Psychedelic folk generally favors acoustic instrumentation although it often incorporates other instrumentation and chanting. Early music and ethnic music influences are often found. Much like its rock counterpart, psychedelic folk is known for a peculiar, trance-like, and atmospheric sound. Its lyrics are often concerned with such subjects as the natural world, love and beauty and try to evoke a state of mind associated with the effects of psychedelic drugs.
Early Incredible String Band, Donovan, Fairport Convention (see electric folk), The Pentangle, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Synanthesia and perhaps most prominently, Syd Barrett are all prominent early examples of psych folk artists. Notice that all of these musicians are from Britain, where psychedelic music often had a stronger folk element.
American bands include early The Byrds, Love, Bermuda Triangle Band, and Pearls Before Swine.
New musical artists continue to draw on this tradition, although many of them would not necessarily describe their own music as psych folk (the term freak folk has gained favor). Current 93 whose new folk direction of 1988’s "Earth Covers Earth" rekindled the freak folk styles of such groups as the Incredible String Band. Indeed the album cover is a post-punk parody of the Incredible String Band’s album, "The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter". David Tibet, the main, and most consistent performer of Current 93 has continued predominantly with this style (his variation also called apocalyptic folk) to this day, having collaborated with folk singer Shirley Collins.
Since the 1990s, this style has included existentialists Pinkie Maclure & John Wills, known as Pumajaw in Scotland. Also, the Georgia-based Elephant 6 Recording Company, which includes bands like Neutral Milk Hotel, has been known to release psych folk records.
Michael Gira has also assisted in a sort of psychedelic folk revival. Gira may have named his newest project Angels of Light after San Francisco hippie Hibiscus' transcendental theatre group of the same name (though another possible source of the name is the Psychic TV associated project Thee Angels Ov Light Meet Thee Angry Love Orchestra. In interviews he says he cannot remember where he got the name from) and is responsible for guiding the career of new psych folk stars, Devendra Banhart and Akron/Family. Julien Aklei is an underground psych folk luminary, giving the genre a fresh and lighthearted color with her fairy-pastel point of view.
Taro
alt-J Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To photo, to record, meat lumps and war
They advance as does his chance, oh, oh
Very yellow white flash
A violent wrench grips mass, rips light, tears limbs like rags
Burst so high finally Capa lands
Mine is a watery pit
Painless with immense distance
From medic from colleague, friend, enemy, foe, him five yards from his leg
From you Taro
Oh, oh, oh
Do not spray into eyes
I have sprayed you into my eyes
Three ten
Pm Capa pends death, quivers, last rattles, last chokes
All colors and cares glaze to grey
Shriveled and stricken to dots
The left hand grasps what the body grasps not oh, oh
Le photographie est mort
Three point one four one five, alive no longer my amour
Faded for home May of '54
Doors open like arms, my love
Painless with a great closeness
To Capa, to Capa Capa dark after nothing, re-united with his leg
And with you Taro, oh, oh, oh
Taro, oh, oh, oh
Do not spray into eyes
I have sprayed you into my eyes
Hey Taro
The lyrics in Alt-J's song "Taro" tell the story of Robert Capa, a famous photojournalist, and his experience covering the French Indochina War in the 1950s. The first verse describes Capa's journey to his assignment to take photos and record the events of the war. He sees the violence and brutality of the conflict, and his own life is in danger as he advances along with the forces involved. Suddenly, he is caught in an explosion, which is depicted in the line "A violent wrench grips mass, rips light, tears limbs like rags. Burst so high finally Capa lands."
The second verse takes on a darker tone, as Capa is dying from his injuries. He is separated from his colleagues, friends, enemies, and even Taro, the woman he loves. The distance between them is immense, and he expresses his pain and despair. He realizes that he is close to death and sees his life flash before his eyes. The line "Le photographie est mort" is French for "Photography is dead," a reference to Capa's own death as a photojournalist. In the end, Capa is reunited with Taro and with his own leg, which had been injured in the explosion.
Overall, the lyrics of "Taro" are haunting and powerful, capturing the horror of war, the fragility of life, and the importance of love and connection. The references to Capa and his work add a layer of historical depth and complexity to the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Indo-china, Capa jumps Jeep, two feet creep up the road
Amidst the Indo-China war, Robert Capa sneaks up the road with his Jeep, ready to document the horrors of the war.
To photo, to record, meat lumps and war
Capa is in the midst of the war-torn land, to capture the gruesome reality of the war through his lens.
