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 Torture Never Stops
W.A.S.P. Lyrics
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You're banging on the walls
Hang, hang, hanging up yourself
You're hanging by your balls
And you, you die but no-one hears or cares
And hope's the rope that keeps you tied in knots
The torture never stops
Suck, suck, sucking at your life
Your master sucks the juice
Shoot, shoot, shooting at you
And the hangman's noose is loose
And you, you cry but no-one hears or cares
And hope's the rope that keeps you tied in knots
The torture never stops
The torture never stops
Your masters beat you bloody
Still you're running back for more
And every day, you lay down and play the whore
The torture never stops
The torture never stops
The lyrics of W.A.S.P.'s song "The Torture Never Stops" describe a person who is trapped in a cycle of abuse and pain. The opening lines, "Bang, bang, banging in your head / You're banging on the walls" suggest that the person is both experiencing and expressing their pain in a physical way. They may be hitting their head or fists against the wall as a coping mechanism. The next lines, "Hang, hang, hanging up yourself / You're hanging by your balls," suggest that the person is feeling trapped and powerless, as if they are being strung up by their own vulnerability.
The second verse introduces the idea of a master figure who is sucking the life out of the person and shooting at them. The image of the hangman's noose being loose reinforces the idea that the person is in danger of being killed or executed at any moment. The chorus, "The torture never stops / The torture never stops," reinforces this sense of unrelenting pain and suffering.
The final verse introduces the idea that the person's masters are beating them bloody but that they keep coming back for more. The lines, "And every day, you lay down and play the whore / The torture never stops / The torture never stops," suggest that the person feels helpless and trapped. They may feel that they have no other option but to stay in their abusive situation in order to survive.
Overall, the lyrics of "The Torture Never Stops" paint a bleak picture of a person who is trapped in a cycle of abuse and pain. The song suggests that the person feels powerless and helpless, with no hope for escape.
Line by Line Meaning
Bang, bang, banging in your head
The constant noise of your thoughts is driving you crazy.
You're banging on the walls
You're trying to find a way out of this mental prison.
Hang, hang, hanging up yourself
You feel trapped and powerless, like you're causing your own suffering.
You're hanging by your balls
You're in a precarious position, with your life and future on the line.
And you, you die but no-one hears or cares
Your struggles are invisible to the world, and no one is there to help you.
And hope's the rope that keeps you tied in knots
Hope can be both a source of strength and a torment, when it seems out of reach.
The torture never stops
The cycle of pain and suffering seems to have no end.
Suck, suck, sucking at your life
Your energy and vitality are being drained away by someone or something else.
Your master sucks the juice
You're in a situation where someone else has power over you and is taking advantage of it.
Shoot, shoot, shooting at you
You're being attacked from all sides, with no sense of safety or protection.
And the hangman's noose is loose
Death seems to be looming closer, with no way to escape it.
And you, you cry but no-one hears or cares
You feel alone and helpless, with no one to turn to for comfort or support.
Your masters beat you bloody
You're being physically and emotionally abused, with no end in sight.
Still you're running back for more
You're stuck in a harmful cycle, unable to break free from the abuse and pain even though you know it's hurting you.
And every day, you lay down and play the whore
You're sacrificing your dignity and self-respect in the hope of gaining something, but it never works.
The torture never stops
No matter what you do, the pain and suffering never ends.
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave
Written by: BLACKIE LAWLESS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind