Coil spent the next period of its existence exploring visual media. In late 1984 they recorded a rendition of Tainted Love (originally recorded by Gloria Jones, but made popular by Soft Cell in the 80s), producing a widely banned, hallucinogenic video clip featuring Marc Almond as the Angel of Death; despite considerable controversy at home, the video ultimately found its way to the archives of the Museum of Modern Art. After spending several years working with filmmaker Derek Jarman on the feature The Angelic Conversation, Coil issued a remixed edition of their soundtrack. Following 1986’s Nightmare Culture, a collaboration with Boyd Rice produced as split release with Current 93, Christopherson and Balance invited Stephen Thrower to join the group in a full-time capacity. As a trio, they recorded 1986’s LP Horse Rotorvator, introducing orchestral, jazz, and middle Eastern textures into the mix; this album included The Anal Staircase.
In 1987, Coil issued The Unreleased Themes for Hellraiser, a collection of atmospheric gothic instrumentals commissioned for but ultimately cut from the Clive Barker horror film, followed by compilation album Gold Is the Metal (With the Broadest Shoulders), a remixed history of the group’s first several years of work. Unnatural History, another career overview, effectively ended the first phase of the band’s career in 1990; when Coil resurfaced a year later with Love’s Secret Domain, their music reflected the strong influence of the acid house culture. Another long layoff brought on by financial difficulties ended in 1995, when the group - now consisting of Sleazy, Balance, and Drew McDowell - signed to Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor’s Nothing Records to release Backwards, an album which was never officially released, although it is available in a number of bootleg versions. Additionally, they recorded the LP Worship the Glitch, issued under the name ELpH, and in 1996 cut A Thousand Lights in a Darkened Room as Black Light District.
1998 marked a significant stylistic shift for Coil, as the group moved away from the industrial dance sound they pioneered in the first half of their career towards what Balance referred to as "Moon Musick". This began with the release of four seasonal EPs throughout that year, coinciding with the equinoxes and solstices; this marked the group making further forays into ambient and neoclassical styles. Lyrically, there was a push towards naturalistic, pagan imagery, and an emphasis on free form, improvisatory chants. All four of these releases were later collected and released as Moons Milk (in Four Phases) in 2002. Coil also put out a purely drone based project, Time Machines, under that alias the same year.
In 1999 Coil started to work with Thighpaulsandra, and with him released the chilling Musick to Play in the Dark, a dark, meditative work featuring mostly intoned vocals from Balance, and exploring deeper electronic textures and pitches. A second volume followed in 2000. After years of refusal to do so, Coil started to perform live again in 1999. They released a number of albums containing the various shows they did in the period 2000 - 2004. Coil have released a lot of material in very limited editions, and have distributed certain records only at concerts. In 2003 they started a project to re-issue these tracks. Amidst their sporadic touring, and growing internal tensions within the group, Black Antlers was released in 2004, consisting of many of the songs played in concert at the time. This would prove to be the last studio recording put out in Balance's lifetime.
Jhonn Balance’s long-time struggle with alcoholism led to his death on 13th November, 2004. He fell from the second floor window at his home, while drunk, and died a short time after. Coil’s last live performance took place at Dublin’s City Hall on 23 October 2004 and is expected to appear on the forthcoming DVD box set “Colour Sound Oblivion”. A number of songs that were (as good as) ready were released in autumn 2005 as a last farewell to Jhonn.
Peter Christopherson passed away peacefully in his sleep on November 25, 2010. Instead of sending flowers in memory of Peter Christopherson, people were asked to donate money to help children affected by AIDS in Thailand, the country he loved and died in.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coil_(band)
The Sea Priestess
Coil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Egyptian Aztecs are arriving from Norway
They've been varnishing the woodwork for forty-three centuries
Here, Nature is naked, her acrobats bathed in blood
There's a beast of prey on the threshold of pleasure
And the giantess, sea priestess, beckons the passers-by
"Do not lose sight of the sea. Do not lose sight to the sea."
