I hope this doesn't ruin it for anyone (it's possibly my favourite song and I was a bit shell-shocked when I read what it was actually about!) but here's something Greg Puciato said recently about the meaning of Sunshine The Werewolf:
gregpuciato.com/post/12969994606
"Greg, looking back on writing "Sunshine The Warewolf" did you imagine it would ever turn into your most passionate fans' favourite lyric to scream back "DESTROYERRRRRR!!!!" at you? What context/form has that lyric now taken on in your mind, if any?"
"When writing the song? No. I had no idea. Shortly after we mixed the album though, and were listening back to it, I think we all realized that the “Destroyer” part was a “moment” so to speak…it definitely felt like it had an air about it. When the song was written, the lyrics were originally actually inspired by an article that Brian Montuori, the artist responsible for the “Miss Machine” artwork, had sent me. It was a perverse and disgusting article about a strange and extreme subculture of people who would deliberately “give” and “receive” HIV in order to romantically share an eventually fatal disease(queen sized coffin built for two). The lyrics were fiction, and written from the perspective of the “giver”, who then turned out to have tricked the smitten “receiver” into thinking their love was forever before instead moving on to someone else(there’ll be another just like you…you’re not the only one, etc), sadistically leaving the receiver feeling tricked and scorned…the receiver eventually repeating the cycle as a giver. HIV vampires basically. A metaphor for people passing abuse forward in relationships. Obviously the “Destroyer” moment in a live setting has become so much more than that, and now, to me at least, exists outside of the song as a whole, as a standalone moment. The word has taken on a different energy, a symbol of a feeling of triumph over adversity, of overcoming obstacles, of exerting power and relentless individuality and drive to succeed even in the midst of seemingly overwhelming indifference and disapproval. It’s a sentiment that we as a band relate to, having overcome countless opposition and setbacks as we’ve clawed our way to get to where we are, and continue to do so. When that part exists as a “singalong” at our shows, it feels to me like a coming together of people who all can relate to that feeling. It’s a group expression or rallying cry of “fuck you” to all of the opposition that we can all relate to in life, as individuals trying to succeed, but as a collective expression of power and defiance in that moment. I can’t imagine it ever not being a highlight to me of every single set we play."
I hope this doesn't ruin it for anyone (it's possibly my favourite song and I was a bit shell-shocked when I read what it was actually about!) but here's something Greg Puciato said recently about the meaning of Sunshine The Werewolf:
gregpuciato.com/post/12969994606 "Greg, looking back on writing "Sunshine The Warewolf" did you imagine it would ever turn into your most passionate fans' favourite lyric to scream back "DESTROYERRRRRR!!!!" at you? What context/form has that lyric now taken on in your mind, if any?"
"When writing the song? No. I had no idea. Shortly after we mixed the album though, and were listening back to it, I think we all realized that the “Destroyer” part was a “moment” so to speak…it definitely felt like it had an air about it. When the song was written, the lyrics were originally actually inspired by an article that Brian Montuori, the artist responsible for the “Miss Machine” artwork, had sent me. It was a perverse and disgusting article about a strange and extreme subculture of people who would deliberately “give” and “receive” HIV in order to romantically share an eventually fatal disease(queen sized coffin built for two). The lyrics were fiction, and written from the perspective of the “giver”, who then turned out to have tricked the smitten “receiver” into thinking their love was forever before instead moving on to someone else(there’ll be another just like you…you’re not the only one, etc), sadistically leaving the receiver feeling tricked and scorned…the receiver eventually repeating the cycle as a giver. HIV vampires basically. A metaphor for people passing abuse forward in relationships. Obviously the “Destroyer” moment in a live setting has become so much more than that, and now, to me at least, exists outside of the song as a whole, as a standalone moment. The word has taken on a different energy, a symbol of a feeling of triumph over adversity, of overcoming obstacles, of exerting power and relentless individuality and drive to succeed even in the midst of seemingly overwhelming indifference and disapproval. It’s a sentiment that we as a band relate to, having overcome countless opposition and setbacks as we’ve clawed our way to get to where we are, and continue to do so. When that part exists as a “singalong” at our shows, it feels to me like a coming together of people who all can relate to that feeling. It’s a group expression or rallying cry of “fuck you” to all of the opposition that we can all relate to in life, as individuals trying to succeed, but as a collective expression of power and defiance in that moment. I can’t imagine it ever not being a highlight to me of every single set we play."