Vendetta Red is an alternative rock band which formed in 1998 in Bakersfiel… Read Full Bio ↴Vendetta Red is an alternative rock band which formed in 1998 in Bakersfield, California, United States, though the band resided in Seattle, Washington for most of their career. They were known for their unusual lyrics and frontman Zach Davidson's distinctive vocal style.

Vendetta Red independently released their first record, Blackout Analysis, in 2000, and followed that with White Knuckled Substance in 2001, through Loveless Records. Vendetta Red signed to Epic Records and released their major label debut, Between the Never and the Now, in 2003. Sisters of the Red Death, released in late 2005 before the band's 2006 breakup, charted at #21 on the Top Heatseeker's Chart

After their split, former Vendetta Red members Zach, Leif, and Jeff started the band Sirens Sister.

Vendetta Red reunited in March 2011, playing the entirety of Sisters of the Red Death at El Corazon in Seatle, Washington. Afterwards they started creating new record and played the 2011 Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival. In 2012 they released single Close To Me.
In 2013 they released two EPs: Scripture and Light Year Anniversary.
In 2018 they suddenly released an LP Quinceañera.

Current Members
Zach Davidson - Vocals (Sirens Sister)
Leif Anderson - Guitar (Sirens Sister)
Jonah Bergman - Bass (Schoolyard Heroes)
Burke Thomas - Drums (Megasapien)

Studio Albums
- Blackout Analysis (2000)
- White Knuckled Substance (2001)
- Between the Never and the Now (2003)
- Sisters of the Red Death (2005)
- Quinceañera (2018)

EPs
- 6 Kisses, A Blatant Reminder of Why We Are Alive (1999)
- Cut Your Noose EP (2002)
- Shatterday EP (2003)
- Scripture (2013)
- Light Year Anniversary (2013)

In Lieu of Dead Brides
Vendetta Red Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Fucked on the gurney 'til you're black and blue,
by beheaded banshees who cackle and coo.
Who'd let a medic of blasphemous birth
flavor his meat with the salt of the earth?
Cannons and hymnals condemn you to die,
and oh how the acolytes sing?

"Lay them on the lawn like dead virgins.

Goddess of the grove we praise thee.
Gloria.
For every one of our sisters tortured
a thousand of their sons will burn."

Fist through your gums like a five fingered kiss.
A sad toothless suitor in post coital bliss.
Roll up that dollar, and powder your nose,
you'll show up like semen on dark colored clothes.
Forceps and scalpel make a mockery of flesh,
and oh how the acolytes sing?

They're pointing, laughing, while he begs
his tormentors for just one taste
of that wicked honey between her legs,

before it goes away,
and she goes away.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Vendetta Red's song "In Lieu of Dead Brides" paint a dark and disturbing image of a person being violated, possibly by medical professionals or supernatural beings. The opening lines describe someone being assaulted on a gurney until they are black and blue, while beheaded banshees cackle and coo. Then, there is a reference to a medic who uses the salt of the earth to flavor their meat, implying cannibalism or some sort of grotesque ritual.

The following lines bring in religious imagery, with cannons and hymnals condemning the person to die and acolytes singing about laying dead virgins on the lawn and praising the goddess of the grove. The final verse describes someone having their gums punched through like a kiss and then using drugs to escape the pain and reality of their situation. The lyrics end with the person begging their tormentors for a taste of "that wicked honey between her legs," before ultimately losing her and the opportunity altogether.

Overall, the lyrics suggest a sense of powerlessness and victimization, with various forces conspiring to harm and degrade the person.

Line by Line Meaning

Fucked on the gurney 'til you're black and blue, by beheaded banshees who cackle and coo.
You have been brutally abused on the stretcher by headless ghosts who laugh in a terrifying way.

Who'd let a medic of blasphemous birth flavor his meat with the salt of the earth?
Why would anyone let a doctor with sinful origins enhance their food with plain salt?

Cannons and hymnals condemn you to die, and oh how the acolytes sing?
Weapons and religious songs accuse you of being guilty of something and the followers are happy about your punishment.

"Lay them on the lawn like dead virgins. Goddess of the grove we praise thee. Gloria. For every one of our sisters tortured a thousand of their sons will burn."
Let the deceased lie in the open like untouched females. We adore the deity of the woods and will burn a thousand of their offspring for each woman they mistreat.

Fist through your gums like a five fingered kiss. A sad toothless suitor in post coital bliss.
Your mouth is punched roughly as if it was a romantic kiss. You are now a dejected admirer with no teeth after being in a state of euphoria.

Roll up that dollar, and powder your nose, you'll show up like semen on dark colored clothes.
Wrap that bill and snort cocaine, and you will resemble a white stain on a black garment.

Forceps and scalpel make a mockery of flesh, and oh how the acolytes sing?
Clamps and knives are used to ridicule physical body parts, and the worshipers rejoice?

They're pointing, laughing, while he begs his tormentors for just one taste of that wicked honey between her legs, before it goes away, and she goes away.
The people who are mocking him are gesturing and laughing, while he pleads with his oppressors for a chance to indulge in the sinful pleasures with her before she leaves permanently.

Contributed by Parker V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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