Her wizened mouthpiece whistles with silver fishes
All around her, jellies are diaphanous
After washing myself clean, I had breakfast with the sea priestess
Whose sibilant esses are escaping gas from the sea floor
The sea priestess lays on a bed of nails
Twenty-seven lead soldiers at her head
The sea priestess is escaping gas
The grass that grows is turned to gas
Gas fired from a gun, herbal hydrogen
If it goes any faster there'll be an astral disaster
If it goes any faster there'll be an astral disaster
We spent the rest of time
With furious faking of dreaming
Pissing tiny diamonds, and passing the time wondering
Whether we should walk down the same path
That had introduced us to the valley the day before
I was woken three times in the night
And asked to watch whales, listen for earthquakes in the sea
I had never seen such a strange sight before
Somehow I think the soft verges of insanity
At the hard shoulders of reality
Point past signs posted in the past sea
It's probably a lack of poor visibility
And something special in the sand
And the essences the rocks on the seashore make
The men here are desiccated like mummies
Been out in the sun for thousands of years, walking along
The women stuff themselves full of collagen and other animal remains
I don't think we'll stay here long
As soon as the ships have been rebuilt, we'll be out of here
Into the sun
Our ship was wrecked on the sea coast of Tibet
The first thing we saw were several Egyptian Aztecs arriving from Norway
Here all nature is naked
We watch acrobats bathing themselves in blood
And over the doorway is a beast of prey
Straddled on the threshold of pleasure
And a giantess, sea priestess, beckoning the passers-by
She implores them, "Do not lose sight of the sea."
She says, "Do not lose sight to the sea."
Coil's song "The Sea Priestess" is a surrealistic journey, filled with vivid and somewhat bizarre imagery that seems to blend different cultures and periods in history. The first verse takes us to the sea coast of Tibet, where Egyptian Aztecs are arriving from Norway, having varnished the woodwork for forty-three centuries. The lyrics paint a picture of a place where nature is both beautiful and savage, with a beast of prey on the threshold of pleasure and a giantess, sea priestess, beckoning the passers-by. She urges them not to lose sight of the sea while her "wizened mouthpiece whistles with silver fishes" and "jellies are diaphanous" all around her.
In the second verse, the sea priestess is portrayed in a different light, as the singer has breakfast with her after washing himself clean. Her sibilant esses are compared to escaping gas from the sea floor, and she is seen lying on a bed of nails with twenty-seven lead soldiers at her head. The lyrics then take a surreal turn as the sea priestess is said to be "escaping gas" and the grass that grows is turned to gas. The song ends with the suggestion that the men in the area are desiccated like mummies, while the women stuff themselves with collagen and other animal remains, and that the singer and his companions do not plan to stay in this strange place for long.
Overall, the song is a surrealistic journey that blurs the boundaries between different cultures, periods in history, and even reality and insanity. The sea priestess seems to be a symbol of the power and majesty of nature, but also of its strangeness and unpredictability. The lyrics paint an evocative picture of a place where everything is possible, and where one's senses and perceptions are constantly challenged.
Line by Line Meaning
On the sea coast of Tibet
We are on the Tibetan sea coast.
Egyptian Aztecs are arriving from Norway
People from two different civilizations - Egypt and Aztecs - are arriving from Norway to Tibet.
They've been varnishing the woodwork for forty-three centuries
These people have been preparing for their journey for over 40 centuries.
Here, Nature is naked, her acrobats bathed in blood
In Tibet, nature is exposed and its performers are enjoying themselves in cruelty.
There's a beast of prey on the threshold of pleasure
A predatory animal is present and awaits to indulge in pleasure.
And the giantess, sea priestess, beckons the passers-by
A giant woman who is a priestess of the sea is inviting the travelers.
"Do not lose sight of the sea. Do not lose sight to the sea."
The sea priestess advises us to not let the sight of the sea leave us.
Her wizened mouthpiece whistles with silver fishes
The sea priestess's old mouthpiece makes a sound of silver fishes.
Swirls of spider-crabs crackle like Wimshurst mechanicals
The spider crabs's circular motion is similar to the way Wimshurst machine produces an electrical charge.
All around her, jellies are diaphanous
Jellies around the sea priestess are transparent.
After washing myself clean, I had breakfast with the sea priestess
I washed myself and then ate breakfast with the sea priestess.
Whose sibilant esses are escaping gas from the sea floor
The sea priestess's hissing sounds sound like bubbles escaping from the ocean floor.
The sea priestess lays on a bed of nails
The sea priestess rests on a bed of nails.
Twenty-seven lead soldiers at her head
There are twenty-seven lead soldiers guarding her.
The sea priestess is escaping gas
The sea priestess is emitting gas.
The grass that grows is turned to gas
The grass is being transformed into gas.
Gas fired from a gun, herbal hydrogen
Gas is released from a gun and it is an herbal form of hydrogen.
