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
Sit in the Middle of Three Galloping Dogs
A Silver Mt. Zion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the children of the day
We are not of the night nor of darkness
Therefore, let us not sleep as do others
Underline it
But let us watch
We are to be watchmen in these endtimes
And to be holy
The lyrics to A Silver Mt. Zion's song Sit in the Middle of Three Galloping Dogs is a call to action for believers to be sober, alert and watchful in these endtimes. The opening lines, "We are all the children of light/And the children of the day/We are not of the night nor of darkness" speaks to our identity as believers who have been awakened to the truth of God's word and His salvation. As such, we are to live as people who are awake and conscious of our surroundings, rather than being lulled into spiritual slumber like those who do not know the truth.
The lyrics then continue with a call to action, "Therefore, let us not sleep as do others/Underline it/But let us watch." Here, the singer calls for believers to underline the seriousness of their responsibility to be watchful and vigilant in these times when the world is becoming increasingly chaotic and uncertain.
The lyrics then close with the exhortation to "be holy/Be serious." As those who have been called out of the darkness into the light, we are to live lives that are set apart for God's purposes and to take our responsibilities as watchmen seriously.
Overall, the song Sit in the Middle of Three Galloping Dogs is a call to action for believers to live lives that are marked by soberness, watchfulness, and holiness, as we await the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Line by Line Meaning
We are all the children of light
We all possess goodness and purity within us
And the children of the day
We belong to the time period of light and positivity
We are not of the night nor of darkness
We are not a part of negative and evil energies
Therefore, let us not sleep as do others
We should not be ignorant like others who are asleep to the reality of the world
Underline it
Make it a point to remember
But let us watch
We should be alert and vigilant
We are to be watchmen in these endtimes
We have to be careful and cautious in the difficult times of the end times
And to be holy
We should strive to maintain purity and goodness in our thoughts and actions
Be serious
Take this seriously and act accordingly
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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