neil Sedaka sample.
Hey, pay attention to me. It's so damn important. Well,
Fuck ya'. So stick it in and ride." Fly Bush. We fly and
ride. Free Quayle we fly.
Angie's lonely and stinking drunk, with morals like
frozen piss. She'll stick it in and ride. Fly Rush, we'll
fly and ride. Free horse we ride.
The lyrics of Thought Industry's song "Horsepowered" present a bizarre collage of random, disjointed phrases that create a sense of chaos and confusion. The opening lines feature the unusual image of absinthe-loaded halcyon prick and popes moselle, which set a tone of surrealism and absurdity. The references to shamrocks and driftwood suggest an Irish or Celtic influence, while the chanty urging to "fuck" introduces a raw, primal energy that clashes with the more cerebral language of the vocal delivery.
The second verse continues the theme of bodily functions and perverse sexual imagery, with descriptions of a sterilized aqua rectum and Jim's fat ass wife being slurped with shamrocks and driftwood. The introduction of Chumly the Walrus and the phrase "adventures bloop gumption's 'if'?" add to the sense of whimsy and non sequitur. The repetition of the lines "How many times, Timmy? How many times, Jenny? Let's rinse and rinse" suggests a ritualistic or obsessive behavior that reinforces the overall sense of madness and disorder.
The final verse switches gears to a more mundane and realistic setting, with the singer riding a city bus filled with working-class people and oddballs. The sudden outburst of violence and aggression with the lines "Kill that bus driver. Kill the fucking bus driver" adds a jarring and disturbing element to the lyrics. The mention of a new book called "America, will you please stick it in and ride?" satirizes the politics and culture of the United States as shallow, vulgar, and self-serving. The song ends with the repeated phrase "Fly Bush. We fly and ride. Free Quayle we fly" which can be interpreted as a political commentary or just a nonsensical refrain that adds to the overall feeling of disorientation and absurdity.
Line by Line Meaning
Halcyon prick absinthe loaded. Popes moselle in
I am under the influence of absinthe and feeling euphoric. The pope's wine is a perfect chaser.
Christ, slurping dead Jim's fat ass wife with shamrocks and driftwood. I'm an articulate man, but the chanty says to fuck. Scrape.
This is a vulgar and nonsensical line, indicating the singer is both crude and articulate. The word 'scrape' indicates the need to move on.
Sterilized aqua rectum. Chumly the Walrus. Adventures bloop gumption's "if"? Catholics crust lust my stomach, Jim's dumb tame moray. How many times, Timmy? How many times, Jenny? Let's rinse and rinse. Scrape.
This line is full of random words and references, though it may indicate the singer's discomfort with Catholicism and Jim's pet moray eel. The repeated question, 'how many times', is an indicator of compulsion.
Cheap man's lumbering hulk city bus will swoop me off at nine. 'tards with lunch pails. Bums hacking snot. Some fruit sniffing shampoo. A drunk bus driver. Kill that bus driver. Kill the fucking bus driver. Scrape.
The singer is riding a bus filled with unpleasant people and smells. The repeated urge to 'kill the bus driver' suggests frustration or anger. The word 'scrape' indicates the need to move on.
"Hey, here's part of my new book. A clever political anthology. It's for the pretentious and cute. So I named it 'America, will you please stick it in and ride?' Fly dove. We fly."
This line suggests the singer has written a political book for the 'pretentious and cute' with a crude title. The use of 'fly' indicates the desire for freedom, and may be a reference to drugs.
Vacillate stance silver Zippo and cotton. My varicolored weapons and wasps. I'm ok. I'm fine. Feel swell. It's neat. Don't bump me. Bang bang delicious. Go bang bang delicious in the bathroom at Crossroads mall. Scrape.
The singer is feeling good and experiencing intense sensations. The reference to weapons and wasps may be a metaphor for stress or anxiety. The repeated use of 'scrape' indicates a desire to move on.
I'm a fucking pop star. Non-threatening music. Chipped meat hunk seen on Fox. Scrape. I'm a fucking pop star. Budweiser sponsored. I've made it. Put it there, chum. Scrape.
The singer is a successful pop star, but seems to have some ambivalence about the nature of their fame. 'Chipped meat hunk' may be a reference to celebrity objectification. 'Scrape' implies a desire to move past this thought.
"I bought a song. Some sort of Neil Sedaka sample. Hey, pay attention to me. It's so damn important. Well, Fuck ya'. So stick it in and ride." Fly Bush. We fly and ride. Free Quayle we fly.
The singer purchased a song with a sample from Neil Sedaka's music. This line suggests the singer is trying to get attention, but ultimately doesn't care about impressing anyone. The use of 'fly' may have political implications.
Angie's lonely and stinking drunk, with morals like frozen piss. She'll stick it in and ride. Fly Rush, we'll fly and ride. Free horse we ride.
This line implies that Angie is a promiscuous and untrustworthy person. The use of 'fly' may indicate a desire to escape, while 'ride' suggests going along with something regardless of the consequences. 'Free horse' could be a metaphor for wild or reckless behavior.
Contributed by James C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.