They advance as does his chance, oh, oh
As Capa navigates through the warzone with his camera, he inches closer to his chance of capturing the perfect shot.
Very yellow white flash!
The flash of Capa's camera abruptly illuminates the debris of war in a burst of light.
A violent wrench grips mass, rips light, tears limbs like rags
The brutal war destroys everything in its path, crushing bones and tearing limbs apart like rags.
Burst so high finally Capa lands
Capa's camera captures a gruesome image that catapults him to fame, despite the fact that he had to bear witness to the horrors of war.
Mine is a watery pit
The singer's eyes are filled with tears as he tries to come to terms with the painful reality of the situation.
Painless with immense distance
Despite the emotional torment, the artist feels a sense of detachment from the situation.
From medic from colleague, friend, enemy, foe, him five yards from his leg
Amidst the chaos of the war, everyone is reduced to just a shred of humanity - neither friend nor foe - leaving Capa's bleeding leg just five yards away from his body.
From you Taro
The artist addresses Taro, who was Capa's lover and confidant, but is now the only one who can understand the pain of losing Capa.
Oh, oh, oh
The singer's agony is palpable as he tries to articulate the overwhelming emotions that are consuming him.
Do not spray into eyes
The artist warns Taro not to expose herself to the same horrors of war that Capa had to witness through his camera.
I have sprayed you into my eyes
But despite the warning, the singer admits that he cannot escape the images that have been etched into his memory, and Taro has been equally affected by Capa's loss.
Three ten
The singer marks the exact moment of Capa's death - 3.10 PM - etched permanently into his memory.
Pm Capa pends death, quivers, last rattles, last chokes
The singer describes Capa's last moments, as he quivers in pain and takes his last breath.
All colors and cares glaze to grey
The world seems to lose its vibrancy and meaning as Capa's death casts a pall of gloom over everything.
Shriveled and stricken to dots
The artist perceives everything as mere dots, devoid of life and meaning, in his state of shock and grief.
The left hand grasps what the body grasps not oh, oh
Capa's hand clenches onto his camera, even in death, symbolizing his unfulfilled desire to capture the atrocities of war on film.
Le photographie est mort
Capa's death is a metaphorical death of photography, as it no longer remains a mere art form, but becomes a medium to document and expose the horrors of war.
Three point one four one five, alive no longer my amour
The artist reminisces the time when Capa was alive, and how he yearns to relive those moments, but now Capa is no more.
Faded for home May of '54
Capa's memory fades away with time, yet remains etched in the artist's mind as he reminisces about the month of May in 1954, the month of Capa's death.
Doors open like arms, my love
The artist envisions Capa's memory with fondness, as he imagines him opening his arms to embrace him.
Painless with a great closeness
Despite Capa's death, the singer feels a sense of comfort and familiarity, as he is now closer to him than ever before.
To Capa, to Capa Capa dark after nothing, re-united with his leg
The artist envisions Capa being reunited with his missing leg in the afterlife, in a world where everything is just dark and empty.
And with you Taro, oh, oh, oh
The singer imagines Capa finally being reunited with Taro, as they both find solace in each other's company in the afterlife.
Taro, oh, oh, oh
The singer addresses Taro directly, acknowledging her pain and loss, and seeking comfort from her amidst his own grief.
Hey Taro!
The singer addresses Taro once more, perhaps hoping to capture her attention and convey the depth of his emotions, and grieve together over their mutual loss of Capa.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Augustus Figaro Niso Unger-Hamilton, Gwilym David Dylan Sainsbury, Joe Jerome Newman, Thomas Stuart Green
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@LuxMeow
"The song was written about the life and death of the two lovers – Robert Capa and Gerda Taro.
Taro was born in 1910 into a Jewish family in Germany. In 1933 she was arrested due to political activities against the Nazi regime. After Taro was released, she fled to Paris, where she met Robert Capa. Capa, Hungarian born Jew (who was born named Andrew Friedman), fled to Germany and then to Paris in 1933 as well, where he continued his career as a photographer of war. Over time, the young couple fell in love, and with this love, Taro Love has emerged to Capa’s profession of war photography. Within a few years she mastered the profession and became one of the first women in the field of war photography, and sadly at the age of 27 she was the first woman that was killed while fulfilling her job (in the Barnett 1937 as part of the Spanish Civil War).
Kappa paid this heavy psychological cost – not only lost the the love of his life, he also blamed himself for her death – since he was not there with her. Despite the loss and pain, Capa went on to document the Spanish Civil War till the end of the war.
