Today (1/12) is the birthday of shock-rock torchbearer Rob Zombie. Born Robert Bartleh Cummings in 1965, he merged his love of horror and music to make waves in the industrial scene with White Zombie in the mid 80s, releasing four LPs with them before shifting gears to go solo. His debut solo album, Hellbilly Deluxe: 13 Tales of Cadaverous Cavorting Inside the Spookshow International, came out in 1998 and remains a hard rock creepster staple to this day.
Zombie’s love of gore and his chilling delivery are felt beyond his music. He’s directed seven feature films over the last 20 years, each more twisted than the last, solidifying his status as a horror icon. The “Firefly” family are now legendary characters in the genre and helped Zombie build a cult following. His vision translates to the stage; his concerts feature massive puppets, wild costumes and violent theatrics – an obvious homage to the OG shock-rocker Alice Cooper – all soundtracked by his hits that span from the 80s to now.
GALLERY: Rob Zombie at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
It’s easy to get caught up in the heavy grooves of Zombie’s songs, so much so that you might not understand – or care – what he’s actually singing about. In the spirit of an avante-garde Frank Zappa, or Zombie’s alt-rock contemporary Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, there are times when RZ gets caught up in the poetic wave and spits out lyrics that are straight up ridiculous. It’s as if he’s casting tribal spells on anyone who dare enter his devilish lair.
From his primal sounds to the more preposterous lines, here are some of our favorite lyrics from Rob Zombie, listed with their song title (most of which are just as bizarre as the song itself).
