The one song from The Holy Bible (aside from Faster) that always seems to get a run out during live performances – strange because the band, and James in particular, are always saying how much they hate it. If you absolutely must play something from The Holy Bible during live gigs, then there are plenty of others to choose from. Moaning aside, it is still a good song. Admittedly, it’s one of my least favourite from the album but it still packs a punch, and does have that exquisite middle section which I believe to be one of the best things the band has ever written. Make of the lyrics what you will – a series of loose epithets or descriptions of political figures opposite sexual acts or deficiencies for the verses, followed by multi-lingual screams for the chorus. No-one writes songs like this, and no-one has the balls to make a single out of it. It almost feels like a light-hearted moment amidst the darkness of The Holy Bible and it certainly does break up the relentless gloom with a bout of much needed, questionable humour.
Misheard Lyrics: Missed a letter, oh, waken the boy!
2. Mr Stalin, buy sexually back/Mr Stalin, buy sexual a pack
3. Pushed chest, self love in his mirrors
4. Raging, very into group sex.
5. Get a job, sell myself self importance/Got a chop, sell a bit of his content
6. Yes sir, player, with his self importance/ Yeltsin playing with his own importance.
7. River! River!/Reaver! Reaver!
8: Life’s a cloud/Like a clown
9: Comfort comes (!)
10. Ross Ross!/Rush Rush!
11. Feel her feel her!/Feed her feed her!/ Fear fear!/ Fear Fuhrer!
12. Napoleon challenge wee hats
13. Jane Berlin (?) you see good in you
14. Trotsky honey won’t serenade the naked.
15. Shake her valley, your wrong target now.
16. American alimony alimony.
Actual Lyrics: Mr Lenin, awaken the boy
2. Mr Stalin, bi-sexual epoch
3. Kruschev, self love in his mirrors.
4. Brehnev, married into group sex
5. Gorbachev, celibate self importance
6. Yeltsin, failure is his own impotence.
7: Revol! Revol!
8: Lebensraum
9: Kulturkampf.
10. Raus Raus!
11. Fila fila!
12. Napoleon childhood sweethearts
13. Chamberlain you see God in you
14. Trotsky honeymoon serenade the naked.
15. Che Guevara, you’re all target now.
16. Farrakhan alimony alimony.
The Story Behind The Song: Does anybody know? ‘Revol’ is ‘Lover’ spelled backwards, and we know Richey had issues with ideas of love, relationships, sex – some of the lyrics are sexual in nature, others are political insults. The first verse lists 20th Century Russian leaders in order (skipping some) as if equating their rules to to their sexual or emotional maturity. Second verse it dances around Europe, South America, everywhere following a similar format. The chorus is chanting of German words used in Concentration Camps. The word ‘revol’… sounds a bit like revolt, or revolution. Yeah, I’m as clueless as everyone else.
The Spac Hole 