W.A.S.P. began following the demise of Circus Circus, a Los Angeles-based band featuring Blackie Lawless and Randy Piper. The original lineup of W.A.S.P. was formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1982 by Lawless, Piper, Rik Fox, and Tony Richards.
The first lineup did not last for long, as Rik Fox was let go and went on to join the band Steeler with vocalist Ron Keel and guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen. He was replaced by Don Costa, the bassist in Richards' former band, Dante Fox (which later evolved into Great White). Shortly afterward, Costa also left the band and his position on the bass was filled by Brayden Parker. By the time they recorded their debut album "W.A.S.P.", Lawless had taken over on bass and Chris Holmes had joined on lead guitar. At the same time, guitarist Chris Holmes joined the band.
Shortly after the album's release in 1984, Richards was replaced by former Keel drummer Steve Riley. The group released "The Last Command" in 1985, before Piper left in July 1986. Lawless subsequently switched back to guitar, with Johnny Rod (real name John Tumminello) leaving King Kobra to take over as bassist. "Inside the Electric Circus" followed in October. A live album "Live...In the Raw" was released in 1987. Riley left during the subsequent tour to join L.A. Guns. He was replaced for future shows by a string of temporary substitutes. By early 1988, W.A.S.P. had started working on its fourth studio album with Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali.
The band's popularity peaked in the 1980s, yet they continue to record and tour, making them one of the most enduring of the West Coast heavy metal bands. W.A.S.P. gained notoriety for their shock rock themed image, lyrics and live performances. They have sold over 12 million copies of their albums.
The band was a prominent target in the mid-1980s of the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) led by Tipper Gore, who at the time was wife of then-Senator Al Gore (D-TN), an organization that pushed for warning labels on recorded music. The band immortalized its fight with the PMRC on the song "Harder, Faster" from their 1987 live album, Live...In the Raw.
"I Wanna Be Somebody" was the most successful single from W.A.S.P.'s debut album. and It was ranked at No. 84 in VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs of All Time.
In October 2007, W.A.S.P. embarked on The Crimson Idol Tour, to celebrate that album's 15th anniversary. It is the first time that the album, often regarded to be among the band's finest work, was performed in full from start to finish. The tour kicked off in Greece, in Thessaloniki at the Principal Club Theater on October 26, 2007.
Blackie Lawless remains the only member from the original line-up. They released their most recent album in November 2009, entitled Babylon.
On September 21, 2012, the band celebrated the 30th anniversary of their first ever live show by kicking off a world tour at The Forum in London. The set for the tour was split into three sections: songs from the first four albums, a cut-down rendition of the Crimson Idol performance and a final segment for newer material.
The Invisible Boy
W.A.S.P. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My brother was the one, that couldn't do no wrong
And I was there dying in the shadow of him
Red, crimson red, am I the invisible boy?
Feel the strap, cross my back
Yeah I'm the new whipping boy
Who am I - the orphan son you would never need?
Who am I - cause I'm the boy only the mirror sees
Who am I - the slave you gave just the air I breathe?
Who am I - cause I'm the boy only the mirror sees
Oh I got the same old reruns, horror movies in my head
And I can't rest, the scare me to death
But if I'm not alive, how can I be dead?
Red, crimson red, am I the invisible boy?
Feel the strap, cross my back
Yeah I'm the new whipping boy
[Chorus]
Oh, why me?
Why him?
Can you tell me?
It's confession again?
Come talk to me, I see in your eyes
Titanic misery, ashamed that you're alive
I'm the face that you see
When the face isn't yours
I'm the mirror my boy
[Chorus]
Some people never go crazy
What truly boring lives they must lead
Is there no love to shelter me?
Only love, love sets me free
"The Invisible Boy" is a powerful and emotional song by the American heavy metal band W.A.S.P. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a young boy who feels unwanted and mistreated. He is the overlooked and forgotten child while his brother is treated like a prince. He is trapped in a world where he feels invisible, constantly beaten down both physically and emotionally. The color red is used throughout the song as a symbol of pain and suffering. The chorus asks the questions that the boy constantly feels but never voices out loud: "Who am I - the orphan son you would never need? Who am I - cause I'm the boy only the mirror sees? Who am I - the slave you gave just the air I breathe?" These questions represent the anguish and torment of one who feels unwanted and unloved.
The lyrics of the song speak to anyone who has ever felt like an outsider, left out, or mistreated. It is a song about pain, loneliness and the struggle for identity. One of the interesting features of the song is how it uses the mirror as a metaphor for self-reflection. The singer constantly sees himself as nothing more than a reflection of others. He is always asking, "Who am I?" and never finding an answer. The song is a cry for help, a plea for someone to see him and recognize that he too exists in this world. W.A.S.P. delivers a powerful message about the importance of love and how it can set us free from our own emotional prisons.
Line by Line Meaning
I was the boy unwanted, a prisoner I'm born to them
I was the unwanted child that was born to my parents, I felt like a prisoner in their home
My brother was the one, that couldn't do no wrong
My brother was perfect in their eyes and could do nothing wrong
And I was there dying in the shadow of him
I lived in the shadow of my brother and was slowly dying inside
Red, crimson red, am I the invisible boy?
I feel invisible and unnoticed, as if I am a ghost that nobody pays attention to
Feel the strap, cross my back
I am constantly whipped and punished for things that are not my fault
Yeah I'm the new whipping boy
I have become the new scapegoat, taking the blame for everything that goes wrong
Who am I - the orphan son you would never need?
I am the child that nobody wants or needs, treated like I am not even there
Who am I - cause I'm the boy only the mirror sees
I feel invisible and unnoticed, as if I am a ghost that nobody pays attention to
Who am I - the slave you gave just the air I breathe?
I am a slave to my parents, given only the bare essentials to survive
Oh I got the same old reruns, horror movies in my head
I constantly relive the same memories, haunted by the horrors of my past
And I can't rest, the scare me to death
I cannot find peace, these memories terrify me to my core
But if I'm not alive, how can I be dead?
I feel as if I am a walking corpse, not truly alive but also not dead
Come talk to me, I see in your eyes
I can see your pain and suffering reflected in your eyes
Titanic misery, ashamed that you're alive
You are suffering greatly, feeling ashamed that you are alive
I'm the face that you see, When the face isn't yours
I am the one you see when you look in the mirror, not seeing yourself but instead seeing your pain reflected back at you
Some people never go crazy, What truly boring lives they must lead
Some people never experience the pain and hardships that I have, leading very boring and uneventful lives
Is there no love to shelter me?
I feel unloved and alone in the world
Only love, love sets me free
The only thing that can save me is love, it is the only thing that can set me free from my pain and suffering
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BLACKIE LAWLESS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind