Brendan Perry (born 30 June 1959 in Whitechapel, London) was half of one of… Read Full Bio ↴Brendan Perry (born 30 June 1959 in Whitechapel, London) was half of one of the most successful and enduring acts in 4AD's history: Dead Can Dance. He spent 16 years searching the world for meaning and knowledge through music in partnership with Lisa Gerrard, then turned his attention to a solo record which would continue this exploration. Although Eye Of The Hunter was released in October 1999, Brendan began work on the album while Dead Can Dance were still active - the idea was inspired, in part, by his incredible solo performance during 4AD's 13 Year Itch celebrations at the ICA in 1993. Boasting lush production sensibilities and a boundary-defying spirit, Eye Of The Hunter offered an immediate familiarity to fans of Dead Can Dance's unique soundworld. But there were difference in the manner the music was made, and also how it was presented. Though Dead Can Dance employed vocals, the duo's goal was to express emotions beyond language. Their recording process was also open to improvisation, Brendan and Lisa letting the music lead them to its destination. In contrast, Eye Of The Hunter's vignettes were written - crafted - using a more traditional singer / songwriter process. The music, centered around Brendans thoughtful and restrained guitar playing, provided a backdrop for his deep, gentle vocals. And while much of Dead Can Dance's work eluded categorisation, Brendan embraced it, making a folk record in the truest sense: these songs - each one its own story but each also contributing to an overall theme - were rooted in his life experiences.

'Eye Of The Hunter' was recorded at Brendan's Quivvy Church studio in County Cavan in Ireland. It's a relatively isolated setting - one which allows its owner space to pursue his interests, which range from music to astronomy and archery to arboriculture. Dead Can Dance's music often suggested a search for meaning and sense in the world, and Brendan has taken up a similar journey. But instead of looking at the external world, he has decided to explore the inner world of his own private universe. "People have multiple personalities which are always evolving," he says. "This record deals with the different facets of my own personality." "Eye Of The Hunter's deeply personal songs explore the theme of loss - both of life and love - but they are not bereft of hope. "Saturday's Child," which opens the record, poignantly describes the changing relationship between Brendan and his father after the latter suffered two debilitating strokes. "Sloth" deals with time lost to anger, addiction and inertia, preventing us from achieving our true potential. "The Captive Heart" deals with the attempt to keep love afloat over a long distance. A cover of Tim Buckley's "Must Have Been Blind" features one of the record's more extravagant arrangements, with layers of pedal steel supporting Brendan's soaring vocals. An emotional centerpiece is the haunting, autobiographical "Voyage of Bran". Brendan Perry toured Europe and North America in support of Eye Of The Hunter. But - apart from a number of local performances and workshops in Ireland - he subsequently remained out of the public eye until Dead Can Dance reformed for a series of live concerts in the spring of 2005.

His second album entitled 'Ark' was released 7 June 2010. This album was very different from 'Eye of the Hunter', notably because it will feature rhythm machines and electric guitars.

Two more Dead Can Dance albums followed; 'Anastasis' (2012) and 'Dionysius' (2018) along with a selection of live releases; 'Live Happenings I-V' (2012) and 'In Concert' (2013). 'Live Happenings' was a selection of live tracks released in 5 separate parts online. Each part consisted of 4/5 tracks. These were recordings from the 2005 DCD tour. 'In Concert' was recordings from the 2012 tour.

During the time between albums Brendan also moved from Ireland to Bretagne/Brittany, France and during February/March 2019 completed a solo tour in France, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany, starting in La Souterraine (FR), closely followed by a Dead Can Dance tour which started in Rennes (FR) in May 2019.

Ten years after 'Ark', on 20 November 2020 Brendan released his third solo album 'Songs of Disenchantment: Music from the Greek Underground'. Initially released in digital formats (MP3/FLAC) and via streaming (Spotify, Amazon Music etc) The physical vinyl and CD versions followed in Spring 2021. This is an album of Greek songs in the Rebetiko street music style (Greek blues?). All the songs are cover versions of 1920s-1930s Greek songs but have been translated in to English. Brendan plays all the instruments himself including traditional instruments like Bouzouki, Saz, Baglama & Tsouras along with lutes and the dulcimer, which DCD fans will be familiar with.

Next up is a Dead Can Dance's Europe tour in 2022, rescheduled from 2021 due to Covid restrictions.

I Must Have Been Blind
Brendan Perry Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Here I am believing words again
Here I am trying to find your love again
Here I am down on my knees again
Praying for a love we used to know

Both of us know how hard it is to love and let it go
Both of us know how hard it is to go on living that way
But so few know what it means to fall in love

And so few know how hard it is to live without it

Lord I must have been blind
Lord I must have been blind
Lord I must have been blind
Lord I must have been blind

To hold something real and not believe it
To live in her life and never trust it
To give all you know and never feel it
Hold back each day until it dies away

Both of us know how hard it is to love and let it go
Both of us know how hard it is to go on living that way
But so few know what it means to fall in love
And so few know how hard it is to live without it

Lord I must have been blind

Lord I must have been blind
Lord I must have been blind

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Brendan Perry's "I Must Have Been Blind" explore the difficulty of finding and holding onto love. The singer is questioning their ability to believe in the words of love and trust in someone again. The lyrics suggest that the singer has been hurt in the past and is struggling to move on from that pain. They find themselves on their knees, praying for a love that they used to know.

The chorus of the song is particularly impactful, as the singer repeats the line "Lord I must have been blind" four times. This repetition suggests a feeling of deep regret and self-blame. The singer acknowledges that they had something real in their life but failed to believe in it. They lived beside someone they loved but never trusted, gave all they knew but never truly felt it, and held back each day until the love died away.

The second verse repeats the theme of the first, highlighting the struggle of letting go and living without love. Overall, the lyrics of "I Must Have Been Blind" explore the paradoxical nature of love and the human tendency to hold back and fail to trust in others. The song invites us to question our own beliefs and behaviors when it comes to love.

Line by Line Meaning

Here I am believing words again
I am once again trusting someone's promises without any concrete evidence of their truthfulness.

Here I am trying to find your love again
I am making an effort to search for the affection and caring that I had believed existed in our relationship before.

Here I am down on my knees again
I am metaphorically bowing down in submission, out of desperation to win back your love and affection.

Praying for a love we used to know
I am hoping and praying that we can rekindle the love that we once had, before it faded away.

Both of us know how hard it is to love and let it go
We are both aware of the difficulties that arise when one has to let go of a deep and passionate love.

But so few know what it means to fall in love
Most people do not comprehend the profound emotions that are involved in the experience of falling in love.

And so few know how hard it is to live without it
Only a few people understand the agony of living without love, of feeling lonely and incomplete.

Lord I must have been blind
I acknowledge that I was foolish and unaware of the reality of the situation. I didn't see what was happening before my eyes.

To hold something real and not believe it
I had the opportunity to experience a genuine love, but I failed to recognize it and have faith in it.

To live in her life and never trust it
I was a part of her world, but I was always doubtful and skeptical of her intentions and feelings.

To give all you know and never feel it
I gave all of my love and devotion to the relationship, but I never felt that same level of passion and commitment from my partner.

Hold back each day until it dies away
I restrained myself from showing my true emotions every day, until the love between us finally faded and died away.

Contributed by Ellie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS