The band hit the scene in New York City in 1987. Coming of age during the presidency of the first George Bush, many of its songs were politically based, from the prescient "In Conclusion" to the call to arms, "Children of the Winter."
The term "Acid Punk" was coined by Clarke to explain the hard driving trippy sound that was Warrior Soul, particularly the Space Age Playboys album, mixed by Ben Gross. The style once again predicted what was going to break on the American and International rock music scene with the success of Green Day and The Offspring.
The critical acclaim that accompanied the band translated to record sales in Europe but there was not enough push or touring to break in the USA. Despite recognition by peers, including Lars Ulrich from Metallica, who had been quoted as saying Space Age Playboys was his favorite album, Warrior Soul disbanded in 1995.
In 1996, Odds & Ends was released as a posthumous collection of demos and left material that were to be part of a major label record (Electra, Nancy Jeffries) that got squashed by Peter Mench at Q-Prime management. Clarke took 2 years off after disbanding "The Playboys" and moved back to New York and wrote and released on "Cargo Records" his spoken word solo album "Opium Hotel" 2004. Soon after Clarke was tapped to be the lead singer of Dirty Rig and coproduced their album for "Escapi Records" in 2006. All the Warrior Soul albums were re released in 2006 and the latest is called "Destroy The War Machine" due to be out March 2010. Mark Evans, the band's drummer for three of their albums, was murdered in London, UK in 2005.
Following the re-release of the band's first five albums on in 2006, Clarke reformed Warrior Soul for a UK tour in March 2007, using long time musician friends from England and Sweden. Work has begun on a new Warrior Soul album and a live album taken from the band's October UK tour. (This was released in mid 2007) Clarke has since been announced as the new lead singer of Trouble as of May 2, 2008, according to Trouble's website.
The band released a limited edition studio album titled Chinese Democracy in October 2008, just a month before the Guns N' Roses album of the same name was due for release. The band shortly re-named the album Destroy the War Machine and began to print more copies.
In 2008, the band played the second incarnation of Hard Rock Hell, in North Wales, with the large room over capacity when the band play, rendering the opposing Hawkwind show on the next stage virtually unattended. Kerrang! magazine reviewed the show as KKKKK (5 Ks)[citation needed]
In December 2008, also saw the band return to large indoor stages, with shows at the Shepherds Bush Empire, London, and the Academy Glasgow.
In 2009, the band's re-issues of the classic Warrior Soul work on vinyl, and a European tour to support the release of Destroy the War Machine.
2010 saw singer Kory Clarke living in Berlin, Germany, and performing his new rock cabaret "Kory On The Rocks" with local backing band Stashbox.
Warrior Soul will be on tour in Europe in September 2011.
In Dec 2021, Warrior Soul featuring frontman Kory Clarke unleashed their first single “We’re Alive” from their upcoming studio album Out On Bail, which will be available via Livewire/Cargo during the first quarter of 2022.
Jump for Joy
Warrior Soul Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Politicians underground, no light can be found
All the pimps, all the whores, all demented religious wars
Evangelist so corrupt, arm out, palm up
Jump for joy, oh, jump for joy
Worlds end
Jump for joy, oh, jump for joy
All the oil that you pump, my world's a garbage dump
Land developed by the pigs, you consume everything
Bronze, iron turn to steel, eat your plastic at every meal
Drink the water then you choke your bank account, you're broke
Jump for joy, oh, jump for joy
Worlds end
Jump for joy, oh, jump for joy
Worlds end
Populations multiply, there are holes in the sky
TV man shit on you, you love to be screwed
Packaging maniac, guaranteed money back
A no-money superstar, the U.S. on credit cards
Jump for joy, oh, jump for joy
Worlds end
Jump for joy, oh, jump for joy
Worlds end
Silence descends as I walk astray
God please, keep me straight for just one more day
Times are bad, I hurt what can I do?
I just need some time alone with you
Here we are back again
We have come to the end
No use for you to cry
The lyrics to Warrior Soul's song Jump for Joy offer a scathing and unapologetic portrayal of the corrupt and morally bankrupt state of the world. The first verse paints a picture of a dark and unsettling world, with needle boys in the park and rotten cops after dark, and politicians lurking in the shadows. The chorus encourages listeners to "jump for joy" at the thought of the world's end, suggesting that perhaps it would be a relief and a release from the evils of society. The second verse speaks to issues of environmental destruction and overconsumption, with references to oil pumping and land development by greedy pigs who consume everything, from bronze and iron turning to steel, to plastic being consumed at every meal. The verse ends by referencing the US credit card culture, which seems to herald a self-destructive American society.
The third verse speaks to the issues of overpopulation, pollution, and the manipulation by the media, with "TV man" feeding a desire among the masses to be screwed through consumerism. The verse ends with a reference to the guaranteed money back mentality of packaging maniacs, and the emergence of the no-money superstar culture. The final chorus concludes with a bleak message of the world's end, with the singer pleading for God's help to keep him straight for just one more day.
Overall, the song seems to be an attack on the hypocrisy and greed of society, with the lyrics taking a thick and layered approach to convey the many problems that plague humanity.
Line by Line Meaning
Needle boys in the park, rotten cops after dark
Drug addicts are found in the park and corrupt police officers operate without being caught during nighttime.
Politicians underground, no light can be found
Politicians are involved in shady activities that remain hidden from public view and there is no transparency in the political system.
All the pimps, all the whores, all demented religious wars
There are prostitutes and pimps on the streets and there are religious conflicts which are irrational and insane.
Evangelist so corrupt, arm out, palm up
Evangelists are corrupt, asking for money from people in need to fulfill their own selfish desires.
Jump for joy, oh, jump for joy
Worlds end
Despite the issues found in the world, people continue to act like everything is okay, but everything is ultimately coming to an end.
All the oil that you pump, my world's a garbage dump
The overconsumption of oil leads to pollution and an overall degradation of the world.
Land developed by the pigs, you consume everything
Land is destroyed quickly for consumerism, leading to a depletion of natural resources and habitats for animals.
Bronze, iron turn to steel, eat your plastic at every meal
Humans rely on man-made materials and end up consuming them in their daily lives, even in their food.
Drink the water then you choke your bank account, you're broke
The quality of water worsens, resulting in people having to spend more money for their basic needs and ultimately leaving them broke.
Populations multiply, there are holes in the sky
The population is growing uncontrollably and the ozone layer is being damaged.
TV man shit on you, you love to be screwed
People are being manipulated and controlled by what they watch on television, despite the negative impact on their lives.
Packaging maniac, guaranteed money back
There is a heavy emphasis on product packaging and consumers are promised refunds on their purchases.
A no-money superstar, the U.S. on credit cards
People who are famous can't afford their lifestyle and the country is going into debt.
Silence descends as I walk astray
God please, keep me straight for just one more day
Times are bad, I hurt what can I do?
I just need some time alone with you
The singer is feeling lost and is reaching out to God for guidance in a hopeless world.
Here we are back again
We have come to the end
No use for you to cry
Despite coming to the realization that everything is coming to an end, there is no use in mourning as it is beyond their control.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DUKE ELLINGTON, SID KULLER, PAUL WEBSTER, PAUL FRANCIS WEBSTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind