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/
Hitler in My Heart
Antony and the Johnsons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I find Hitler in my heart
And he is whispering
"As sure as love will spring
From the Well of Blood in Vain, oh Jew!
The Well of Blood in Vain!"
La la la la la la
And I fell into a deeper precipice
With mouths of rapists
Jaws dropped down
Jaws dropped down
Jaws dropped
Don't punish me
For wanting your love inside of me
Don't punish me
For wanting your love inside of me
And I find Hitler in my heart
From the corpses flowers grow
And I find Hitler in my heart
From the corpses flowers grow
And I find Hitler in my heart
From the corpses flowers grow
Flowers grow
From the corpses flowers grow
Flowers grow
The lyrics of Antony and the Johnsons's song "Hitler in My Heart" are deeply introspective and reveal the tortured psyche of the singer. The first verse speaks of the singer's search for love and kindness, but instead, they find Hitler in their heart, an undeniable reference to the genocide perpetrated by the Nazi regime during the Holocaust. The singer imagines Hitler whispering to them, speaking of the "Well of Blood in Vain," which is a metaphor for the tragic loss of life during the Holocaust.
The second part of the song speaks of the singer's descent into a "deeper precipice," which is a metaphor for a state of emotional turmoil in which they are confronted with the jaws of rapists. The singer pleads not to be punished for wanting love inside of them, further emphasizing their emotional vulnerability. The chorus repeats the line "I find Hitler in my heart," suggesting that the singer is unable to escape the weight of their guilt and shame.
Line by Line Meaning
As I search for a piece of kindness
I am seeking goodness in life
And I find Hitler in my heart
I discover darkness within myself
And he is whispering
An inner voice is speaking to me
"As sure as love will spring
"Love will certainly arise
From the Well of Blood in Vain, oh Jew!
From the blood of Jews, without purpose or benefit!
The Well of Blood in Vain!"
This carnage is for nothing!
La la la la la la
N/A
And I fell into a deeper precipice
I fell into a deeper level of darkness
With mouths of rapists
Surrounded by the worst kind of people
Jaws dropped down
Surprised at the situation
Jaws dropped down
Surprised at the situation
Jaws dropped
Surprised at the situation
Don't punish me
Please don't punish me for what I am feeling
For wanting your love inside of me
For desiring your love for myself
And I find Hitler in my heart
I recognize a cruel nature within me
From the corpses flowers grow
Despite death, beauty still arises
And I find Hitler in my heart
I recognize a cruel nature within me
From the corpses flowers grow
Despite death, beauty still arises
And I find Hitler in my heart
I recognize a cruel nature within me
From the corpses flowers grow
Despite death, beauty still arises
Flowers grow
Beauty still arises
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Anohni
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pumpkineckbort8856
1:09 I've listened to this vocal run probably 50 times in a row and I can't get tired of it. Especially the last bar. So good.
@sneakiepimp1
Love this song. From the corpses flowers grow....
@agenda666
No https://youtu.be/K-SOlVbflEY
@voyeurcoma638
What a great piece of music. This is the mark of a genius lyricist and fantastic vocalist with a voice that is truly amazing and belongs to Anthony and no one else you don't get vocalist's that are individual they all sound the same. Truly one of the best musician vocalist songwriters of the past 20 years
@lamdag2804
I agree 100%
@simonthom6885
This is the worlds best song
@carmeloserafin5101
Spiazzante e i fiori cadono come dentro una Tomba sonora e dove una lucida follia li terrà in vita.
@antoniocrutchfield210
my current obsession
@leeheyes7561
At 1.09 something very special happens......everything .what a change in direction 👏
@prncsreo1589
I can relate. Save my soul.