The two main influences on the band are the Beatles and Black Sabbath, and keyboardist Josh Silver has expressed a love of Pink Floyd--evidence of which can be heard in the atmospherics of his production techniques.
The band arose from the ashes of the band Carnivore and gained popularity with their songs "Black No. 1" and "Christian Woman" from the Bloody Kisses album. The album was the first in Roadrunner Records' catalog to go both gold and platinum. They have successfully toured with Pantera, Life of Agony, and dozens of other established and up-and-coming bands, as well as taking part in Ozzfest. The band had VHS and DVD documentary releases in addition to their CD releases and contributions to movie soundtracks and compilations.
Steele died of sepsis caused by diverticulitis (initially reported as heart failure) on April 14 2010 at the age of 48.
Singles and video-featured songs
Black No. 1 - 1993
Christian Woman - 1993
Cinnamon Girl - 1996
Everyone I Love Is Dead - 1999
Everything Dies - 1999
I Don't Wanna Be Me - 2003
Love You to Death - 1996
My Girlfriend's Girlfriend - 1996
Profits of Doom - 2007
September Sun - 2007
Summer Breeze - 1993
Discography
Slow, Deep and Hard - 1991
Origin of The Feces - 1992
Bloody Kisses - 1993
October Rust- 1996
World Coming Down - 1999
Life Is Killing Me - 2003
Dead Again - 2007
Members
Peter Steele - Vocals, bass guitar and songwriting (1990-2010)
Josh Silver - Keyboards (1990-2010)
Kenny Hickey - Guitar and backing vocals (1990-2010)
Johnny Kelly - Drums (1994-2010)
Sal Abruscato - Drums (1990-1993)
Black #1
Type O Negative Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And boy I found her
She's in love with herself
She likes the dark
On her milk white neck
The devil's mark
Now it's all Hallows Eve
But will she trick or treat
I bet she will
She will
Happy Halloween, baby
She's got a date at midnight
With Nosferatu
Oh baby, Lilly Munster
Ain't got nothing on you
Well, when I called her evil
She just laughed
Well, cast that spell on me
Boo bitch craft
Yeah, you wanna go out
'Cause it's raining and blowing
You can't go out
'Cause your roots are showing
Dye 'em black
Ooh, dye 'em black
Black, black, black, black no. 1
Black, black, black, black no. 1
Little wolf skin boots
And clove cigarettes
An erotic funeral
For witch she's dressed
Her perfume smells like
Burning leaves
Everyday is Halloween
Yeah, you wanna go out
'Cause it's raining and blowing
You can't go out
'Cause your roots are showing
Dye 'em black
Ooh, dye 'em black
Black, black, black, black no. 1
She dyes 'em black
Black, black, black, black no. 1
Loving you, loving you
Love, loving you
Was like loving the dead
Loving you, loving you
Love, loving you
Was like loving the dead
Loving you was like loving the dead
Loving you was like loving the dead
Loving you was like loving the dead
Was like loving the dead
Was like loving the dead
Was like loving the dead
Sacre bleu
Loving you, loving you
Love, loving you was like loving the dead
Was like fucking the dead
Loving you was like loving the dead
Loving you was like loving the dead
Loving you was like loving the dead
Was like loving the dead
Loving you, loving you, loving you
Loving you, loving you, loving you
Was like loving the dead
Was like loving the dead
Was like loving the dead
Black, black, black, black no. 1
She dyes 'em black
Black, black, black, black no. 1
Ooh yeah
Black, black, black, black no. 1
Black, black, black, black no. 1
The song "Black #1" by Type O Negative is a twisted love song about a girl who is obsessed with darkness and Halloween. The lyrics describe the singer's infatuation with the girl who he calls "trouble" and "evil," but who he also can't resist. She revels in the dark mystery she exudes, with her witch-like attire and perfume that smells like burning leaves. On Halloween night, the girl has a date with the famous vampire, Nosferatu, and nothing, not even bad weather or her roots showing, will stop her.
