The band emerged in 1968 out of the scene of hippies and squatters in Munich, Germany, but their strong interest in music led them to go their own way. They took their name from the old Egyptian name Amon, being an Egyptian sun god, and Düül, a character from Turkish fiction. Their personnel changed constantly, but maybe the most permanent members were Renate Knaup (vocals), Chris Karrer (guitar, violin), John Weinzierl (guitar), Peter Leopold (drums), Falk Rogner (organ, synthesizer). After several successful albums with a style that reached from long improvisation to more structured rock songs they split. Later they tried several resurrections but none of them brought back the old days of glory.
Amon Düül was initially an anarchist commune, but it split into two factions, Amon Düül (sometimes called Amon Düül I for disambiguation) and Amon Düül II. ADI was more politically inclined, but ADII preferred making music. Their anarchist tendencies are clearly seen in their music, especially on the albums Yeti, Tanz Der Lemminge, and Wolf City.
The band can be seen as having two distinct periods in their glory days, the improvisational period and the compositional period. The improvisational period consisted of albums such as Phallus Dei and Yeti, and, to a lesser extent, Tanz Der Lemminge. These albums all featured long, improvisational tracks (Phallus Dei was entirely improvised, and disc two of Yeti was as well, but Tanz Der Lemminge only featured one improvisation). Their compositional period starts with Carnival in Babylon and is highlighted by Wolf City. In this period, the band moved to more structured composed pieces. Many fans saw this as a poor move, but some believed that Amon Duul II proved that they were just as good at composing as they were at improvising.
Amon Düül II's drummer Peter Leopold died on 8 November 2006.
Bass player Lothar Meid died on 3 November 2015.
Light
Amon Düül II Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In that lovely room
And we sat
All the afternoon
We just felt
We were trembling
How our love, how our love was strong
And we know we saw the light in the darkness
Don't you know
I can see there
All the dreams
Of your childhood
And I know, know
????
Do to me ????
'Cause I saw, saw the light shine in the darkness
'Cause I saw, saw the light shine in the darkness
Now I see you
And your blackness
And ????
Of your badness
And I know
All I hang up
You go through
Into sadness
And I wish you could see the light in the darkness
And I wish you could see the light in the darkness
See the light (see the light)
Lead to darkness (lead to darkness)
See the light (see the light)
Lead to darkness (lead to darkness)
Please leave the darkness
See the light, see the light
See the light, see the light
See the light, see the light
The lyrics of "Light" by Amon Düül II capture the feeling of meeting someone new and falling in love, but also the sadness and difficulty that can come with relationships. The first verse describes a beautiful afternoon spent together, where the two people feel a strong connection and love for each other. They saw the "light in the darkness", perhaps feeling as though they found a shining light in the midst of life's difficulties.
The second verse, however, introduces a darker tone. The singer can see the hurt and pain in their partner's past, and they wish they could heal them and help them overcome it. They can also see the "blackness" and "badness" in them, which may allude to the challenges and struggles that come with any relationship.
The chorus seems to reflect a struggle between light and darkness in the relationship. The repeated lines "See the light, see the light, lead to darkness, lead to darkness" suggest that sometimes the pursuit of happiness and love can also lead to pain and disappointment.
Overall, "Light" is a complex song that explores both the joys and difficulties of relationships, and highlights the desire for light and goodness in the midst of life's darkness and challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
When we met
At the time of our encounter
In that lovely room
Within that beautiful chamber
And we sat
And we did sit
All the afternoon
During the entirety of the afternoon
We just felt
At that moment, we simply sensed
We were trembling
We were quivering in excitement
How our love, how our love was strong
The strength of our affection was evident
And we know we saw the light in the darkness
We are certain that we witnessed illumination amidst obscurity
And we know we saw the light in the darkness
We are certain that we witnessed illumination amidst obscurity
Don't you know
Do you not comprehend
I can see there
I can perceive in that place
All the dreams
Every ambition
Of your childhood
Of your youth
And I know, know
I am aware, aware
????
Unknown/ambiguous line
Do to me ????
Effect on me unclear
'Cause I saw, saw the light shine in the darkness
Because I saw, saw the light radiate through the veil of obscurity
'Cause I saw, saw the light shine in the darkness
Because I saw, saw the light radiate through the veil of obscurity
Now I see you
Currently, I am observing you
And your blackness
And your darkness/pessimism
And ????
Unknown/ambiguous line
Of your badness
Of your wrongdoing
And I know
And I am aware
All I hang up
Everything I cling to
You go through
You experience
Into sadness
Leading to sorrow
And I wish you could see the light in the darkness
I hope you are able to perceive illumination amidst obscurity
And I wish you could see the light in the darkness
I hope you are able to perceive illumination amidst obscurity
See the light (see the light)
Observe the illumination (observe the illumination)
Lead to darkness (lead to darkness)
Resulting in obscurity (resulting in obscurity)
See the light (see the light)
Observe the illumination (observe the illumination)
Lead to darkness (lead to darkness)
Resulting in obscurity (resulting in obscurity)
Please leave the darkness
Kindly depart from obscurity
See the light, see the light
Observe the illumination, observe the illumination
See the light, see the light
Observe the illumination, observe the illumination
See the light, see the light
Observe the illumination, observe the illumination
Contributed by Adeline P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
David Metcalfe
on She Came Through the Chimney
Maybe it's "indigo sea" and not Indian sea on Sleepwalkers Timeless Bridge?