In 1991 Clepsydra released their first album "Hologram", which was followed by the EP "Fly Man" in 1993. Clepsydra then signed to InsideOut, who released their second album "More Grains of Sand" in 1994. This CD included the song Moonshine on Heights, which by many is regarded as neo-prog classic. 1994 also saw them performing two songs on national Swiss TV, a rare occurrence for a progressive rock band at that time.
In 1998 Clepsydra released their third album "Fears", the first album with Marco Cerulli on guitar. In the wake of the album release Clepsydra had a 10 day long European tour and was booked for a concert in Canada on the strength of this production. In 2001 the band released "Alone" with Nicola De Vita on bass. This album came with 3 different album covers: "The Chicken", "The Octopus" and "The Fish".
Following these four albums Clepsydra entered a state of hiatus. At this point they had established themselves as a popular entity among fans of neo-progressive rock, and they were often compared to the likes of Jadis, IQ and Fish-era Marillion. In 2013 Clepsydra announced they were reuniting, with Andy Thommen back on bass guitar and a reunion tour scheduled for 2014. A 4 CD box set limited to 1’000 pieces is on pre-order as of November 2013 to be shipped early 2014 featuring all 4 albums meticulously re-mastered with an hour of additional bonus material and unreleased material.
Clepsydra Home Page: www.clepsydra.ch
Facebook: www.facebook.com/clepsydra.ch
YouTube: www.youtube.com/clepsydraofficial
Vienna
Clepsydra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lit my vienna hotel nights
In room 115 with empty TV channels
Dreaming of you between fear and hope
We saw your imperial majesty fading in the dark
We saw your liberty excess twinkling in the sun
Reflecting sparks in modern crystal dreams
What a town, what a dream...
Turning from earth to the cloudless sky
Above cats and opera phantoms
We saw your white Wagner's church
Where a stony devil and a crossed God
Are the eternal guardians of the trespass
My last fear, my last dream...
I saw your eyes, I saw your shadow
Walking across pasts, reaching our times
I heard the rhythm of your heart
Beating across pasts, joining our times
We saw a rainbow house in your streets
The third skin of a hundreds of waters
Was a madman's colourful dream
You play your own melodies as a waltz
In the alleys we walked through
You often play some others waltz
Between planet systems and kings courts
I saw your crossroad of centuries:
You are so rich, you are so poor
You are so full of life, you are so soulless
In your cage of memories and history
Hiding the evil behind your palace disguise
I saw your eyes, I saw your shadow
Walking across pasts, reaching our times
I heard the rhythm of your heart
The lyrics of Vienna by Clepsydra describe the emotions and experiences of the singer during their stay in Vienna, Austria. The lighting of a streetlamp on a red light creates an intermitting light that reflects on the walls of their hotel room. The singer talks about being in room 115 of their hotel with empty TV channels and their mind filled with dreams of someone they desire. They talk about seeing the fading image of Viennese imperial majesty in the dark and the excess of liberty in the light. They describe the city as having sparking modern crystal dreams and a town that is almost magical. The singer talks about seeing the biggest wheel that turns from Earth towards a cloudless sky above cats and opera phantoms. The singer also mentions seeing the white Wagner church with a stony devil and a crossed God, as though they were guarding a trespass.
The singer also talks about seeing the rainbow house in the streets, with a third skin of hundreds of waters that look like a madman's colorful dream. The singer mentions how they play their melodies as a waltz in the alleys they walk through. They also play some other waltz between planet systems and kings courts. The singer noticed that Vienna was a crossroad of centuries, rich and poor at the same time, full of life but soulless too. They also noticed the memories and history hidden behind the palace's disguise and the evil hidden that Vienna hides.
In essence, the lyrics of Vienna evoke a sense of longing for the beauty and excitement that the city holds, but also acknowledges that beneath the surface lies a darker history that isn't always visible.
Line by Line Meaning
Intermitting red flashes of a streetlamp
Occasional flickers of red light from a streetlamp
Lit my vienna hotel nights
Provided illumination during my nights at a Vienna hotel
In room 115 with empty TV channels
Located in room 115, where the television offered no programming
Dreaming of you between fear and hope
Thoughts of you occupied my mind amidst feelings of both apprehension and optimism
We saw your imperial majesty fading in the dark
Viewed the decline of your once grand and regal power in the darkness
We saw your liberty excess twinkling in the sun
Observed your extravagant displays of freedom gleaming in the sunlight
Reflecting sparks in modern crystal dreams
Flickering light in contemporary crystal visions
What a town, what a dream...
What an incredible city and an incredible experience
And we saw your biggest wheel
Witnessed your massive ferris wheel
Turning from earth to the cloudless sky
Rotating from earth toward the clear sky above
Above cats and opera phantoms
Hovering over cats and performers in grand spectacles
We saw your white Wagner's church
Observed your pristine church, built by Wagner
Where a stony devil and a crossed God
Featuring statues of a demonic figure and a crucified God
Are the eternal guardians of the trespass
Acting as protective figures for uninvited intruders
My last fear, my last dream...
The source of my final apprehension and my final desire
I saw your eyes, I saw your shadow
Caught a glimpse of your essence and your influence
Walking across pasts, reaching our times
Strolling through history and reaching the present day
I heard the rhythm of your heart
Perceived the pulsating essence of your being
Beating across pasts, joining our times
Spanning generations and connecting to the present
We saw a rainbow house in your streets
Observed a multicolored residence along your thoroughfares
The third skin of a hundreds of waters
The outermost layer of many bodies of water
Was a madman's colourful dream
Appeared to be a vivid and fanciful creation inspired by a deranged individual
You play your own melodies as a waltz
You follow your own unique rhythms akin to a waltz
In the alleys we walked through
While wandering along various passageways
You often play some others waltz
You frequently adopt the rhythms of others, like a waltz by a different composer
Between planet systems and kings courts
Spanning distance and time ranging from star systems to royal palaces
I saw your crossroad of centuries:
Observed the intersection of multiple eras in your history
You are so rich, you are so poor
Simultaneously possessing great wealth and great poverty
You are so full of life, you are so soulless
While teeming with vitality, you appear to lack a discernible spirit
In your cage of memories and history
Contained within the confines of your past experiences and historical events
Hiding the evil behind your palace disguise
Concealing malevolent intentions beneath an outwardly grand exterior
I saw your eyes, I saw your shadow
Discerned your true nature and your lingering influence
Walking across pasts, reaching our times
Moving through layers of time to make an impact on the present day
I heard the rhythm of your heart
Sensed the underlying pulse that drives all that you do
Contributed by Gabriella B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.