Capa photographed many more wars, including World War II.
Capa was killed in the line of duty as a photographer War Indochina War in 1954, at age 40, when he ran over a mine.
Capa managed to stay true to his principals – in his eyes, it was crucial to document the war from the perspective of an average soldier and accordingly, he would say:
“If your photographs are not good enough, you’re not close enough”.
The band Alt-J decided to release a song dedicated to this couple who loved one another and was also devoted to their work, Ultimately they paid this remarkable devotion with their life."
@roxanamotoc5359
Indochina, Capa jumps Jeep
Two feet creep up the road
To photo, to record, meat lumps and war
They advance as does his chance, ohh
Very yellow-white flash
A violent wrench grips mass
Rips light, tears limbs like rags
Burst so high, finally Capa lands
Mine is a watery pit
Painless with immense distance
From medic, from colleague, friend, enemy, foe
Him five yards from his leg
From you Taro, oh
Do not spray into eyes
I have sprayed you into my eyes
3:10 p.m.
Capa pends death, quivers, last rattles, last chokes
All colours and cares glaze to grey
Shriveled and stricken to dots
The left hand grasps what the body grasps not, ohh
Le photographe est mort
3.1415, alive no longer my amour
Faded for home May of '54
Doors open like arms, my love
Painless with a great closeness
To Capa, to Capa Capa dark after nothing
Re-united with his leg
And with you, Taro, oh
Taro, ohh
Do not spray into eyes
I have sprayed you into my eyes
Hey, Taro!
@stayhighlovepeaceart8672
lyrics
Indochina, Capa jumps Jeep, two feet creep up the road
To photo, to record meat lumps and war,
They advance as does his chance -- very yellow white flash.
A violent wrench grips mass, rips light, tears limbs like rags,
Burst so high finally Capa lands,
Mine is a watery pit. Painless with immense distance
From medic from colleague, friend, enemy,
foe, him five yards from his leg, From you Taro.
Do not spray into eyes -- I have sprayed you into my eyes.
3:10 pm, Capa pends death, quivers, last rattles, last chokes
All colours and cares glaze to grey, shrivelled and stricken to dots,
Left hand grasps what the body grasps not -- le photographe est mort.
3.1415, alive no longer my amour, faded for home May of '54
Doors open like arms my love, Painless with a great closeness
To Capa, to Capa Capa dark after nothing,
re-united with his leg and with you, Taro.
Do not spray into eyes -- I have sprayed you into my eyes.
Hey Taro!
comment like and subscribe
@Chamsiee
I remember that I used to listen to this song when I was 19 broke and depressed. I used to listen to and imagine my future. I used to say that I would make it, and it helped me a lot to battle my depression and suicidal thoughts. Today I'm finally listening to it almost six years after the first time. I can't believe I'm still alive. I studied, lived in foreign countries, loved, created my organisation. I wish someone could read my comment and understand that nothing is permanent you will make it. People love you, and you deserve everything and more. I'm so grateful I believed in myself and you should do it too.
ps: thanks so much for all your answers. It warms my heart!! I wish you all to love yourself unconditionally and not be too hard on yourself! And I am a woman :)
@lindsaygonzales3598
omg my story is so similar. i used to listen to this in highschool when i was lonely & depressed & just wanted to escape my home so badly. i would daydream to this song & other alt j songs all the time. now 4 years later i've traveled the world, live in a beautiful place & am so in love with my life. im happy for us!
@Chamsiee
@@lindsaygonzales3598 love your comment and your journey!
@talitafalcao6540
hey! I'm not much of a commenter on youtube, but I read your comment and I'm going through something similar to what you experienced at 19 years old. and I honestly have your comment as a spark in my life. really strengthened me. I hope to come back here in a few years to say that I believed in myself and that I'm fine.
@Chamsiee
@@talitafalcao6540 I am glad you can reflect on my comment. Better times will come. It is ok to feel down sometimes, and never forget to take care of yourself!
@aldycarrasco2557
I'm 20 and I'm through difficult times with depression. Your comment gives me hope. Thank you
@rickdeckardin21thcentury14
When i listen to this song, i live a million of lifes.
@devangsingh1866
lives*
@devangsingh1866
@@Postanjo yea but what's wrong with correcting people's English?
@gabrielalacourtrodrigues6964
Everytime I listen to I am overwhelmed with feelings that I can't quite put my finger on, both positive and negative feelings. It is a very intense experience everytime and even more so if i am watching this clipe.