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/
Everglade
Antony and the Johnsons Lyrics
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And your eyes are lilies all around
When I'm lying sweetly in my bed
The sun plays crystal with my eyes
Then I stop
My body stops crying for home
My limbs stop weeping for home
When I'm peeping in a parlor of trees
And the leaves are winking all around
"I'm home," my heart sobs in my veins
But brains they play the softest games
Fingers kiss the string
Mouth taste the blade
Of everglade
Of everglade
Of everglade
The song "Everglade" by Antony and the Johnsons is a beautiful yet melancholic piece about the feeling of homelessness and searching for a sense of belonging. The lyrics describe the sensation of being lost and displaced, as if the singer is not truly at home wherever they go. The first stanza speaks of floating in water surrounded by the beauty of lily eyes, but even in this picturesque moment, the singer feels a sense of detachment from their surroundings. The line "my limbs stop weeping for home" highlights their yearning for a sense of grounding and comfort.
The second stanza describes the singer peering into a grove of trees, feeling as though they have finally found a place to call home. However, their brain plays "soft games," meaning that their mind is convincing them that this is the right place to be, but their heart still does not feel at peace. The final line, "fingers kiss the string, mouth taste the blade of everglade," can be interpreted as the singer trying to connect with their surroundings through music and tasting what the environment has to offer, but there is still a feeling of emptiness and longing.
Overall, "Everglade" is a poignant reminder of the importance of finding a place where we truly feel at home, both physically and emotionally. The song acknowledges the difficult process of searching for that sense of belonging and that it is not always found through external means.
Line by Line Meaning
When I'm floating in the water
When I'm peacefully drifting in the water
And your eyes are lilies all around
And I see the beauty of nature reflected in your eyes
When I'm lying sweetly in my bed
When I'm comfortably resting in my bed
The sun plays crystal with my eyes
The sunlight creates a beautiful sparkle in my eyes
Then I stop
My mind becomes still and clear
My body stops crying for home
My physical longing for a sense of belonging ceases
My limbs stop weeping for home
My body no longer yearns for familiarity
When I'm peeping in a parlor of trees
When I'm surrounded by trees and observing their wonder
And the leaves are winking all around
And the leaves are gently fluttering in the breeze
"I'm home," my heart sobs in my veins
"I've found my true home," my heart exclaims
But brains they play the softest games
But our thoughts can sometimes deceive us
Fingers kiss the string
Fingers gently touch the strings of an instrument
Mouth taste the blade
Mouth gently touches a sharp object
Of everglade
In the beauty of nature
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Anohni Hegarty
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind