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/
Swanlights
Antony and the Johnsons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a golden thing
It means everything
I'm gifted
By your grace
It's the Swanlights
In the water
Oh it's such a mystery to me
Oh it's such a mystery to me
What I have seen
Faces in my dreams
Oh the Swanlights
The Swanlights
When I close my eyes
And dream Swans come
When in love I lean
On the Swanlight song
Oh it's such a mystery to me
Oh it's such a mystery to me
I'm dancing with their necks
Dancing neck to neck
The lyrics in “Swanlights” by Antony and the Johnsons contain a deeply spiritual message. The opening lines, “Oh, I’m living, it’s a golden thing, it means everything,” highlight the idea that living itself is a precious gift. The lyrics are expressed in a meditative and introspective tone, as the singer reflects on the spiritual aspects of life. The phrase “gifted by your grace” suggests a sense of gratitude and humility towards a higher power.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh I'm living
I am alive and existing in this world
It's a golden thing
Being alive is precious and valuable
It means everything
Life is important and necessary to everything we do
I'm gifted
I have been blessed with something special
By your grace
I have received this gift by the mercy of a higher power
It's the Swanlights
This special gift is linked to the beauty and mystery of swans
In the water
Swans are often found in water, which adds to their allure and enchantment
On that shining face
The swan's face is radiant and mesmerizing
What I have seen
My experiences and observations
Faces in my dreams
I have dreamt of faces that have left a lasting impression on me
Oh the Swanlights
These faces are linked to the swan's mysterious and captivating aura
When I close my eyes
During moments of introspection and contemplation
And dream Swans come
I see visions of swans in my dreams
When in love I lean
During moments of love and connection
On the Swanlight song
I find solace and comfort in the beauty of the swans and their aura
I'm dancing with their necks
I am entranced and engaged with the physicality of the swans
Dancing neck to neck
I am fully immersed in the experience of being near the swans and their grace
Oh it's such a mystery to me
I am in awe and wonder of the swans and their impact on me
Oh it's such a mystery to me
I cannot fully understand the beauty and mystery of the swans, but I am captivated nonetheless
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thesamedeepwaterasyou
The most beautiful song ever. Channelling direct from source. This video is just exquisite.
@conceicaopaiva6442
Maravilhoso !!!
É pena não os poder ver ao vivo!!!
@bluesnail9263
Wow, I love this band.
@nippofilica
Extraordinariamente belo. Please come to Portugal Antony!
@dk4wncp
Sheer chills. Ethereal. Mesmerizing. Speechless.
@makkoce
this song really comes from soul.
@Amneziacful
This surpasses the wonder that Radiohead once had. Brilliant!
@bellabb6518
What a special, amazing voice is the most important thing - soul and spirit!
@montserrathhernandezflores6840
Cuando algo es hecho con el alma se nota en cada parte.
@reddwing4368
❤