Their self-titled 1995 début has been followed by two more studio albums. Each has introduced fresh new sounds and styling, something that has successfully kept them from being pigeon-holed in one genre.
Victoria Lloyd provides consistently powerful, but gentle and ethereal vocals, and haunting and enigmatic lyrics, Ben Fargen's clean and bright guitars, and Chris Ross's lush keyboards all give the band their own distinct and unique style. They are currently signed to Metropolis Records, and released their long-awaited fourth album, Lustre, in September of 2009.
The band seems to be on hiatus since July 2010.
Elysium
Claire Voyant Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I long so to see your shore
I have to wait it makes my eyes sore
Sinking more all the time
Blessed by your request on high
I was lied to
Wrought by learning less from outside
I had a right to bruise
I'm lost in this mirror of sorts
A warrior without words.
Growing cold
I've traded wine for Elysium
I've traded souls stone to gray
I'm half-aware with my mind closed
Thinking more all the time
Blessed by my new quest on high
I was lied to
Taught by the Prophets from our skies
I fell in to truth
Baited and wily oh Luna can't you open up for me
I'm lost in this mirror of sorts a warrior without war
Growing cold
Baited and wily
Oh luna can't you shine the way for me
I'm lost in this mirror of souls a warrior without war
I am aching so wildly
Oh luna can't you shine the way
For me I am lost in this mirror of souls I'm without words.
Going home
Paradise where have you gone
I long so, to see your shore.
The song "Elysium" by Claire Voyant explores the theme of longing to return to a place of paradise or serenity, but feeling lost and disconnected from it. The opening lines express a deep yearning for a once-familiar place of peace, but the singer is unable to find it: "Paradise where have you gone/I long so to see your shore." The repetition of the phrase "sinking more all the time" highlights the feeling of descent or loss, as though the singer is slipping away from the imagined paradise.
The first verse continues with a sense of betrayal or disillusionment, as the singer laments being "lied to" and feeling less than whole, having "a right to bruise." However, the loneliness and pain is interrupted by a flicker of hope, as the singer feels "blessed by [their] request on high." The second verse continues the theme of searching for enlightenment or truth, having given up material possessions (wine and souls) in exchange for a spiritual journey towards Elysium. The singer continues to feel lost and unsure, but acknowledges that they have fallen into a deeper realization of the world's complexities: "Taught by the Prophets from our skies/I fell in to truth."
The repeated refrain brings the song to a close, with the singer still reaching out for the guidance of the moon and for a way to connect with the paradise they feel they have lost. The final lines "Going home/Paradise where have you gone/I long so, to see your shore" undercut the hope of the previous verses and leave the listener with a sense of melancholy.
Line by Line Meaning
Paradise where have you gone
The singer is missing a time or place of infinite happiness.
I long so to see your shore
The singer yearns to be in that place of paradise once again.
I have to wait it makes my eyes sore
Having to wait for paradise makes the singer weary and tired.
Sinking more all the time
The singer feels themselves deteriorating more and more over time.
Blessed by your request on high
Someone or something of great power has acknowledged the singer's desire for paradise.
I was lied to
The singer was given false information or promises.
Wrought by learning less from outside
The singer's growth and knowledge has been hindered by those around them.
I had a right to bruise
The singer has endured enough pain and deserved time to heal.
Baited and wily the moon it always opens up for me
The singer finds the moon to be a source of trickery and deceit, leading them astray.
I'm lost in this mirror of sorts A warrior without words
The singer feels trapped and unable to communicate, like a warrior without a weapon.
Growing cold
The singer's emotional state is deteriorating and they are becoming numb.
I've traded wine for Elysium
The singer has given up something (possibly substance abuse) for this ideal place of paradise.
I've traded souls stone to gray
The singer has given up their essence and vibrancy for this place of paradise.
I'm half-aware with my mind closed
The singer is not fully present and is shutting out parts of their mind.
Thinking more all the time
The singer is constantly overthinking and analyzing their current situation.
Taught by the Prophets from our skies
The singer has been led to find truth by external sources of higher power.
I fell in to truth
The singer has had an epiphany or realization of truth.
Baited and wily oh Luna can't you open up for me
The moon continues to lead the singer down the wrong path despite their pleas for guidance.
I'm lost in this mirror of sorts a warrior without war
The singer continues to feel trapped and hopeless, unable to fight for their own happiness.
Going home
The singer is striving towards returning to their place of paradise.
I am aching so wildly
The singer is in great emotional pain.
Oh Luna can't you shine the way
The singer is still searching for guidance from the moon despite the difficulties they have faced.
For me I am lost in this mirror of souls I'm without words
The singer feels hopeless and unable to accurately vocalize their emotions or situation.
Paradise where have you gone
The singer reiterates their longing and desperation for their once perfect place.
I long so, to see your shore.
The song ends on the same desperate plea from the beginning.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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