A Silver Mt. Zion is a band formed in 1999, in Montreal, Quebec, by Godspeed You! Black Emperor musicians Efrim Menuck, Sophie Trudeau and Thierry Amar. According to an interview with VPRO Radio in The Netherlands, originally the project was for Efrim to learn how to score music, but the idea was soon abandoned as Efrim decided that he preferred music not to be defined by rules, preferring simply what sounds best. Despite this, he continued the project out of a desire to experiment with ideas that would not work within the context of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. The decision to record an album was partly inspired by the death of his dog Wanda, who had died while Godspeed You! Black Emperor was on tour. He wanted to record an album in her memory, but did not feel that he could effectively do this through Godspeed's collective, consensus format.
Unlike Godspeed You! Black Emperor, A Silver Mt. Zion's music often features vocals. The last few albums they have released contain no purely instrumental tracks. Efrim confessed that he was uncomfortable with this at first, feeling "foolish" and uncomfortable with the role of the singer in music generally. That is, he did not want to be the focus of the band's music but rather wished to use vocals as a stylistic tool. Some fans were initially ambivalent about the use of vocals, but Efrim's poetic lyrical style is now well respected among fans. Furthermore, A Silver Mt. Zion's fanbase has expanded, and they are no longer seen merely as an offshoot of Godspeed You! Black Emperor but as a unique and separate entity.
The addition of members has moved their music from a well weighted, and curiously empty (in terms of space) sound to all encompassing and complex arrangements, recently focusing more on vocal layers.
Other than the main three members, various other people joined the band for recording and touring including: Beckie Foon, Ian Ilavsky, Jessica Moss and Scott Levine Gilmore.
A Silver Mt. Zion:
2000: He Has Left Us Alone, but Shafts of Light Sometimes Grace the Corner of Our Rooms...
The Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band:
2001: Born into Trouble as the Sparks Fly Upward
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band With Choir:
2003: "This Is Our Punk-Rock," Thee Rusted Satellites Gather + Sing,
Thee Silver Mountain Reveries:
2004: Pretty Little Lightning Paw (EP)
Silver Mt. Zion:
2004: Song of the Silent Land - contributed track "Iron Bridge to Thunder Bay"
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band:
2005: Horses in the Sky
2008: 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra:
2010: Kollaps Tradixionales
2012: The West Will Rise Again (EP)
2014: Hang On to Each Other (EP)
2014: Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light on Everything
13 Blues For Thirteen Moons
A Silver Mt. Zion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's the 6th year of their wars
I'm pacing shotgun hallways while my fucking neighbour snores
But I swear I hear them cannon 6 miles out from shore
There's ravens in the gun trees
There's ravens in the gun trees
There's ravens in the gun trees
There's ravens in the gun trees
Singing « that one by gun »
Singing « this one in water »
Singing « that one in blood »
I live by the railroad
I don't get no sleep
Four corners resplendent
With indie rocks creeps
I just want some action
I just want some action
I just want some action
I just want some action
I just want some action
I just want some action
This bright boy's getting old
This town is too damn cold
I just want some action
I just want some action
I just want some action
I just want some action
No heroes on my radio
No heroes on my radio
No heroes on my radio
No heroes on my radio
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The ec'nomics of our trembling selves
The palsied pit where bad hearts yell
Let it be done. Let it be soon...
13 blues for thirteen moons
You're gold of heart
And golden wings are lashed upon your troublings
This filthy moat
In which we swim
Is not our fate
These stubbornlimbs
These open hands
These wicked winds
The hearts of birds keep on thundering
Let it fall down. Man, let it be soon...
13 blues for thirteen moons
In gated chambers
They did meet
With cardboards stocking
Upon their feet
And tattled long
Their tattered road
And none did ease
No others load
The leaden lips
Of spittled gloom
Where leaders lunch
On meat and ruin
And depth and light
Have long been truant
While our nation's shores
Go on bleeding into
The ocean...
Let it fall down. And let it be soon...
13 blues for thirteen moons
The hangman's got a hard-on
The pretty minstrells sway
The pundit reeks of coffin
The banker rapes a maid
The hangman's got a hard-on
The pretty minstrells sway
The pundit reeks of coughin
The banker rapes a maid
We-will-not-sing-at-your-damn-pa-rade
We-will-not-sing-at-your-damn-pa-rade
We-will-not-sing-at-your-damn-pa-rade
We-will-not-sing-at-your-damn-pa-rade
We-will-not-sing...
