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/
The Crying Light
Antony and the Johnsons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Under the light
Let I cry sight
A child at night
I can have courage
To receive your love
I can step steps
Inside myself
The secret grows
My own shelter
Agony goes
In the crying light
The crying light
I was born to adore you
As a baby in the blind, ooh
I was born to represent you
To carry your head into the sun
To carve your face into the back of the sun
The crying light, crying light
The crying light, the crying light
In these lyrics from Antony and the Johnsons's song The Crying Light, the singer is expressing vulnerability and a willingness to be emotional in front of another person. The repeated phrase "let I cry" shows a desire to release emotions and be seen in a raw and vulnerable state. The mention of being a "child at night" further emphasizes the singer's feeling of smallness and innocence in the face of something greater. However, despite this vulnerability, the singer finds strength in the love that they receive, and is able to follow their intuition even when they cannot see the way forward.
The mention of "carrying your head into the sun" and "carving your face into the back of the sun" is a nod to themes present throughout the song of light, sun, and the idea of something greater than oneself. The singer identifies their purpose as representing and adoring this greater force, finding solace and protection within it.
Overall, these lyrics showcase a depth of emotion and vulnerability that is often difficult to express, and highlights the power and strength that can be found in allowing oneself to be open and honest with others.
Line by Line Meaning
Let I
Allow me
Shy cry
Express my emotions timidly
Under the light
In the presence of enlightenment
Let I
Allow me
Cry sight
See through tears
A child at night
Vulnerable and in need of comfort
I can
I am capable
Have courage
Find strength within myself
To receive your love
Accept love from another person
I can
I am capable
Step steps
Take gradual actions
Follow my blind
Trust my instincts even if unsure
Inside
Within myself
My self
My identity
The secret grows
My personal truths become stronger
My own
Belonging to me
Shelter
Protection from harm
Agony goes
Pain subsides
I was born to adore you
My purpose is to love and admire you
As a baby in the blind
From a young and inexperienced perspective
I was born to represent you
My purpose is to be a reflection of you
To carry your head into the sun
To elevate and honor you
To carve your face into the back of the sun
To create a lasting impression of you in my mind
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Anohni Hegarty
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
antropos2
This is poetry, god visiting souls. Live version in Rome was simply astonishing.
angelicinspirations
One the most under-rated musicians of several decades. So beautiful and so haunting.
irishcowboy42
The lyrics are powerful on this song.
Ender Peña
this is so perfect! OMG! <3
giointothewild
grazie per il tuo commento, sono un fann di Anotny da pochi mesi, e adoro il loro ultimo album, e sono molto felice che siano in Italia.
Jimandthegringos
Best of the new album!
Neil Landau
gorgeous. haunting.
superwolf76
Whoa, he sounds a little like Jeff Buckley (Lilac Wine) in this song. Haven't bought the album yet.
giointothewild
yes is similar to jeff buckley, the album is very nice.
subsamadhi
@angelicinspirations It's not that he's really underrated so much as he just hasn't had a lot of exposure for his talents. This is actually a good thing. I could see Antony getting really bad if he ever became really famous. Not because he IS bad necessarily, but that seems to happen to a lot of underground artists before they hit the big time. Let him be underrated if it keeps the quality of his music high.