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/
I'm In Love
Antony and the Johnsons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The red choral caressing me
And you need only say the word
I'll kiss you like a humming bird
I've been walking for a long time
I never did commit no crime
And all my dreams, they all came true
The day I lay my head on you
The day that you cracked open and died
Ten black boys flew free from inside
I don't know where I'm going so
I'm gonna lay down in the snow
The lyrics to Antony and the Johnsons' song "I'm In Love" are poetic and full of evocative imagery. The opening lines of the song, "I'm in the ocean, in the sea, The red choral caressing me" describe the singer's profound connection to nature. The sea and its creatures are comforting to him, and he feels embraced by the beauty and mystery of the ocean. The use of the word "caressing" is particularly powerful here, as it suggests a sense of tenderness and intimacy between the singer and nature.
The second stanza shifts to address a lover: "And you need only say the word, I'll kiss you like a humming bird." Here, the singer speaks directly to their beloved, offering to show them tenderness and affection in the same way that they experience it from nature. The use of the simile "like a humming bird" is interesting, suggesting that the kiss will be tiny and delicate but also quick and full of energy.
The final stanza is the most enigmatic, with lines like "Ten black boys flew free from inside" and "I don't know where I'm going so, I'm gonna lay down in the snow." These lines are open to interpretation, but they suggest themes of release and uncertainty. The mention of "black boys" is particularly challenging, as it is unclear who or what they might represent. Overall, the song is a haunting and provocative exploration of love and connection.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm in the ocean, in the sea
I am fully immersed in the vastness and depth of the ocean and sea
The red choral caressing me
I am being gently embraced and touched by the vivid and vibrant life of the sea flora and fauna
And you need only say the word
All I need is your permission or request
I'll kiss you like a humming bird
I will give you tender and fleeting kisses, just like the way a humming bird sips sweet nectar from flowers
I've been walking for a long time
I have been wandering aimlessly and endlessly for a prolonged period
I never did commit no crime
I haven't done any wrongdoing or offense
And all my dreams, they all came true
I have achieved everything I have ever dreamt of
The day I lay my head on you
My life changed for the better when I found profound comfort and love with you
The day that you cracked open and died
The day that you revealed your innermost and vulnerable self before me and passed away
Ten black boys flew free from inside
I witnessed the liberation and release of dark and imprisoned thoughts and emotions from within you
I don't know where I'm going so
I am uncertain and lost about my future path
I'm gonna lay down in the snow
I am willing to embrace the cold and harsh reality, and let it envelop me like a blanket
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
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