The lyrics of "13 Blues for Thirteen Moons" by A Silver Mt. Zion paint a dystopian picture of a world in turmoil, where the horrors of war and the corrupt actions of leaders have taken their toll on the lives of everyday people. The opening verse describes the singer's restless agitation in the face of the terror trials, which have been ongoing for six years. They hear the sound of cannons in the distance, and the image of ravens in the gun trees symbolizes the pervasive violence that surrounds them. The refrain "Singing 'this one by proxy,' singing 'that one by gun'" highlights the senseless, arbitrary nature of the killings that take place in war.
The next verse shifts to the singer's personal environment, focusing on their struggle to find meaning and connection in a world that is spiritually bankrupt. The repetition of "I just want some action" expresses their need for something to break the monotony and bring excitement to their life. The line "Four corners resplendent with indie rocks creeps" suggests a sense of alienation or disconnection from the young, music-focused scene in their town. The singer feels that they are getting older and time is passing them by.
The closing verse brings together the themes of political corruption and personal disillusionment. The image of "gated chambers" where "leaders lunch on meat and ruin" evokes a sense of exclusivity and detachment from the struggles of the common people. The lyrics allude to various types of oppression and exploitation, from the hangman's sexual perversion to the bankers' abuse of power. The repetition of "We will not sing at your damn parade" is a defiant declaration of resistance against the status quo.
Line by Line Meaning
Blackout at the terror trials
The absence of information or coverage during trials related to terrorism.
It's the 6th year of their wars
The wars that have been going on for six years that people are now becoming accustomed to.
I'm pacing shotgun hallways while my fucking neighbour snores
The singer is anxious about the nearby war while their neighbor is comfortable and unaware of the danger.
But I swear I hear them cannon 6 miles out from shore
The sounds of war are easily heard from the artist's location, which is roughly 6 miles away from the clash.
There's ravens in the gun trees
Birds of ill omen, preying on the instruments of war.
Singing « this one by proxy »
Singing « that one by gun »
Singing « this one in water »
Singing « that one in blood »
The birds are singing different songs that are a reminder of the gruesome ways in which people are killed in war.
I live by the railroad
I don't get no sleep
Four corners resplendent with indie rocks creeps
The singer is annoyed by the noise and discomfort of living close to a railroad station and surrounded by noisy young people.
This bright boy's getting old
This town is too damn cold
The artist is not as young as they used to be and finds their surroundings unfriendly.
No heroes on my radio
The artist feels there are no heroic deeds worth listening to on the radio.
The ec'nomics of our trembling selves
The palsied pit where bad hearts yell
Let it be done. Let it be soon...
13 blues for thirteen moons
The state of the world's precarious economy, the suffering of many broken-hearted people and the longing for change, as represented by the song's title.
You're gold of heart
And golden wings are lashed upon your troublings
The singer acknowledges that the listener is a kind person with a beautiful soul, yet they are troubled.
This filthy moat
In which we swim
Is not our fate
These stubbornlimbs
These open hands
These wicked winds
The troubled state of the world is not the fate we deserve, but we are still subject to it because of our physical limitations and the forces out of our control.
The hearts of birds keep on thundering
Let it fall down. Man, let it be soon...
13 blues for thirteen moons
The metaphorical beating of bird hearts is a reminder of life's persistence, and the singer continues to call for change to come soon.
In gated chambers
They did meet
With cardboards stocking
Upon their feet
Elitist people gather in exclusive chambers, trying to discuss and solve issues while pretending to be one of the masses.
And tattled long
Their tattered road
And none did ease
No others load
Instead of easing other people's burdens or looking after others, these elitists spend time complaining together about their own struggles.
The leaden lips
Of spittled gloom
Where leaders lunch
On meat and ruin
And depth and light
Have long been truant
Politicians and other leaders indulge themselves in destructive behavior, and the world is devoid of true depth and light because of their corruption.
While our nation's shores
Go on bleeding into
The ocean...
The problems of the nation are so severe that it feels as if the entire country is being bled into the ocean and lost forever.
The hangman's got a hard-on
The pretty minstrells sway
The pundit reeks of coffin
The banker rapes a maid
The world is full of perverse pleasures in the midst of chaos and suffering as illustrated by the hangman, minstrels, pundit, and banker.
We-will-not-sing-at-your-damn-pa-rade
The singer is not willing to participate in or be part of the deception and coercion of those in power.
Contributed by Leah Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.