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 Titanic Overture
W.A.S.P. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I don't understand
Don't feel like a boy and it's not getting clearer
But I don't feel like a man
I'm seventeen and I'm somebody's son
My dad don't know where I stand
Cause when he looks at me
He don't know what I am
The lyrics to W.A.S.P.'s song The Titanic Overture convey a sense of confusion and uncertainty in the context of adolescence. The singer is looking at himself in the mirror and questioning his own identity - he doesn't feel like a boy or a man, and this lack of clarity is causing him distress. The mention of his father adds to the complexity of the situation - despite being someone's son, he doesn't feel like his father understands him. The line "He don't know what I am" suggests that the singer is struggling with perhaps discovering his sexual orientation or gender identity, and that this is causing a rift between him and his father.
Overall, this song reflects on the difficulties of adolescence and the challenges of finding one's place in the world. It highlights the frustration and confusion that can come with feeling like you don't fit in and don't know who you are.
Line by Line Meaning
I look at my face in the mirror
I observe my reflection in the mirror
And I don't understand
And I am perplexed by what I see
Don't feel like a boy and it's not getting clearer
I do not feel like a child, yet do not feel like an adult, and the confusion remains
But I don't feel like a man
Yet I do not feel like a mature male
I'm seventeen and I'm somebody's son
I am 17 years old and the offspring of someone
My dad don't know where I stand
My father is unsure of my current situation
Cause when he looks at me
This is because whenever he sets his eyes upon me
He don't like what he sees
He disapproves of what he beholds
He don't know what I am
As he is unaware of what I truly am
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BLACKIE LAWLESS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind