After years of silence, in 2002 Tribe After Tribe reappeared once again with Enchanted Entrance. Influenced by Robbi's unpleasant experiences with years of poor label support and touring difficulties, the album also marks the second turning point in the band's sound. Gone are the soaring upbeat flavors of the previous albums, in its place are dark experiments with mystic rhythms, aggressive guitars, rock drums, ambient tones, industrial noise, trance chants and deep groove.
Finally in 2008, in the presence of weapons of mass destruction comes the new album: M.O.A.B., a vital and important piece of music that is truly a new testament for the troubled times of the 21st Century. Tribe after Tribe fiercely and fearlessly take on an ancient tale that, for all its inherent difficulty and divisiveness, must be subjected to the crucible of reason for critical examination before it can be rewritten with the balm of tolerance and love. In doing so, M.O.A.B. brilliantly captures both the absurdities and dangers of the diluted belief systems that have been gradually warped and twisted by all-too-human misdeeds across two millennia .. to the point where they're now on the verge of tearing our world apart.
Continuing the work they began in South Africa more than two decades ago and continuing where Enchanted Entrance left off, M.O.A.B. fuses unique world rock elements with ringleader Robbi Robb's incisive, intelligent lyrical dreamscapes, exposing the evil forces of Apartheid and its ideological brethren... forces that remain with us today, perhaps more so than ever before. The message in the music is not, however, a political one, but rather a simple signpost pointing to the common ground of the human heart which we all share; a place where all gunfire is, in essence, 'friendly fire'.
Take the title of the album itself, for example. M.O.A.B. serves a multitude of meanings, ranging from the deserts of Moab where Moses and the Israelites wandered for 40 years, committing their own form of genocide on the unsuspecting men, women and children whose only 'mistake' was worshipping a matriarchal, goddess-inspired culture, to Saddam Hussein's call for the Mother Of All Battles, to the American response with the Mother Of All Bombs, a 'Massive Ordnance Airblast Bomb'. Based in part upon the writings of the biblical book of Deuteronomy, the new songs are sure to delight the old-time faithful fans while also bringing new converts into the tribal fold.
Featuring the psychedelic guitar swirl and pulsating pagan rhythms that have become Tribe trademarks on such propulsive numbers as "Supreme One", "Burning Bush", "Truth and Reconciliation" and "Holy City Warrior", M.O.A.B. definitely brings enough rock to please even the most virulently head-banging of fans. But there are also quieter, more pastoral passages that recall nothing so much as the work done by Peter Gabriel on his Passion album, the soundtrack to "The Last Temptation of Christ"; in fact, album-ending track "World Drum" sounds like it could be an outtake from those stellar sessions. As the M.O.A.B. liner notes say, "If we put down the books and courageously journey inside and listen very carefully to our own hearts we will hear the beat of the universal heart, the beat of the World Drum. In the stillness of this inner space we comprehend the desire of every living thing. All of life wants the same thing: every plant, every animal, every Jew, Christian, Muslim, every being in every nation wants safety."
Or, as Robbi Robb, who has been hailed as "one of the greatest mystics ever to appear in the history of rock," remarks, "Put down the guns, put down the books, put away the pointing fingers of blame .. come away from the temples and into the fields, and there let us work together to eradicate disease and poverty from the face of the Earth. This is the 'Mother Of All Battles'."
Current members:
Robbi Robb : Vocals, Guitar
Eric Ryan : Guitar
Craig Else : Guitar
Mike Hansen : Drums, Percussions
Joey Vera : Bass
Past members
Bruce Williams : Keyboard
Fuzzy Marcus : Bass
Robby Whitelaw : Bass
Doug Pinnick : Bass
Jeff Ament : Bass
Reynold Carlson : Drums
Chris Frazier : Drums
Barry Schneider : Drums
http://www.robbirobb.com/bands/tribeaftertribe/index.php
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/tribeaftertribe
Sally
Tribe After Tribe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ring the bell for a dead romance
A madam rouge with your bag of tricks
There's nothing here that you can fix
Mother's child has gone astray
I don't think she'll go to church today
I don't think so
King for king
And a queen for king
Bring all the things that'll make him sing
Sorrow falls like a heavy rain
Shot in the dark
And baby you kick back again
Sally's in love
Slashed his face
Smashed the window
She bust the place
I once learned to get drunk on blood
Lucky on wine
Touch on wood
Sugar on sugar
And salt for salt
If you can't cum baby
That's your fault
Flash knife kid's got a dad that moans
Broken up like everything he owns
Sally's in love
The song "Sally" by Tribe After Tribe talks about a broken man who is willing to take the chance of ringing the bell for a dead romance. A "madam rouge" is mentioned, who has a bag of tricks but cannot fix the things around her. The lyrics then refer to a mother's child who has gone astray and might not go to church that day. This part of the song suggests that there is a sense of disillusionment and disappointment in life.
The chorus of the song speaks of the hunger for power and how one would go to any extent to gain it. The lyrics suggest that a king would want a queen to accompany him, and together they would bring everything that makes him sing. The song then goes on to speak of the sorrow that falls like a heavy rain and how it can have a lasting impact. The lyrics mention someone being shot in the dark and then bouncing back once again. The last verse of the song is about Sally, who slashed someone's face, smashed a window, and caused chaos. The lyrics tell us that “Sally’s in love,” which suggests that love can drive people to the extreme.
The song has a dark and intense tone. It talks about the complexities of relationships, disillusionment, and disappointment. The lyrics are open to multiple interpretations, making this song profound in its meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
Broken man said he'd take the chance
A man who is broken and defeated has decided to take a risk, no matter how difficult it may be.
Ring the bell for a dead romance
The singer is signaling the end of a love affair that is lifeless and unexciting.
A madam rouge with your bag of tricks
Referring to a seductive and deceptive woman who tricks and fools people with her arsenal of skills and resources.
There's nothing here that you can fix
The situation cannot be rectified, and no amount of effort can change the outcome.
Mother's child has gone astray
A mother's child has strayed from the path and is lost.
I don't think she'll go to church today
The mother has lost hope in her child's spiritual redemption and does not expect her to attend church.
King for king
In exchange for a ruler, the singer is requesting another ruler in return.
And a queen for king
A queen is also requested in exchange for the previously mentioned ruler.
Bring all the things that'll make him sing
All the objects and gifts that bring joy to the ruler should be brought to him so he can sing and praise their giver.
Sorrow falls like a heavy rain
Grief and sorrow pour down like a heavy rainfall.
Shot in the dark
An attempt made with little chance of success, due to a lack of knowledge or information.
And baby you kick back again
Despite being hit hard, the person being addressed manages to preserve and bounce back in the face of adversity.
Sally's in love
The titular character Sally is in love.
Slashed his face
Someone committed a violent act by cutting or slicing someone's face.
Smashed the window
The window was broken and shattered as a result of someone smashing it.
She bust the place
The person being referred to caused destruction and chaos in the area.
I once learned to get drunk on blood
The artist had an experience where they became engrossed in violence and became addicted to it.
Lucky on wine
The singer is fortunate to be able to enjoy the taste and benefits of alcohol.
Touch on wood
The singer is tapping or touching wood as a gesture of good luck or to avoid tempting fate.
Sugar on sugar
An emphasis on sweetness and indulgent pleasures.
And salt for salt
An emphasis on saltiness and experiencing harsher or more difficult aspects of life.
If you can't cum baby
If the person being addressed cannot achieve a sexual climax, it is solely their own responsibility.
That's your fault
The person being addressed is being blamed for their inability to achieve a sexual climax.
Flash knife kid's got a dad that moans
A child who enjoys violence has a father who complains or wails.
Broken up like everything he owns
The father and child's belongings are shattered and destroyed like their relationship, which is crumbling and irreparable.
Contributed by Taylor Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.