'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.
babylon
Brendan Perry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Takes my hand and beats the drum
Tries to make me understand
We're as one in a sea of sand
I'm praying for rain
To see desert flowers again
In spite of what the storm may bring
In their hearts a dormant seed
Dreams of life beyond the reeds
In our hearts and minds we see
The hope that springs eternally
Whilst underground the hidden stream
Flows into the man machine
The eagle flies up towards the sun
High above the fields of Babylon
In one claw he holds an olive branch for peace
In the other twelve arrows for his enemies
For his enemies
Sons and Daughters of America
You lay down your lives
For the warlords of America
Not for your sake not for mine
The lyrics to Brendan Perry's song Babylon are deeply layered and full of meaning. The song's first verse begins with a spiritual exaltation, as the singer recognizes the oneness he shares with the natural world. The second line speaks to the power of music as a unifier, as the singer describes taking part in a communal drumbeat. The singer then acknowledges the difficulty in understanding such connections, particularly in the face of vast spaces like deserts. This is where the prayer for rain comes in- a traditional symbol of renewal in many cultures. Perry's lyrics beautifully illustrate the importance of connection, finding oneself in the larger world, and the beauty of hope and dreaming.
The next verse shifts perspective slightly, engaging with the idea of children finding hope and promise through song. The metaphor of the "dormant seed" suggests that this hope is present but not yet realized. However, the final lines of the stanza suggest that while hope is underground, there are other, more sinister things at work on the surface- specifically, the reference to a "man machine" implies a cold, mechanical force that is antithetical to the organic hope-potential represented by the underground stream.
Finally, the song turns to the image of the eagle flying over Babylon- a powerful Biblical allusion to the Old Testament story of Nebuchadnezzar's dream. Perry's eagle also carries both olive branches and arrows, suggesting both the possibility of peace (under the right conditions) and the constant threat of violence. The closing lines of the song take on a particularly charged political relevance, as they critique and call into question the role of war and the military in American society. Through this analysis, it becomes clear that Babylon is a song that speaks both to the great human experience of connection and hope, and to the ways in which that experience is sometimes complicated and obscured by the darker aspects of human society.
Line by Line Meaning
Spirit rise to greet the sun
My soul casts off all of its restraints to welcome a new day
Takes my hand and beats the drum
My consciousness moves forward with a strong, rhythmic pulse
Tries to make me understand
It attempts to convey meaning that is difficult to grasp
We're as one in a sea of sand
We are all united in the desert landscape
I'm praying for rain
I'm hoping for change to occur by means of a dramatic event
To see desert flowers again
For the beauty of life to reemerge in a barren land
Underground the children sing
Aspects of myself that remain hidden express themselves
In spite of what the storm may bring
Even with chaos around them, they sing
In their hearts a dormant seed
They possess potential beyond currently apparent opportunity
Dreams of life beyond the reeds
They hope for more than mere survival
In our hearts and minds we see
Esoteric insight tells us that there is more to the world than what meets the eye
The hope that springs eternally
A never-ending source of encouragement and optimism dwells within us
Whilst underground the hidden stream
Beneath the surface, there is something of significance that is not readily visible
Flows into the man machine
This invisible force contributes to the mechanics of our existence
The eagle flies up towards the sun
American exceptionalism is portrayed through the symbol of the nation's bird
High above the fields of Babylon
America's influence extends beyond its own borders
In one claw he holds an olive branch for peace
America desires peace and is willing to offer it to those who accept their terms
In the other twelve arrows for his enemies
America's military power is used to quell those who resist them
Sons and Daughters of America
Fellow citizens of the United States
You lay down your lives
You sacrifice everything for your country's goals
For the warlords of America
For the people in power who lead the country in conflicts
Not for your sake not for mine
The sacrifices of American soldiers do not bring personal benefits
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LEE PERRY, ROSS JACK RANBY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind