Born in the shadow of post-Tiananmen nihilism, the collapse of state run industry and a desert that will someday swallow their city whole, Cut Off!, the first E.P. from pioneering Beijing-based post-punks Rebuilding the Rights of Statues delivers explosive, danceable, unsettling energy that leaves you unsure whether you want to take your clothes off and shake the spiders out, or go look for a rope, a closet and a copy of Iggy Pop's The Idiot.
This is visceral music built from the bones up, think ubermench rather than Frankenstein's monster: beautiful, brilliant and brooding.
Drummer Ma Hui's rhythms still hold the echo of the earthquake that wiped his birth city off the map in 1976, while Liu Min's irresistible bass lines and staccato, strangely sensual yelps make you remember why you first fell in love with Blonde Redhead. Standing over it all, Hua Dong's shattering vocals and addictive open-fisted guitar stitch the flesh to the muscle like some demented monkey king. Even legendary composer/producer Brian Eno was so blown away he stood in on guest keyboards (we couldnt even make this stuff up, seriously).
Surrender
Re-TROS Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Girl, I, I, don′t give up the fight)
(Girl, I, I, Your dirty head)
(Girl, I, I, don't give up the fight)
(Girl, I, I)
Turn the lights off
Get ready to steal the city back
Never touch their shadows!
Don′t you hear the radio?
It says she's walking to the midnight
And we shoot him down the highway
Uh-huh
So we can
Uh-huh
You run both the sky in searching for the retreat
You swim like fish through the night until the birds sing
Now they are singing all to the house!
Nothing's touched them
Into the house
Nothing′s touched them
Into the house
The ritual has been stopped (Girl, I, I, don′t give up the fight)
We move to the centre (Girl, I, I, your dirty your dirty head)
The ritual has been stopped (Girl, I, I, don't give up the fight)
We move to the centre (Girl, I, I, your dirty head)
Oh, the ritual has been stopped (Girl, I, I, don′t give up the fight)
We move to the centre (Girl, I, I, your dirty your dirty head)
Ooh (Girl, I, I)
The ritual has been stopped!
Woo!
Woo!
Woo!
Woo!
Woo!
Woo!
Woo!
Woo!
The sounds for your poison age!
The sounds for your poison age!
The sounds for your!
No!
The lyrics to Re-TROS's song Surrender are open to interpretation, however, the overall message seems to be one of rebellion and determination. The opening lines, "Girl, I, I, don't give up the fight" suggests a defiance in the face of adversity. The following verse refers to stealing the city back while avoiding detection by those in power, represented by "mother eyes" and "shadows." The repetition of "Uh-huh" throughout the verse creates a sense of urgency and action. The idea of running and swimming through the night to reach the retreat and reaching it when the birds sing is evocative of a journey taken under cover of darkness, with determination and an above-all-else approach.
The lyrics suggest that the "ritual" has been stopped, possibly referring to the status quo or societal norms. The repeated line "Girl, I, I, your dirty your dirty head" can be seen as a challenge to conformity and a statement of individuality. The final lines "The sounds for your poison age" and "No!" offer a final statement of defiance and a refusal to comply with the poison age, likely a reference to a corrupt or unchanging society.
Overall, the lyrics to Surrender seem to speak to the resilience and determination of human will, even in the face of adversity and social pressures to conform. The sense of movement and action evoke a feeling of journey and adventure, while the repeated phrases suggest a persistence in the face of obstacles.
Line by Line Meaning
One, two, three, four
Counting and preparing to take action
Girl, I, I, don’t give up the fight
Encouraging someone to continue fighting
Girl, I, I, Your dirty head
Pointing out someone’s flaws
Girl, I, I, don't give up the fight
Reiterating the need to persevere
Turn the lights off
Preparing for stealth and subterfuge
Get ready to steal the city back
Planning to take control of the city
And the mother eyes
Being aware of surveillance
Never touch their shadows!
Avoiding detection and staying hidden
Don’t you hear the radio?
Asking if the other person can hear something important
It says she's walking to the midnight
Observing someone’s movement
And we shoot him down the highway
Intercepting and blocking someone’s path
Uh-huh
Affirming agreement
So we can
Explaining the reason for intercepting the person
You run both the sky in searching for the retreat
Searching for a way out
You swim like fish through the night until the birds sing
Traversing through the night in secrecy
Now they are singing all to the house!
Announcing arrival and taking control
Nothing's touched them
Confirming that no one has been harmed
Into the house
Confirming that they have entered the house
The ritual has been stopped (Girl, I, I, don't give up the fight)
Confirming the end of a certain practice and urging to continue the fight
We move to the centre (Girl, I, I, your dirty your dirty head)
Moving towards the centre while calling out someone's flaws
Oh, the ritual has been stopped (Girl, I, I, don’t give up the fight)
Reiterating the end of the practice and the need to keep fighting
We move to the centre (Girl, I, I, your dirty head)
Continuing to move towards the centre while pointing out someone's flaws
Ooh (Girl, I, I)
Expressing surprise or excitement
The ritual has been stopped!
Emphasizing the end of the practice
Woo!
Expressing excitement
Woo!
Expressing excitement
Woo!
Expressing excitement
Woo!
Expressing excitement
Woo!
Expressing excitement
Woo!
Expressing excitement
Woo!
Expressing excitement
The sounds for your poison age!
Warning of impending danger or chaos
The sounds for your poison age!
Warning of impending danger or chaos
The sounds for your!
Continuation of the warning
No!
Strongly rejecting something
Writer(s): John Shanks
Contributed by Henry H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@reremel5193
多年前买的cd，一直背到了澳洲，存到如今。
@chan9798
目前仍然是我听过的国内最好听的后朋克，没有之一。第二喜欢的可能是snapline吧。。。
@kutmusicvideo
Great song!
@user-te1sc7rw9y
牛逼～
@kewenxu8659
还是非常非常非常喜欢！
@user-sc7lg1fy7i
刚刚认识这个乐队，真的不错，很和谐
@bluesky0515
酷
@CC-ks2gp
唱腔好像Placebo
@niang8219
kanye的小学同学啊
@MrMastaKenn
Joy division lol