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Bonus Track - He Lives Underground (Demo)

from A Decade Into Darkness by Shock Octopus

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‘He Lives Underground’ is definitely representative of the idiosyncratic vision I had for the band in the very early days; loud, atonal, abrasive, crunchy guitars and saw-tooth synths. It oscillates between two juxtaposed moods in lieu of a verse and chorus. I played around a lot with key changes, on full force during the song’s finale… This recording is another home demo by Dave and I to launch the new ‘Shock Octopus’ sound.

Lyrically, I remember I had a high meaning for this song but I can’t really remember what it is now. Looking back, it reads as either a homage to the underground rock movement or an impression of social isolation madness. Perhaps both, given we were almost playing to ourselves at some of our earliest gigs!

The self-titled ‘Throwing Muses’ album was the key inspiration to this song as they were my main song-writing influence at this stage. With the exception of the opening synth riff, this was actually inspired by the 1980’s soundtrack to ‘Doctor Who’. Sometimes you can’t escape the soundtrack to your childhood.

It was incredibly fun to play live and I was a little sad when it came time to phase it out of our set-list. I remember that I invited the lead singer of a pop act that I really liked to our very first gig and I think I was hoping that we could piggie-back off her band to get gigs etc. After the set I asked her what she thought and she said “Oh, I didn’t know you were a punk band” and I’ve never seen her since. It’s memories like these that make life priceless…

- Michael Bayliss
Shock Octopus

lyrics

I found truth in the windowpane
I found hope it slid down the drain
I found heaven in the corner of the room
Underneath the dust
I found purpose small and rounded
I lost you I found you in the
Cracks of the wall the tiniest cracks
Where the roaches crawl

Stay in here, we must stay down here
It’s so hard out there
They’ll turn you in, inside out
If they found us out

I keep God, under board
I keep Gaia under the hall
I keep faith where the sun don’t shine
And the winds won’t blow

Stay down low, we’ll stay down here
It’s so high up there
They’ll trip you up, under wing
It’s hell up there

Under the ground, he lives under the ground, he lives under the ground…

I feel dirt, it feels like heaven
I smell mould, it smells like heaven
I see darkness the brightest light can’t touch us there

I found god – underground
I found truth – underground
I found god – underground
I found truth in the underworld

Under the ground we live under the ground we live under the…

credits

from A Decade Into Darkness, released May 29, 2021
Music and Lyrics: Michael Bayliss

Michael Bayliss: Vocals and Piano
David Blair: Bass, Guitar, Drum and Synth programming

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Shock Octopus Perth, Australia

Contemplative, Existential, Art Rock.

A collective stream of consciousness and social commentary by Michael Bayliss, David Blair and Scott Andrews.

Ride the waves!

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