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
Take Away These Early Grave Blues
A Silver Mt. Zion Lyrics
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Fatten up their, fatten up their, fatten up their policemen
Let them sing our, let them sing our, let them sing our pretty song
Take away these, take away these, take away these early grave blues
Pale man always gets his, pale man always gots his
Boot - on - our - necks
Lightning from a cloud
How do we get, how do we get lightning from a cloud
With love and love dear, with love and love dear
With love and love dear, with love and love dear
The world is awful cruel
The wreck'd and worn get blue
My love and I and so do you and horses' necks straining true
Hearts these hearts just won't do my love and I and so do you
Take away these, take away these, take away these early grave blues
Fatten up their, fatten up their, fatten up their policemen
Let them sing our, let them sing our, let them sing our pretty song
Take away these, take away these, take away these early grave blues
The sky goes cold while we get old
Those selfish pricks won't ever know
The simple joy of letting go
The world is sick we're born it we did it 'cause all we knew was this
Pale man always gets his, pale man always gots his
Boot - on - our - necks
Love each other that's all ...
The lyrics to A Silver Mt. Zion's song Take Away These Early Grave Blues convey a sense of frustration and anger towards the world as it is. The repeated plea to "take away these early grave blues" reflects the desire to escape the mortality and the hardships of life. The call to "fatten up their policemen" is a critique of the system that often punishes and suppresses those who do not conform to the norms. However, the song suggests that the solution is not necessarily violence or retaliation, but rather spreading love and kindness in the world. The lines "How do we get, how do we get lightning from a cloud / With love and love dear" highlight the power of love as a positive force that can bring about change in the world.
The latter part of the song emphasizes the sadness and absurdity of the world, but also the importance of finding joy and beauty in life. The lines "The world is awful cruel / The wreck'd and worn get blue / My love and I and so do you and horses' necks straining true" express the difficulty of facing the harshness of the world. However, the repetition of "my love and I and so do you" suggests a sense of solidarity and shared experience among the people. The final lines of the song "Love each other that's all" convey a simple yet powerful message to choose love over hate and to cherish human connection in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Take away these, take away these, take away these early grave blues
Remove the sorrow, remove the sorrow, remove the sorrow of the impending death
Fatten up their, fatten up their, fatten up their policemen
Make the authorities more compassionate and empathetic
Let them sing our, let them sing our, let them sing our pretty song
Allow them to understand and appreciate our message
Pale man always gets his, pale man always gots his
The privileged exert power and control
Boot - on - our - necks
We are subjected to oppression
Lightning from a cloud
A sudden and forceful action is needed
How do we get, how do we get lightning from a cloud
How can we bring about change quickly?
With love and love dear, with love and love dear
Through kindness and understanding
The world is awful cruel
The state of the world is harsh and merciless
The wreck'd and worn get blue
Those who are broken and tired become sad
My love and I and so do you and horses' necks straining true
We, along with everyone else, are struggling to survive
Hearts these hearts just won't do my love and I and so do you
Our hearts are not enough to overcome the pain we feel
The sky goes cold while we get old
As we age, the world becomes more inhospitable
Those selfish pricks won't ever know
The selfish will never realize or care about our struggles
The simple joy of letting go
The relief that comes from surrendering to our fate
The world is sick we're born it we did it 'cause all we knew was this
We are responsible for the sick state of the world because we did not know any better
Love each other that's all ...
The solution is to love and care for each other
Contributed by Grace C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
MsDarBla
Amazing. <3 I was at this show and I'm so glad this is the version that's up. So beautiful.
SewingFrik
I was there too. The sound was a little noisy but the show was great overall, this song was especially
Andreven
brilliant
Alexandru Galan
Thanks dude!
ranopano
Classic Chinese music sound 1:58