Adam Again was a rock band founded in the United States and led by vocalist… Read Full Bio ↴Adam Again was a rock band founded in the United States and led by vocalist Gene Eugene, with Riki Michele on vocals, Paul Valadez on bass, Jon Knox on drums, Greg Lawless on guitar. Dan Michaels often played saxophone.

Gene Eugene's mystical voice—often mistaken for R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe—remained the least-changing element in a band that Thom Jurek of allmusic has described as "inventive and artfully canny." Adam Again's style was rock and acoustic with strong hints of funk and traces of soul running throughout. The band never achieved commercial viability and quit touring and recording together in 2000 after Eugene died in his recording studio, the "fabulous" Green Room.

Babylon
Adam Again Lyrics

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[Based on Psalm 137.]

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Adam Again's song Babylon are based on Psalm 137, which expresses the pain and sorrow of the Israelites who were exiled to Babylon. The song begins with a reference to the riverbanks of Babylon where the Israelites wept and longed for Zion, their homeland. The lyrics then express a feeling of anger and bitterness toward their captors, with lines like "Sons of Babylon, I curse your name" and "Let my eyes see the day when Babylon is gone."

The later verses of the song reflect on the violence and destruction that the Israelites experienced during their time in Babylon. The lyrics mention the idea of dashing the Babylonian babies against rocks, which is a shocking image but one that reflects the depth of pain and rage that the Israelites must have felt. The song's overall message is one of longing for home, and a desire for justice and accountability for those who caused their suffering.

Overall, the lyrics of Babylon are a powerful expression of the pain and resilience of a people who faced great hardship and oppression. The song manages to convey a sense of anger and bitterness while still maintaining a feeling of hope and a sense of connection to a greater spiritual power.

Line by Line Meaning

By the rivers of Babylon
As we sat down by the waters of Babylon

There we wept when we remembered Zion
We shed tears as we thought of our home in Zion

Cause our captors required of us a song
For our captors demanded that we sing a joyful song

And our tormentors required of us mirth
And our oppressors demanded that we show them happiness

Saying sing us one of those songs of Zion
Asking us to sing the songs of our homeland

But how can we sing the Lord's song
But how can we possibly sing praises to the Lord

In a foreign land?
When we are so far from our home?

If I forget you, Jerusalem
If I forget you, oh Jerusalem

May my right hand forget its skill
Let my right hand lose its ability

May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth

If I do not remember you,
If I fail to keep Jerusalem in my thoughts