In addition, Belew is well-regarded for his contributions, particularly on guitar, to various other artists' recordings. In 1977, he performed with Frank Zappa, appearing in Zappa's 1979 concert film Baby Snakes, as well as Zappa's controversial album Sheik Yerbouti. He also supported David Bowie on his "Heroes" tour that was released as "Stage". He also played on the 1990 Sound + Vision tour. On both tours he was musical director, playing guitar and singing backing vocals.
Belew's other session credits include the 1980 album Remain in Light by the Talking Heads, Lights Out by Peter Wolf, and Paul Simon's landmark 1986 album Graceland. He worked with Laurie Anderson during the mid-1980s, appearing in her concert film Home of the Brave. During the 1990s, he contributed to three Nine Inch Nails albums, The Downward Spiral, The Fragile, and Ghosts. He played synthesized guitar on the song "God Shuffled His Feet" by Crash Test Dummies in 1993.
In the late-1980s, Belew formed the pop band The Bears with ex-Raisins members and released two albums, The Bears and Rise and Shine. A third album, Car Caught Fire, followed in 2001.
He features prominently on Tori Amos's 2001 cover album, "Strange Little Girls". He also contributed his lead guitar stylings to Porcupine Tree's album Deadwing (2005) as well as to a track ("I Can't Get Behind That", also featuring Henry Rollins) on the 2004 Ben Folds-produced William Shatner album Has Been.
I See You
Adrian Belew Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I sat on a plane and flew away
I see you everywhere I go
I dropped my bag in the hotel hall
I thought I heard your voice through the wall
I see you everywhere I go
The autobahn I ride
And as I sat beside the seine
A boat went past and I saw you wave
I see you everywhere I go
When I went to sleep in japan
I saw your face on the ceiling fan
I see you everywhere I go
Reminds me who I am
A stranger in a stranger land
When I went to sleep in japan
I saw your face on the ceiling fan
I see you everywhere I go
The bullet train I ride
I see your eyes on the signs ahead
And as I'm landing back in the states
A hundred of you waiting at the gate
I see you in the streets
I see you in my sleep
I see you everywhere I go
The lyrics of Adrian Belew's "I See You" are centered on the theme of longing and the idea of a persistent memory that lingers and haunts the mind of the singer after parting ways with a loved one. The song describes how despite being physically distant from the subject of the song, the author still sees their presence everywhere, on signposts, hotel walls, and in his dreams.
The opening lines, "Only a week ago today, I sat on a plane and flew away", describe how even after being away for just a week, the singer's memory of the loved one persists. He notices the person's presence in every place he goes, every sign he sees. Even when he falls asleep, the person's face is on the ceiling fan; such is the depth of the longing and the power of the memory.
The final lines, "I see you in the streets, I see you in my sleep, I see you everywhere I go", sum up the central idea of the song, and the repeated line "I see you" reinforces the idea that the memory of the person is all-consuming and ever-present. Overall, the song conveys the feelings of loss and the deep connection between two people even when separated.
Line by Line Meaning
Only a week ago today
Just seven days ago, to be exact
I sat on a plane and flew away
I boarded a plane and left my old location
I see you everywhere I go
You seem to be present in every place that I find myself at
I dropped my bag in the hotel hall
I threw my bag down in the hallway of the hotel
I thought I heard your voice through the wall
I believed I detected the sound of your voice from beyond a wall
The autobahn I ride
I drive down the German highway known as the autobahn
I see your eyes on the signs ahead
I perceive your eyes on the road signs that I drive past
And as I sat beside the seine
As I found myself sitting next to the River Seine
A boat went past and I saw you wave
A watercraft sailed by me, and from it, you waved
When I went to sleep in japan
During the period when I was sleeping in Japan
I saw your face on the ceiling fan
I saw an apparition of your face on the blades of the ceiling fan
Reminds me who I am
It serves as a cue for me to remember my own identity
A stranger in a stranger land
I feel like an alien in an unfamiliar territory
The bullet train I ride
I travel on the fast-moving train known as the bullet train
And as I'm landing back in the states
As I'm getting ready to touch down in America
A hundred of you waiting at the gate
As I'm about to leave the airport, one hundred versions of you are at the gate waiting for me
I see you in the streets
I see you in locations with public access, such as roads
I see you in my sleep
Even when I close my eyes and sink into subconsciousness, I see you
I see you everywhere I go
In every location and circumstance, I perceive your presence
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: FARIS ADAM BADWAN, JOSHUA MARK HAYWARD, TOM FURSE COWAN, RHYS TIMOTHY WEBB, JOSEPH PATRICK SPURGEON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ouii8
Nobody talks how he got to imitate McCartney and Lennon voice so good. Especially Lennon's voice, it's like a 1965 lost Rubber Soul recording.
@stevekirschenbaum9801
+ouii8 When I first heard this, I thought Lennon came back from the grave. I'm nuts about the whole ' Here ' album.
@maxpumpkin
adrian has a huge heart, sense of humor and, of course, he's an exceptionally gifted musician. and i'm really honored to know him and have worked with him. this is one of my favorite songs...so damn catchy. and how handsome is he? this is the end of my gushing for now ;)
@leavingitblank9363
I was surprised to hear he did this. It IS catchy. I know him only from Lone Rhino, which is, you might say, rather eclectic.
@susanarosarojas5015
Sara Hickman, I've just discovered this video and song. I think he's so romantic, so sweet, sorry I had to look for «catchy» in the dictionary but I understand the lyrics quite well and make me love him. Every day I'm surprised with some new material (unknown for me of course) despite all these years and his productive work.
@susanarosarojas5015
And I had yo add Call from the moon ..up to now..
@octofish
The album is "Here" from the mid 1990's. Recorded in either Lake Geneva or Williams Bay, WI when Adrian lived there, recorded in his home. Engineered by Noah Evans. All instruments played by Adrian Belew. This album is among my all time favorites. Great sound quality and excellent mix for home recording. Adrian seems to only be known by the best musicians in the world. To the public, ,he is yet unknown. Adrian is a genius.
@ALoveEternal
here's a man who can literally do eet all! gotta love him.
@maxpumpkin
plus he's playing all the instruments. hot damn.
@alanboro
This is the ultimate evidence that Adrian Belew is one of the best musicians ever: HE can make this pop music that sounds awesome, and he can also make some complicated music with crimson and the crimson`s fraktal groups. plus: he is a guitar god