During the mid 90s Anohni started solo; after originally producing songs with Blacklips Performance Cult and other late-night cabarets she had a number of songs to work with. In 1995 she assembled a backing group—the self-styled Antony and the Johnsons—and began to focus on the musical side of her performances. The group built up a cult following at hip New York clubs such as the Kitchen and Knitting Factory. Anohni then received a NYFA for “performance art/emergent forms” which she used to record the Johnsons' debut album “Blue Angel”, that remained unreleased until Current 93 leader David Tibet signed Antony and the Johnsons to his Durtro label. The cast list of musicians on the album, released under the title "Antony and the Johnsons" in 1998, included Baby Dee (harp), Francois Gehin (bass), Todd Cohen (drums), Charles Neilson (guitar), and a number of string and woodwind players. This album later were reissued in 2000 and in 2004 by Secretly Canadian.
This collection of modern torch songs highlighted Anohni's soulful, multi-octave vocals and the Johnsons' graceful chamber pop arrangements, reaching a peak on "Cripple And The Starfish" and "Divine", the latter a tribute to the late transvestite movie star. Further recordings by Antony and the Johnsons emerged in the early years of the new millennium, including "I Fell in Love with a Dead Boy" and a shared EP “Live at St. Olave's” with Current 93, recorded live at Saint Olave's Church in London, England.
In early 2001 released 3 song EP "I Fell in Love with a Dead Boy", included covers of Mysteries of Love (Appeared originally on the film Blue Velvet) and Soft Black Stars.
Split EP included two new songs from the Johnsons, the first being You Stand Above Me, only one minute and thirty-six seconds long but containing all the melancholy and drama one would expect from the Johnsons. The other new track was The Lake which was an 1827 poem written by Edgar Allan Poe beautifully adapted to song. The Johnsons appear with Current 93 again on a 7”, with side B including the song Virgin Mary. This was limited to 500 copies, both released May 12th, 2003. By now the line-up of the Johnsons featured Todd Cohen, Jeff Langston (bass), Jason Hart (piano), Julia Kent (cello), Joan Wasser (violin), and Maxim Moston (violin).
It was around this time that Lou Reed heard the “I Fell in Love with a Dead Boy” EP. Reed then recruited Anohni for her album The Raven for guest vocals and took her on tour in 2003 which meant that Anohni appeared on Lou’s live album Animal Serenade. With the band now attracting wider attention, Anohni and the Johnsons signed to US based label Secretly Canadian. Secretly Canadian then reissued the band's debut to a wider audience in the USA.
The Lake was released the following year through the new label. It’s another 3 song EP including "The Lake" - Lou Reed appeared on Fistful of Love with guest vocals and guitar. The Horror Has Gone seems to be Anohni expressing the end of a depressing phase in her life, a positive lyrical change from her debut style.
In February 2005 Antony and the Johnsons released their second full length, I Am A Bird Now. It has guest appearances from Rufus Wainwright, Devendra Banhart, Lou Reed and Boy George. It went on to receive great critical acclaim in the UK and won Anohni the Technics Mercury Music Prize for 2005.
In 2006 Anohni appeared in the Leonard Cohen tribute concert and subsequent film "I'm Your Man." Her performance of "If It Be Your Will" is perhaps the highlight of the film.
The 5-song Another World EP was released on October 7, 2008. As promised, it shows a mixture of continuation of earlier songs' atmosphere as well as more experimental work. Antony and the Johnsons' third album, "The Crying Light", was released on January 19, 2009. This was followed by "Swanlights" in October, 2010. Both of these latter albums are less melodic and more experimental in nature the Anohni's earlier work and have met with critical acclaim yet little commercial success.
http://www.antonyandthejohnsons.com/
Daylight and the Sun
Antony and the Johnsons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Daylight and the sun
Now I cry for daylight
Daylight everyone
Daylight in my heart
Daylight in the trees
Daylight kissing everything
She can see
Only the white night
First born when the sun
Screamed her eyes open
Daylight in the fields
Daylight mountains
Fire kisses the floor
Of the lakes and makes shadows
Now I cry for daylight
Daylight and the sun
Now I cry for daylight
Daylight everyone
Daylight in my heart
Daylight in the trees
Daylight kissing everything
She can see
Oh your dream
Here on the water
Warm the sand
The seagulls calling
Kissed by kindness
You gave me this
Your fire becomes a kiss
In the song "Daylight and the Sun" by Antony and the Johnsons, the singer is crying out for daylight and the sun. This longing for light and warmth is repeated throughout the song and carries a deep emotional weight. The lines "Daylight in my heart, daylight in the trees, daylight kissing everything she can see" suggest that the singer is seeking not just physical light, but also a sense of hope and renewal. The contrast between the darkness of the night and the arrival of the sun in the morning is also explored, with the first line of the song stating "there was no light, only the white night."
The song seems to be exploring themes of rebirth and transformation. The line "first born when the sun screamed her eyes open" suggests the idea of being born again with the sunrise. The imagery of "fire kisses the floor of the lakes and makes shadows" also invokes a sense of rebirth and renewal. The final lines of the song, "you gave me this, your fire becomes a kiss," suggest that the singer has found this renewal through the kindness and generosity of someone else.
