…one that already exists, I mean; not trying to create one. It’s a sociological or psychological term, like Corrosion of Conformity or Suicidal Tendencies, but it’s not either of those.
Last night, when Mr. Rilch, Friend and I were at Friend South of Here’s house, catching our breath after a massive barbecue orgy (the reason I was making the sweet potato pie), we discussed, among many other things, the tendency people have never to learn anything on their own. I was recounting a conversation I’d had with some cow-orkers a year or so ago. I’d used this term, whatever it is, and someone said, “You can’t use band names to make your point; be serious!” So I had to explain that this term had already existed, and the band must have known what it meant when they chose it, but by the time I’d established that, the original point had been lost.
Whatever it is, it’s one of those industrial/goth/anarchy groups. Anyone? Bueller?
(And yes, I know industrial, goth, and anarchy are different phenomena, but I’m talking about the genre of music that appeals to all such groups.)
Probably Social Distortion. I should have said that it was a name made up of two or three words, not one; it was a phrase. My cow-orkers and I had been talking about the then-current school shooting in Paducah; I can see how I could have used that phrase as it’s meant, not as a band name.
Well, I didn’t make up “cow-orkers”. I don’t remember who did, but it was a reg, circa 1999.
As far as Mr. Rilch, he suggested Social Distortion at first; it didn’t sound right, but now I’m accepting it by default. He’s developing a reflex of, whenever I have a question he can’t answer, or he has one I can’t answer, saying, “Why don’t you ask your Straight Dope pals?”.
According to a cool German kid at the World Camp (guys & gals from 15-20) I was a councilor at, it is the name of a village in Germany. The reason for it’s use is that this village hosts an air-show every year, and about ten years ago there was a big accident. Several jets crashed together and about 5000 people were killed. They added the extra “M” to the name out of respect for those who perished. The word means “Ramming Stone” in English.
He also explained to me the whole wedding-thing with “Du hast” (the actual translation is very different from the English version that played over here).
That is, AFAIK, a Scott Adams term, from his Dilbert Newsletter, probably volume 4 or 5. They’re available in an archive at Dilbert.com, and are truly good literature.
Golly silent_rob, my one area of expertise and you come right in and steal my thunder!
For more information on Rammstein, consult your local jarbaby! The song Rammstein, by Rammstein is a graphic retelling of the airshow incident at the airforce base, and in fact, the band didn’t have a name until after they wrote that song and decided that it sounded good because of the double meaning (flaming air show death and battering rams).
They really like double meaning, as illustrated by Du Hast (You have or You hate, depending on what you want the song to mean)
Rammstein sings in English? Really? I was wondering how they managed to get popular enough in the US to have Jarbaby name her kids for them.
BTW, the data I have says that 70 people died, which now sounds familiar, vs 5000, which I assume was hyperbole. Of course either number is quite tragic.
They don’t release singles in English, and their popularity was initiated with a German language song, but the Sehnsucht album comes with two secret tracks which are Du Hast and Engel in German.
They also do a cover of Stripped by Depeche Mode in English, but that’s the only English you’ll hear at a concert.
ALSO, they won’t do interviews in English. And they feel it’s a tribute to their popularity:
“We know we’ve conquered America when we can do our interviews in German”
