W.A.S.P. - Band Name

Band Name

There has been much speculation over the origin of the band's name, and if it stands for anything, since it is written as an acronym. In interviews in the 1980s, the band claimed it stood for "We Are Sexual Perverts" or "We Are Sexual Prophets". (It is not known whether this was a serious statement.) It is believed by many that they said it for shock value. However, "Winged Assassins" is inscribed on the spine of the first pressing of vinyl of their debut album.

Alternatively, some people believe the initials W.A.S.P. stand for "We Are So Perfect" or even "We Are So Powerful." Another possible abbreviation is "White Anglo-Saxon Protestants", being the original meaning of the acronym. However, this is unlikely considering the fact that Blackie Lawless' mother is part Native American. It could be sarcastic, as songs like "Animal (Fuck Like a Beast)" hardly fit into the usual picture of White Anglo-Saxon Protestantism. It has also been rumored that their name is an acronym for "We All Smoke Pot," "We Are Satan's People," "We Are Satan's Preachers," or even "We Ate Savory Pancakes." When asked about the band's name Lawless has avoided giving a straight answer; in one interview he answered, "We Ain't Sure, Pal."

Blackie Lawless has told another story on how W.A.S.P. acquired its name. He said he and a friend Joseph Vallejos from the band "Seven Days Lost" were walking in the backyard and saw a wasp nest on the ground under a tree and decided to call the band WASP. The band later decided to add a period between each letter to make it stand out more when people saw it. A former member, Rik Fox has stated that he was the "friend" that coined the name WASP. The original drummer Tony Richards has stated in an interview that Rik Fox and Blackie Lawless were outside making a smoke machine when a wasp landed on Rik's hand. He then said "Damn, that would be a killer name for the band". In a February 2010 interview, Lawless stated the main reason for the name was the periods. He claimed no band had ever used them before, and, in essence, the periods created a "question mark of uncertainty" to make them stand out more. He then went to say, "look where we are: it did!"