Vampire Rodents was the name of a sound collage and experimental music ense… Read Full Bio ↴Vampire Rodents was the name of a sound collage and experimental music ensemble active ca. from 1988 to 1996. They were based out of Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A. although its core members originally came from Canada. The creative nucleus of the project comprised vocalist and composer Daniel Vahnke and keyboardist Victor Wulf. Daniel Vahnke was primarily influenced by 20th-century classical and avant-garde music, whereas Wulf drew from new age, ambient and synth-driven pop music. Their work also dabbled in big band, bebop, musique concrète, industrial, electro, Indian classical and Greek music.

Vampire Rodents' last recodings were made in 1997 when Vahnke was working on a follow-up to Gravity's Rim. Legal issues with Fifth Colvmn Records unexpectedly halted activity and the project was put on hiatus. After over a decade of inactivity, Daniel Vahnke officially announced his musical retirement and the project's abandonment in 2009. In 2016, Vahnke established an official youtube page titled Rodentia Productions and began issuing unreleased material.

Major discography:
War Music (1990)
Premonition (1992)
Lullaby Land (1993)
Clockseed (1995)
Gravity's Rim (1996)

Skin Walker
Vampire Rodents Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The clockwork
Sawing its way through
So filthy
Anchors in my hips
So filthy

I always knew that word
The one you drag out of me

I always knew that word

Clean me away
Like clockwork

Always in your mind
Searing lips

It's clockwork
Sawing its way through

I always knew
That word gives me away
I always knew that word
Anchored in my hips

So filthy
Filthy

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Vampire Rodents' song "Skin Walker" suggest a feeling of being trapped and stripped of one's identity. The clockwork, which could represent the passing of time or a mechanical and unfeeling force, is sawing its way through the singer. The anchors in his hips suggest that he is weighed down and unable to move freely. The repeated reference to the word that gives him away suggests a sense of vulnerability and exposure, as though he is being forced to reveal something he would rather keep hidden.

The lyrics also touch on themes of cleanliness and purity. The desire to be "cleaned away" could represent a desire for absolution or a fresh start. The searing lips suggest a painful purification process, perhaps involving burning away impurities. The repeated references to filth suggest a feeling of shame or disgust with oneself.

Overall, "Skin Walker" seems to be a song about feeling trapped, exposed, and ashamed. The clockwork, anchors, and repeated references to filth all suggest a sense of being stuck in a cycle, unable to move forward or escape from one's past.

Line by Line Meaning

The clockwork
The repetitive and mechanical routine of life

Sawing its way through
Continuously cutting away and eroding one's sense of self

So filthy
Feeling dirty and corrupted

Anchors in my hips
Being held down and unable to move or escape

So filthy
Feeling dirty and corrupted

I always knew that word
Being aware of the signifier that exposes one's true self

The one you drag out of me
The word that others use to reveal my true identity

Clean me away
Erase my sense of self

Like clockwork
In a systematic and predictable manner

Always in your mind
Constantly present in the thoughts and perceptions of others

Searing lips
Words or actions that cause intense pain or discomfort