The chorus of "Black #1" repeats the phrase "black no. 1," which the band has explained refers to the hair dye the girl uses to achieve her signature dark look. However, the repeated use of the phrase is also a kind of mantra that emphasizes the girl's embrace of darkness and death. The line "loving you was like loving the dead" adds to the macabre tone, suggesting that the singer is attracted to the girl's morbidity, perhaps to the point of necrophilia.
Overall, "Black #1" is a disturbing but intriguing portrayal of a dangerous love affair, and the singer's acceptance and even enjoyment of the girl's embrace of death and Halloween.
Line by Line Meaning
I went looking for trouble
I was searching for problems
And boy I found her
And I found my source of trouble, which happens to be a woman
She's in love with herself
She is self-centered and obsessed with her own appearance
She likes the dark
She's attracted to the occult and spooky things
On her milk white neck
Referring to a pale neck, like a column of milk
The devil's mark
She has a symbolic mark of the devil, like a bite or a tattoo
Now it's all Hallows Eve
It's Halloween night
The moon is full
The moon is at its maximum illumination
But will she trick or treat
Will she play pranks or demand treats on Halloween?
I bet she will
The artist assumes she will demand treats
She's got a date at midnight
She has a romantic rendezvous with someone
With Nosferatu
Nosferatu is a vampire character from a 1922 horror movie
Oh baby, Lilly Munster
Lily Munster is a TV character from a show called The Munsters
Ain't got nothing on you
You are more alluring than Lily Munster (her beauty is more intense)
Well, when I called her evil
When I referred to her as wicked
She just laughed
She responded with amusement rather than offense
Well, cast that spell on me
Enchant me with your magic
Boo bitch craft
A humorous reference to the practice of witchcraft
Yeah, you wanna go out
You want to leave the house
'Cause it's raining and blowing
Because it's bad weather outside
You can't go out
You are unable to leave the house
'Cause your roots are showing
Because your natural hair color is visible and needs a touch-up
Dye 'em black
Cover up your roots with black hair dye
Ooh, dye 'em black
The artist emphasizes the importance of dyeing the hair black
Little wolf skin boots
Boots made from wolf skin
And clove cigarettes
Cigarettes flavored with clove oil
An erotic funeral
A sexually suggestive outfit that resembles funeral attire
For witch she's dressed
She is dressed like a witch
Her perfume smells like
The scent of her perfume resembles
Burning leaves
The smell of burning autumn leaves
Everyday is Halloween
She always dresses up and behaves in a spooky manner
Loving you, loving you
The act of loving you
Love, loving you
The feeling of love for you
Was like loving the dead
The experience was akin to loving someone who is dead or emotionally unavailable
Was like fucking the dead
A vulgar way of expressing the same idea
Sacre bleu
An exclamation of surprise or disbelief in French
Black, black, black, black no. 1
Repeating the phrase 'black no. 1' as a refrain
She dyes 'em black
She colors her hair black
Loving you, loving you, loving you
The act of loving you repeatedly
Ooh yeah
An expression of excitement or approval
Contributed by London D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Temponaut_Timelapse
Lovin you
@OtakuBK
Love ur channel! And you have good taste in music as well!
@codycooper5768
was like FUCKING THE DEAD!!
@robertmetzger1753
Was Like F"in the Dead !! Lolol
@duncan3998
Hating you
@patrickbateman5387
Hey it’s the time lapse guy.
@phunkymonkiee
The self-aware gothic satire in the lyrics was no doubt lost on many a teenager in the 90s. Great song.
@elderlypoodle9181
Phunky Monkee… You just answered my question.. 👍😁
@neilolsen342
What wasnt lost on me in the 90's. Newflash, every teenager is an ignorant dumbass until they reach the age of 30 and then add on 5 more yrs of getting xp.
@mikemanson5927
Not quite. Perhaps not as much when it first came out, but us TON fans had a good laugh at the posers who thought Marilyn Manson was the be-all end-all of goth when we knew there was so much more.