Fronted by Projekt Records' Sam Rosenthal, the band's line-up has changed significantly over time. The current lineup has Rosenthal on programming, guitar and keyboards, Jon DeRosa ( Aarktica) on vocals, and Henrik Meierkord on strings. The most notable former members of the band are Brian Viglione (The Dresden Dolls) on percussion, guitar & bass, and vocalists Athan Maroulis (ex-Spahn Ranch), Nicki Jaine, and long time vocalists, Oscar Herrera & Elysabeth Grant.
The style of Black Tape for a Blue Girl is generally described as "gothic", though their long catalog of music does not often gel with all of the contemporary standards of gothic music over time. The lyrics are by Rosenthal himself and explores powerful emotions of love, vulnerability, isolation, loss, jealousy, and passion.
Ashes in the Brittle Air
Black Tape for a Blue Girl Lyrics
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Our souls drift like ashes in the brittle air.....through the brittle air.
Hold out your hands. Afraid to hold out for what you need...
But see, see what you need.
Twirling like leaves, we float away....
Drift away from things, the things you desire
Desire, desire: the passion burning in your heart.
Reach for what you want.
I wouldn't stop loving you.
Ashes. Ashes. Our souls drift like ashes in the brittle air....through the brittle air.
The lyrics to Black Tape for a Blue Girl's song Ashes in the Brittle Air speak to the ephemeral nature of our existence and the idea that our souls are like ashes, drifting through the brittle air. The first two lines are a nod to the classic children's nursery rhyme "Ring Around the Rosie" which ends with the repetitive line "ashes, ashes, we all fall down", suggesting a universal sense of mortality. The lyrics encourage us to hold out our hands, to not be afraid to reach for what we need and to embrace the passions burning in our hearts. At the same time, the song explores the idea that our perceptions might be flawed, causing us to fear what we desire or to desire things that are ultimately not good for us.
The imagery in the lyrics is powerful, with the idea of souls drifting like ashes evoking a sense of weightlessness and impermanence. The line "twirling like leaves, we float away" reinforces this theme, suggesting that we are subject to the whims of fate and that our lives can be blown in any direction like leaves on the wind. The final line, "I wouldn't stop loving you", offers a glimmer of hope in the face of this existential uncertainty, suggesting that even in the face of mortality and the impermanence of all things, love endures.
Line by Line Meaning
Ashes. Ashes.
Our lives have turned to ashes, a sign of our destruction and downfall.
Our souls drift like ashes in the brittle air.....through the brittle air.
We are souls adrift and aimless, without direction or purpose.
Hold out your hands. Afraid to hold out for what you need...
You hesitate to seek what you need, regardless of your fear.
But see, see what you need.
You must recognize what it is that you need, what truly matters.
Twirling like leaves, we float away....
We are carried by the wind, unable to control our own destiny.
Drift away from things, the things you desire
We lose sight of the things we want, the things we once valued.
Desire, desire: the passion burning in your heart.
Your heart burns with a desire, a passion that refuses to be extinguished.
Reach for what you want.
You must take action, strive towards your goals and desires.
Fears or freedoms: what if your perceptions are all wrong?
You must consider whether your fears are holding you back, whether your perceptions of the world are accurate.
I wouldn't stop loving you.
Despite everything, my love will remain unyielding and endure.
Ashes. Ashes. Our souls drift like ashes in the brittle air....through the brittle air.
Our fate remains unchanged, we are still adrift and aimless like ashes carried by the wind.
Contributed by Brody R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@LillianLamour21
Your music never ceases to move me... The first time I heard your music there was something haunting about it...the stories and inner landscapes so familiar... <3
@onlyyesterday1967
So beautiful
@serrz8203
Never get tired of hear your music!!!
@ivorytower99
Lovely how at the end of Ashes In The Brittle Air, the video shows the dance scenario was a recollection; a faded memory of long ago.
@hardikdoshi7131
Amazing!
@absu132
Wow sam never seen this.. this song always puts a smile on my face :)
@ekklesiamortis
Didnt know there is a music video. Nice work.
@blacktapeforabluegirl
Indeed! this is the first time I've seen the video since the early 90s! I shot it right after I got out of college with my friends Kathryn & Dimitri.
@jaaaaaked
@Sam Rosenthal Found this through the book "Covert Culture" by Richard Kadrey (1993). Loved the video and the music :)
@ricardokool1
LOVELY