Overall, "Daylight and the Sun" is a haunting and deeply emotional song about the transformative power of light and the human longing for hope and renewal.
Line by Line Meaning
Now I cry for daylight
I am longing for the light of day and the warmth of the sun.
Daylight and the sun
I am wishing for the arrival of daylight and the sun to end this darkness.
Daylight everyone
I want everyone to experience and enjoy the brightness and warmth of daylight.
Daylight in my heart
I want to feel the happiness and hope that comes with the daylight in my heart.
Daylight in the trees
I want to see the beauty of daylight illuminating the trees.
Daylight kissing everything
I want the sunlight to touch and brighten everything and everyone around me.
She can see
The sunlight is so bright that it seems like it has its own vision and is looking upon everything.
There was no light
The world was dark and bleak, with no light to bring warmth or hope.
Only the white night
All that could be seen was the pale and ghostly light of the moon in the night sky.
First born when the sun
The world was created and came to life with the first light of the sun.
Screamed her eyes open
The sun appeared suddenly, as if it were opening its eyes for the first time.
Daylight in the fields
I want to see the sunlight shining over the wide open fields.
Daylight mountains
I want to see the sunlight illuminating the glorious mountains.
Fire kisses the floor
The sunlight touches the earth like a warm and passionate kiss.
Of the lakes and makes shadows
The sunlight shining on the surface of the lakes creates shadows and reflections.
Oh your dream
Your dream is like a vision, a beautiful scene that takes me to another place.
Here on the water
I am surrounded by the peaceful and soothing presence of water.
Warm the sand
The sand is heated by the sun and feels warm and comforting to the touch.
The seagulls calling
The sound of the seagulls is like a sweet and melodic song, echoing across the water.
Kissed by kindness
I feel an overwhelming sense of warmth and love, like I am being kissed by a kind and caring presence.
You gave me this
You brought me to this beautiful place and gave me the opportunity to experience this wonder.
Your fire becomes a kiss
The warmth of your spirit and your love becomes a comforting and gentle kiss upon my heart and soul.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Anohni
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mariam Chkholaria
Now I cry for daylight
Daylight and the sun
Now I cry for daylight
Daylight everyone
Daylight in my heart
Daylight in the trees
Daylight kisses everything
She can see
There was no light
Only the white night
First born when the sun
Screamed her eyes wide open
Daylight in the fields
Daylight mountains
Fire kisses the floor
Of the lakes and makes shadows
Now I cry for daylight
Daylight and the sun
Now I cry for daylight
Daylight everyone
Daylight in my heart
Daylight in the trees
Daylight kisses everything
She can see
Daylight in my heart
Daylight in the trees
Daylight kisses everything
She can see
Ooh, your dream
Here on the water
Warm the sand
The seagulls calling
Kissed by kindness
Kissed by kindness
Kissed by kindness
Kissed by kindness
Ooh, your dream
Here on the water
Warm the sand
The seagulls calling
Kissed by kindness
Kissed by kindness
Kissed by kindness
Kissed by kindness
You gave me this
Your fire becomes a kiss
You gave me this
Your fire becomes a kiss...
Tom M.
What a voice... The emotions his songs brings can be overwhelming
ash robbo
True :-)
jc marín
Such a wonderful song! Of all the great music you could possibly hear, this is some of the most intimate and special; Other beautiful songs can scratch the surface of human emotion, but only an artist like Antony can shatter that surface and reach a place buried deep inside us.
sunbeamer
Coldness waves over me,the light is all we need, but sometimes the dark choke you, making blind,....what this voice truly gives our inner beauty strenght, no matter when its dark,you always remember the light because thats were we are from💚🌞🌅💞
Mariam Chkholaria
Now I cry for daylight
Daylight and the sun
Now I cry for daylight
Daylight everyone
Daylight in my heart
Daylight in the trees
Daylight kisses everything
She can see
There was no light
Only the white night
First born when the sun
Screamed her eyes wide open
Daylight in the fields
Daylight mountains
Fire kisses the floor
Of the lakes and makes shadows
Now I cry for daylight
Daylight and the sun
Now I cry for daylight
Daylight everyone
Daylight in my heart
Daylight in the trees
Daylight kisses everything
She can see
Daylight in my heart
Daylight in the trees
Daylight kisses everything
She can see
Ooh, your dream
Here on the water
Warm the sand
The seagulls calling
Kissed by kindness
Kissed by kindness
Kissed by kindness
Kissed by kindness
Ooh, your dream
Here on the water
Warm the sand
The seagulls calling
Kissed by kindness
Kissed by kindness
Kissed by kindness
Kissed by kindness
You gave me this
Your fire becomes a kiss
You gave me this
Your fire becomes a kiss...
jungastein
There are few greater singer/songwriters in the audio record of the human voice. He really is all that!
Fanny Delgado
Espectacular. ♡♡♡
Stella Hueso Sanchez
Me encanta es genial sin palabras.
bj40forever
This musica brings daylight to my heart :)
Des babou
Toujours, oui, toujours la chair de poule et les yeux qui tremblent dès les premiers son de sa voix... Et quel divin pianiste!!!