Originally formed in 1984, the band released a series of demos on cassette before their 7" vinyl debut Clutching at Straws in 1988. This was swiftly followed by the Wasted But Dangerous 12" EP in the same year. They were highly regarded live performers and eventually caught the attention of Rick Rubin's Def American label, but their debut full length album (Live Fast, Die Fast in 1989) saw little commercial success, oft-attributed to Rubin's very flat production. Their later releases saw more favourable press, with their live album Massive Noise Injection being particularly well received. They split up when their singer Blaze Bayley left to join Iron Maiden in 1994.
Wolfsbane reformed in September 2007 to headline the Rock of Ages Festival in their hometown of Tamworth and followed this with a short tour in December of the same year, as special guests supporting The Wildhearts. More live dates followed in December 2010 as guests on The Quireboys' "A Little Bit of What You Fancy" 20th anniversary tour, and they also self-released a 'best of' compilation album.
It is believed that the band are now working on new material with a view to recording their 5th studio album in the second half of 2010. The as yet untitled album is likely to surface in 2011, with a possible tour and festival appearances to support it. Further updates will be posted to the band's official website, www.wolfsbanehms.com.
Beautiful Lies
Wolfsbane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's time to pray again
By the light of my 10" TV, it's time to pray again
When it hurts and tears come, I'd like to taste them
Salted sadness rolls from a heart that begs for what can never be given
Now it's time to pray again
Now it's time to pray
Do your knees hurt yet?
How does your mother pray? How does your sister pray?
I will tell you all the words to say...
Believe in nothing
Jump through walls, the working class
Smash their futures, get them out of my class
Send them up, crucifix, a model to redenelix
And cancer above our sky
Death of love three times a night
Tears from us start running down cheeks without compassion
We've all been called beautiful
Beautiful lies
Open your eyes
Lugatracks buy, sell and destroy
Wrecking peoples' lives like children's toys
Conorended violation, that makes up our generation
Watching the movie every day
Don't believe a word they say
Sadly like a vulture's free
Cannonballs of our tortury
We've all been called beautiful
Beautiful lies
Open your eyes
A little cleaner every day
Trust a friend and then betray
Not stand your high and cultures' dictates
And for their wreckings every fucking day
We've all been called beautiful
Beautiful lies
Open your eyes
Lies!
The lyrics of Wolfsbane's song Beautiful Lies are incredibly powerful and contain heavy social commentary. The song speaks to individuals who fall victim to false ideologies and lies. The opening lyrics, "On your bended knees, you look so sweet, it's time to pray again" sets the tone for the rest of the song. The reference to prayer is potentially hinting at religious manipulation and exploitation. The following lines, "When it hurts and tears come, I'd like to taste them, salted sadness rolls from a heart that begs for what can never be given" further highlights the idea of emptiness and unfulfillment.
The song also touches on the topic of socioeconomic class inequality, "Jump through walls, the working class, smash their futures, get them out of my class, send them up, crucifix, a model to redenelix". The lyrics suggest that the working class is being exploited and oppressed by those in power who don't care about anything other than their own wealth and status. The phrase "beautiful lies" ties it all back to the idea of false promises and manipulation.
Line by Line Meaning
On your bended knees, you look so sweet
You seem innocent and helpless when you submit to me
It's time to pray again
We must indulge in our vices again
By the light of my 10" TV, it's time to pray again
We'll indulge in this habit even in poor lighting conditions
When it hurts and tears come, I'd like to taste them
Your pain brings me pleasure
Salted sadness rolls from a heart that begs for what can never be given
You desire something you can never have, and it brings you immense sorrow
Now it's time to pray again
It's time to indulge in our vices once more
Now it's time to pray
We must continue this habit of indulgence
Do your knees hurt yet?
Are you in pain yet from submitting to me?
Like the rest, you think you can touch me inside? Ha ha ha ha ha!
You're like every other person who thinks they can have a real connection with me
How does your mother pray? How does your sister pray?
I'll teach you the words to say and make you pray just like them
Believe in nothing
There is nothing worth believing in
Jump through walls, the working class
We'll break all barriers, including those posed by the common people
Smash their futures, get them out of my class
The future of working-class people means nothing to me; I want them gone
Send them up, crucifix, a model to Redenelix
We want them to suffer and consider it an example for others to follow
And cancer above our sky
Everything that happens to common people is insignificant in my view
Death of love three times a night
We kill love repeatedly in our relations every night
Tears from us start running down cheeks without compassion
We make people cry, but we don't care
We've all been called beautiful
We've been given false praise and are struggling to live up to it
Beautiful lies
The compliments we receive are fake and meaningless
Open your eyes
Realize the truth of our situation
Lugatracks buy, sell and destroy
We're involved in immoral business practices of buying, selling, and destroying lives
Wrecking peoples' lives like children's toys
We're destroying lives, and it seems like we're playing with toys
Conorended violation, that makes up our generation
Immoral behavior has become a commonplace in our time
Watching the movie every day
We're living our lives as if it's a movie and not reality
Don't believe a word they say
Everything anybody tells you is a lie
Sadly like a vulture's free
We're scavengers who prey on others' misfortunes
Cannonballs of our tortury
We're inflicting immense pain on others
Lies!
Everything we've been led to believe is a lie
A little cleaner every day
We're trying to clean up our act gradually
Trust a friend and then betray
We've no principles; we betray people who trust us
Not stand your high and cultures' dictates
We'll not adhere to anyone's standards or norms
And for their wreckings every fucking day
Every day we're responsible for someone's ruined life
Contributed by Thomas T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.