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.
Smirk The Godblender
Thought Industry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rot disease doc cowers sly. Bigot's digest blacklist
trade. Homophobic? Barb's pro-life? Fist happy
conservative. White gold home shopping cross. Vinyl
infant nailed Jesus style. Huddled ignorant cult of
chumps sobbing.
December bliss. Tossed balloons of santa paint splash
lovell and south rose. Watch grandma's swastika
taunt dad's foundation walls. She expressed ice nerve
and speech, and they know I'm more left than right.
Burn the country clubs. Rich white man. Scared white
man. This is me, face turned wry. Snow.
Electric my passion punch. Sheep test the artichoke.
Kill liddy. Love Stanley III. Days of height and
Milbrook house; and I wonder of April 16th? Wavy
gravy and Ram Das. And I'm reading the oracle, and
I'm feeling more god than straight. Burned beneath the
lids. Hoffman's here. Krassner's there. Kids will play.
Load Jim's .44 behind the ATM. Await Mercedes
Benz. Sugar man behind the wheel. Shoving cocked
piece to his cheek. Have him pull his max in green
George called it "War on Drugs", but I call it "War on
Love." War on all my friends. Leave us free to choose
and be. This is me. Rubbed in shit. Old shoes. Huge
clue.
(II) Who Took My Holiday Inn Bible?)
Protestants. Catholics. Jews. Islam. Baptists.
Lutherans. Mormons. Orthodoxy. Christian science.
Jehovah's witness. Methodists. Episcopalians are
falling down.
Blend it, religions crime. Grind it, religion dies.
(III) I'd Rather Hide Than Be Dead, But I'd Rather Be Dead Than Dumb)
Humpback slitting sicily. Exxon glaze. Ramming
japs. Blood gushing raw blowhole. Crone whale
lambasting death. Sand scraped and forcible shored.
Metaphor lays mucked and dies. I laugh, "I know what
she's doing. She's choosing her final time. Hemingway
Like grave. What is land is lost at sea." This is me. Face
torn blind. Ribs cracked. Tongue lost.
The lyrics to Thought Industry's "Smirk The Godblender" are full of satirical commentary on religion, politics, and societal norms. The first section, "Your Grandma's A Seal Killer," calls out various forms of bigotry and ignorance, from homophobic beliefs to wealthy white man's clubs. The mention of Himmler and a swastika-wearing grandma also hints at the pervasiveness of fascist ideology. The line "Kill Liddy" refers to G. Gordon Liddy, a key figure in the Watergate scandal, and the overall tone of this section suggests a desire for revolutionary action against oppression.
The second section, "Who Took My Holiday Inn Bible?" critiques the divisive nature of organized religion and calls for a blending of beliefs. The line "Grind it, religion dies" could be interpreted as a call to let go of dogmatic beliefs and embrace a more open-minded approach to spirituality.
The final section, "I'd Rather Hide Than Be Dead, But I'd Rather Be Dead Than Dumb," features vivid and violent imagery, such as a humpback whale being slaughtered and a tongue being lost. These lines could represent a rejection of conformity and a desire for authenticity, even if it comes at a cost.
Overall, "Smirk The Godblender" seems to be pushing for a breaking down of societal norms and a rejection of oppressive systems, whether they be political, religious, or cultural.
Line by Line Meaning
Rot disease doc cowers sly. Bigot's digest blacklist rade.
A dishonest doctor hides a disease while a bigot spreads hatred and intolerance.
Homophobic? Barb's pro-life? Fist happy conservative.
Some conservative individuals are intolerant and violent towards those who do not share their beliefs.
White gold home shopping cross. Vinyl infant nailed Jesus style.
Commercialization and cheap marketing tactics have reduced Christianity to a mere product.
Huddled ignorant cult of chumps sobbing.
Some people blindly follow a destructive belief system despite the harm it causes.
Himmler cops sip raisin rum. Christmas eve. December bliss.
Even the most evil people can have moments of peace and happiness.
Tossed balloons of santa paint splash lovell and south rose.
Even joyful celebrations can be ruined by hate and prejudice.
Watch grandma's swastika taunt dad's foundation walls.
Family dynamics can be complicated, with older generations holding onto insensitive beliefs.
She expressed ice nerve and speech, and they know I'm more left than right.
The artist is more progressive and open-minded than their family or peers.
Burn the country clubs. Rich white man. Scared white man. This is me, face turned wry. Snow.
The artist is critical of wealthy and privileged people who cling to idealized notions of power.
Electric my passion punch. Sheep test the artichoke. Kill liddy. Love Stanley III.
The artist has high energy and passion, and possibly harbors desires for violence or chaos.
Days of height and Milbrook house; and I wonder of April 16th? Wavy gravy and Ram Das.
The singer references a date and place where significant events occurred, possibly related to their spiritual or psychedelic experiences.
And I'm reading the oracle, and I'm feeling more god than straight. Burned beneath the lids.
The artist is seeking guidance or enlightenment, and feels a strong connection to a higher power.
Hoffman's here. Krassner's there. Kids will play.
The singer references influential counterculture figures and emphasizes the importance of creativity and youth.
Load Jim's .44 behind the ATM. Await Mercedes Benz.
The singer may have violent or criminal tendencies.
Sugar man behind the wheel. Shoving cocked piece to his cheek. Have him pull his max in green.
The singer describes a violent crime involving a firearm and a getaway car.
George called it "War on Drugs", but I call it "War on Love." War on all my friends. Leave us free to choose and be.
The artist criticizes draconian drug policies that harm innocent people.
Protestants. Catholics. Jews. Islam. Baptists. Lutherans. Mormons. Orthodoxy. Christian science. Jehovah's witness. Methodists. Episcopalians are falling down.
The artist observes the damaging effects of divisive religious beliefs.
Blend it, religions crime. Grind it, religion dies.
The singer believes that religion causes more harm than good and should be abandoned.
Humpback slitting sicily. Exxon glaze. Ramming japs. Blood gushing raw blowhole.
The singer describes violent and destructive behavior with seemingly no remorse or empathy.
Crone whale lambasting death. Sand scraped and forcible shored. Metaphor lays mucked and dies.
The artist conjures a brutal image of destruction and death.
I laugh, "I know what she's doing. She's choosing her final time. Hemingway Like grave. What is land is lost at sea."
The artist observes someone making a life-changing decision, akin to choosing suicide.
This is me. Face torn blind. Ribs cracked. Tongue lost.
The artist has endured great physical and emotional pain, possibly due to their own violent tendencies.
Contributed by Andrew F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.