2. Doom/Sludge band from Saramento, CA - formed by members of Caulfield
Not to be confused with Australian 1980’s band The Church most famous for their hit-single “Under The Milky Way”.
Tristesse
Church Lyrics
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Still troubled by the rumblings of a million distant cars
Please be good to me tonight, let me find my way
The air has some command in it I cannot disobey
A gunfight in Dodge City, a murder in Bombay
All these deeds and worldly needs I must shrug off today
All my life spent searching for prowess
Left me lying here with you, tristesse
It wasn't Mother Nature that made those trees take root
Your children cannot hear you, they only want your loot
You hold on to their essence like a parachute
They never believed you were in distress
Now you've gone and left them with tristesse
Oh, waters inflamed
Ah, fires burning out
Ah, ice melting down
Ah, fires burnt out
A hotel suite in a rich man's town, a hut in Botany Bay
A prisoner by my own device, a mountain in my way
I'm gonna have to alter my address
"Cause I can't stay much longer with tristesse"
And they call this carnival progress
Invited by our queen tonight, tristesse
The song Tristesse by Church portrays the feeling of being lost in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nature and the chaos of the modern world simultaneously. The opening verse describes the singer's state of mind as he stands in the desert gazing at the sun and stars but can't ignore the deafening sounds of the distant cars. The singer wishes to escape this chaos by asking for guidance and a sense of direction. However, he feels helpless as he cannot control the force that controls the air around him. The second verse alludes to the contrast between the singer's life and the life of those performing notorious deeds such as a gunfight in Dodge City or a murder in Bombay. The singer has spent most of his life searching for power, which has led him to a point where he feels lost and lonely in the face of tristesse.
The third verse talks about the singer's experience of working in an orchard that grew unusual fruits. He realizes that the source of this fruit may not be natural as Mother Nature couldn't have created it. The singer then addresses his children, who are only interested in his possessions and materialistic things rather than their father's well-being. The children have always taken his presence for granted, which leads him to feel lonely and helpless. The chorus projects the singer's deeper feelings, being trapped in a state of tristesse.
The song ends with the final verse, where the singer describes how he is stuck in a situation where he is a prisoner of his own desires. He uses the metaphor of a mountain that stands as an obstacle in his way towards finding peace. The singer realizes that he can't stay in this tristesse for long and needs to alter his address to find a way out. The song's conclusion talks about how modernity and progress lead us down the path of melancholy, where we become slaves to our desires and belongings. The song's title "Tristesse" means "sadness" or "melancholy" in French, which is an apt description of the mood conveyed by the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Here in this desert, beneath the sun and stars
In this barren place, under the heat of the sun and the light of the stars
Still troubled by the rumblings of a million distant cars
Despite being so far away, the sounds of many cars cause distress
Please be good to me tonight, let me find my way
I ask for kindness tonight, to help guide me on my journey
The air has some command in it I cannot disobey
The atmosphere holds a power over me that I cannot defy
A gunfight in Dodge City, a murder in Bombay
Events of violence in different places happening simultaneously
All these deeds and worldly needs I must shrug off today
I must forget about all these distractions and desires for today
All my life spent searching for prowess
I have spent my entire life seeking greatness
Left me lying here with you, tristesse
But now I find myself with you, feeling sad
I was working in an orchard that grew the strangest fruit
I had a job in a place that produced unusual crops
It wasn't Mother Nature that made those trees take root
These plants weren't created by nature
Your children cannot hear you, they only want your loot
Your kids don't listen to you, they're only interested in your money
You hold on to their essence like a parachute
You cling to the idea of your children like a safety blanket
They never believed you were in distress
Your children never recognized your pain
Now you've gone and left them with tristesse
But now that you're gone, they feel the sadness you once knew
Oh, waters inflamed
The normally peaceful waters are now stirred up
Ah, fires burning out
The fires that once raged have died down
Ah, ice melting down
The frozen ice is now thawing
Ah, fires burnt out
Those fires are now out for good
A hotel suite in a rich man's town, a hut in Botany Bay
Living arrangements in different places with different levels of wealth
A prisoner by my own device, a mountain in my way
I am trapped by my own strategy or faced with an obstacle too great to overcome
I'm gonna have to alter my address
I'll need to find a new place to live
"Cause I can't stay much longer with tristesse"
Because I can't tolerate this sadness any longer
And they call this carnival progress
These chaotic events are seen as progress by some
Invited by our queen tonight, tristesse
Our ruler is associated with sadness
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