Named after the 1932 Bela Lugosi film, White Zombie's musical style was sample-heavy, based around groovy riffs and Rob Zombie's snarling vocals. The samples that filled their records were mostly from obscure horror films, but used creatively to create a kind of carnival freak-show vibe.
Rob Zombie, still known at this time as Rob Cummings, supported himself through multiple jobs, including working as a cycle courier. Most famously, he was a production assistant on Pee-Wee's Playhouse, but he also worked as a designer on pornographic magazines. At this time, he became involved with Shauna Reynolds, another up-and-coming designer. Together they shared a love of classic horror and sci-fi, heavy music, and the weirder corners of American underground culture. They decided to form a band that would draw upon all these influences and White Zombie was formed. Rob took vocals and the name Rob Straker (later changed to Rob Zombie), while Reynolds became the bassist and assumed the name of Sean Yseult. They became the only constants in the often-fluctuating band line-up.
White Zombie best showed their signature style on their final two studio albums. La Sexorcisto: Devil Music, Vol. 1 and Astro-Creep: 2000 Songs of Love, Destruction and Other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head were impressive displays of their sample/riff style, thanks to higher production values.
In 1998, Rob Zombie founded his own label, Zombie-A-Go-Go, signing surf and horror acts like The Bomboras and The Ghastly Ones, as well as compiling the mix album Halloween Hootenany. He was managing the new band of his brother Michael, now known as Spider One, the punk-tinged Powerman 5000, but also looked to his own solo career.
After huge opening week sales of his first solo album, Hellbilly Deluxe that dwarfed those of any White Zombie release, it was announced that the band had split up. Bassist Sean Yseult left to form female horror-rockers Famous Monsters and, later, Rock City Morgue. Rob Zombie went on to continued success with his solo music project, and new acclaim as a successful film director.
Die Zombie Die
White Zombie Lyrics
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Dazzling, yea starving town, starving town, out of the cold, out of the cold
(Die, Die, Die!) Moneyman rumble. Dreamtime maker.
Dressed to kill. Crybaby keeper.
Nature of the madness. Lies very still.
Shadow boxing motions a real believer.
Arial believer. Look here, get it and go, look here.
Seduction in a new, new world, seduction. Into the fire
Suck in your gut. Unlike before yea, unlike before, if you murder.
Object of desire. Now come and get it. Get it! Come get it! Come.
While I roustabout. Brutalities inflicted. A rush across the room.
While the city sleeps. I want to ask you. What's in store?
Fleshy jaws. Now wait a minute.
The lyrics of White Zombie's song "Die Zombie Die" describe a dystopian town that is both dazzling and starving at the same time. The people of this town are out in the cold and they are desperate for some respite, which they find in the form of a moneyman rumble and dreamtime maker. The lyrics describe how the people of this town are dressed to kill, but they are only crybaby keepers underneath. The madness that exists in this town lies very still, and the people are shadow boxing motions of a real believer.
The lyrics then shift to describe the seductive nature of the new world that has emerged in this town. The lyrics urge the listener to come and get it, and to get it quickly, before it's too late. The cannibal collision in the American girl is described as a rush across the room, while the city sleeps. The lyrics then describe the brutalities inflicted while the roustabout is taking place, and how the fleshy jaws are waiting for someone. The lyrics then end on the question of what's in store for this town.
Line by Line Meaning
What is it? What it is. What is it?
Asking repeatedly and emphatically about an unidentified object or situation.
Dazzling, yea starving town, starving town, out of the cold, out of the cold
Describing a town that is both dazzling and impoverished, yet people flock to it to escape the cold.
(Die, Die, Die!) Moneyman rumble. Dreamtime maker.
Calling for the death of the wealthy and powerful, who only create illusions and dreams.
Dressed to kill. Crybaby keeper.
Referring to the appearance of someone who is both intimidating and sensitive.
Nature of the madness. Lies very still.
The craziness of a situation is not immediately apparent, but still very present.
Shadow boxing motions a real believer. Arial believer. Look here, get it and go, look here.
Someone who puts on a show of fighting, but truly believes in their cause. Urging someone to pay attention and quickly grab what's being offered.
Seduction in a new, new world, seduction. Into the fire (Die, Die, Die!)
Being seduced in a world that is changing dramatically and dangerously, leading to the desire for death.
Cannibal collision American girl. Suck in your gut. Unlike before yea, unlike before, if you murder.
Describing an encounter with an aggressive woman, and warning that killing her will be different this time around.
Object of desire. Now come and get it. Get it! Come get it! Come.
Something that is highly desired, and urging someone to come and take it now.
While I roustabout. Brutalities inflicted. A rush across the room.
Describing an event in which someone is causing chaos and violence in a room, quickly moving from one place to another.
While the city sleeps. I want to ask you. What's in store?
A question asked in the middle of the night, wondering about what the future holds.
Fleshy jaws. Now wait a minute.
Commenting on the physical appearance of someone's mouth, and urging someone to pause and reconsider their actions.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROB ZOMBIE, SHAUNA YSEULT REYNOLDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind