Kiss of Flesh
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Kiss of flesh is the penultimate song from The Residents' 1988 epic, God In Three Persons.
Background
This track is considered by many to be one of the most lyrically graphic songs in the whole resident's discography. Any long time fans know that a statement like that is saying something. This track not only spoils the climax of the album but can also be very triggering for some readers. If you are sensitive to graphic depictions of sexual assault or have not finished the album, we recommend reading this page at a later time.
This song starts rather energetically with a sinister midi instrumental and the chorus stating the obvious by saying "Now it's almost over". Mr. X eventually comes in and starts talking about a secret room that he had built as a gift for the twins. He believed this room would be a good space for them to hone their skills and do some meditating. Mr. X would frequently visit this room to hang out with the twins, but this time things were different. {{#SQuote:|text=this time we were not there for inspiration but to bare our other sides and feel the kiss of flesh.|speaker=Mr. X|receiver=The Twins|attribution=|source=Kiss of Flesh|id=MNBN-TCP7-NEKK|template=}} As "Fine Fat Flies" shows us, Mr. X feels no remorse for using his authority and power over the twins to sexually assault them, creating a Stockholm syndrome situation. Then, with a mix of fear, anger, and lust, Mr. X starts telling the twins what to do. He had come prepared with some rope and the razor blade he had purchased in "Silver, Sharp, and could not care". Then, for the first time in the whole album, we hear the twins' voices. They start laughing at Mr. X taunting him. They say, "We can't believe that you're so dumb to think we needed anyone to show us what we've known about for years."
This mocking shocks Mr. X and makes him stop for a bit. He starts yelling at the twins while trying to force submission, but they keep laughing. Mr. X then manipulates the twins by referring a sexual encounter that they had previously. The twins immediately shoot back "What makes you think that it was her." As the rest of album has taught us, Mr. X only wishes to be with the female twin, whoever that may be. The last we hear from the twins is when they tell Mr. X that he killed the "she". With the horrible crimes and violations Mr. X has committed she simply doesn't exist anymore.
The music right after picks up and Mr. X starts talking a mile a minute, describing the horrific events that unfolded. The Mysterious Spanish ladies strive for the most accurate information possible, but we believe that if the events were typed out this page would be censored by fandom. The events are much better experienced and read then summarized anyway.
Recordings and Performances
Despite the significance this song has in the plot, it actually has a very varied and interesting release history when compared to other songs from the same album. This particular song does not have a publicly available demo, but parts of the final instrumental can be heard on the Hardy Fox demo for "Confused (by what I felt inside)". This leads some fans to speculate on how this incredible climax could have been released in a much different way.
As part of the "potato chips" release of this album, this song got some special treatment very early on in its release. The instrumental was released earlier than most because it was featured on the "Double Shot" EP. Then, a few months later the song was used as a basis for their single, "Holy Kiss Of Flesh". This release is very strange when compared to the original song and album. It's a 16-minute summary of the album featuring a more danceable beat, not too dissimilar from "diskomo".
The song was finally performed live at every single show in the "God In Three Persons mini-tour". it was debuted on April 27th, 2019 and was released on both officially released according on the show. The live album and the live DVD. Potentially because of this songs new attention in 2022 German DIY label MINIMALKOMBINAT released a split 12" vinyl LP featuring "Holy Kiss of Flesh" on side A.
Lyrics
Now it's almost over Now it's almost done There's only a thing or two Then we are gone...
I returned while they were eating supper at the table seated side by side upon a special stool. So I said when they were finished with their whole wheat toast and spinach, we should go back to the secret room that had only been constructed recently to be conductive to the force that grew around the twins.
Once inside, we all admired it's silver gleaming pointed spire that rose into the center of the room. Up and up toward the ceiling, gracefully it stretched not yielding to the confines of the smallish room. For it pierced an open circle and vanished deep into the murky night that held its crown somewhere above.
The room had been an inspiration of the twins that I had taken -- building it of wood and tile and chrome. And they would stay inside for hours, while the rain dripped down the tower, sitting on a bench around its base. But this time we were not there for inspiration but to bare our other sides and feel the kiss of flesh.
"Take your clothes off", I commanded like a bold and common bandit basking in the feeling of control. I was standing back behind them with a length of line to tie them once their nakedness had been revealed. "Kneel", I said becoming heated for the task had been completed and I felt my goal was drawing hear.
"Hee hee hee..." Then I heard a little snicker. "Hee hee... hee hee hee..." "What was that!", I said and quickly giggles spread infection in the room. "Stop it! Stop it! Stop!", I said but it seemed to spread and spread. "Stop it or I won't show you any more!"
"We can't believe that you're so dumb to think we needed anyone to show us what we've known about for years." "What!", I screamed in disbelief so certain that I was the thief that took away their purity, I said, "But what about the other night when she and I were locked so tight and..." Laughter downed me out so I stopped. "What makes you think that it was 'her'", the mocking voices said with words that sliced me open, fast and quick. "But I know it must have been, because I smelled her heated skin and..."
Don't you see there is no 'she' now? Don't you see there is no 'she' now? Don't you see there is no 'she' now?
So I saw there was no she but there was only them and me, and they were laughing in my face too loud. So I reached into my pocket and a feeling like a shock exuded from my fingertips and spread along my limbs and up my butt and focused just below my guts and made me hold my breath before the blade could finally fall at last and free me from the anger and the screaming endlessly exploding in my head.
So I slit the holy union, turning it into a wound that gaped apart and bled upon the ground -- causing me to fire my passion as I stared into the gash that quivered like a burned and ripped out tongue. So great upon my throbbing penis was the pull towards this venus that there was no thought of it at all.
Only all consuming lust to be inflamed in base disgust and smile about it when I came inside. So I slipped my dick into it thrusting into pain and spewing blood around the room -- I needed more. And so I fucked it that much harder; deep and fast I pushed apart the shoulders that were down below my waist.
Screams were slicing up the air as eyes rolled up and teeth were bared by lips that stretched too tight and tried to tear. There could be but one conclusion to this sick distorted fusion, and of course it came... and so did I. Madly with my face contorted I convulsed and shoved apart the shoulders that I gripped so hard and I faintly recollect a ripping sickly sound of fleshy splitting as I drifted towards a big black hole.
And just before I hit the floor I noticed one was rolling over showing me a smooth unblemished thigh that ended in a red eruption just below her belly button, but maybe it was only in my mind.
Appearances
- God In Three Persons (1988) [Version 1]
- God In Three Persons Soundtrack (1988) [Version 2]
- Holy Kiss Of Flesh (1988) [Version 3]
- God In 3 Persons (live album) (2020) [Version 4]
- 2022 split LP with Doc Wör Mirran (2022) [Version 5]
- God In 3 Persons DVD (2023) [Version 6]