If it goes any faster there'll be an astral disaster
If the speed increases, a disastrous event is likely to occur.
If it goes any faster there'll be an astral disaster
If the speed increases, a disastrous event is likely to occur.
We spent the rest of time
The remaining time was spent doing various activities.
With furious faking of dreaming
We faked our dreams with enthusiasm.
Pissing tiny diamonds, and passing the time wondering
We peed out small diamonds and passed time questioning.
Whether we should walk down the same path that had introduced us to the valley the day before
We pondered if we should revisit the path that led to the valley.
I was woken three times in the night
I was awakened three times during the night.
And asked to watch whales, listen for earthquakes in the sea
I was requested to observe whales and detect underwater tremors.
I had never seen such a strange sight before
I had never seen something that peculiar before.
Somehow I think the soft verges of insanity
I believe that insanity might have a gradual onset.
At the hard shoulders of reality
When reality becomes difficult to accept.
Point past signs posted in the past sea
Indicating a direction beyond relics of a former ocean.
It's probably a lack of poor visibility
The landscape might be difficult to see from my vantage point.
And something special in the sand
Something unique that demands attention beneath the sand's surface.
And the essences the rocks on the seashore make
The scent that emanates from the chaparral of rocks by the shore.
The men here are desiccated like mummies
The men in this area are extremely dehydrated and look like mummies.
Been out in the sun for thousands of years, walking along
These men have been walking in the sun for thousands of years.
The women stuff themselves full of collagen and other animal remains
The women consume collagen and other parts of animals excessively.
I don't think we'll stay here long
I don't believe we will remain in this area for an extended period.
As soon as the ships have been rebuilt, we'll be out of here
Leaving right after the ships have finished repair and maintenance.
Into the sun
Departing towards the sun.
Our ship was wrecked on the sea coast of Tibet
Our ship crashed on the Tibetan sea coast.
The first thing we saw were several Egyptian Aztecs arriving from Norway
Our first encounter was with the Egyptians and Aztecs who reached Tibet from Norway.
Here all nature is naked
In this region, nature is exposed in its bare form.
We watch acrobats bathing themselves in blood
We observe performers taking blood baths in acts of acrobatics.
And over the doorway is a beast of prey
Above the entrance is a predator animal.
Straddled on the threshold of pleasure
Initially taking part in this pleasure which would turn to pain.
And a giantess, sea priestess, beckoning the passers-by
A colossal priestess of the sea who invites travelers.
She implores them, "Do not lose sight of the sea."
She beseeches the travelers to not divert their attention from the sea.
She says, "Do not lose sight to the sea."
The sea priestess advises the passengers to keep the view of the sea intact.
Contributed by Lucas S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
bolderiks
On the sea coast of Tibet
Egyptian Aztecs are arriving from Norway
They've been varnishing the woodwork for forty-three centuries
Here, Nature is naked, her acrobats bathed in blood
There's a beast of prey on the threshold of pleasure
And the giantess, sea priestess, beckons the passers-by
"Do not lose sight of the sea. Do not lose sight to the sea."
Her wizened mouthpiece whistles with silver fishes
Swirls of spider-crabs crackle like Wimshurst mechanicals
All around her, jellies are diaphanous
After washing myself clean, I had breakfast with the sea priestess
Whose sibilant esses are escaping gas from the sea floor
The sea priestess lays on a bed of nails
Twenty-seven lead soldiers at her head
The sea priestess is escaping gas
The grass that grows is turned to gas
Gas fired from a gun, herbal hydrogen
If it goes any faster there'll be an astral disaster
If it goes any faster there'll be an astral disaster
We spent the rest of time
With furious faking of dreaming
Pissing tiny diamonds, and passing the time wondering
Whether we should walk down the same path
That had introduced us to the valley the day before
I was woken three times in the night
And asked to watch whales, listen for earthquakes in the sea
I had never seen such a strange sight before
Somehow I think the soft verges of insanity
At the hard shoulders of reality
Point past signs posted in the past sea
It's probably a lack of poor visibility
And something special in the sand
And the essences the rocks on the seashore make
The men here are desiccated like mummies
Been out in the sun for thousands of years, walking along
The women stuff themselves full of collagen and other animal remains
I don't think we'll stay here long
As soon as the ships have been rebuilt, we'll be out of here
Into the sun
Our ship was wrecked on the sea coast of Tibet
The first thing we saw were several Egyptian Aztecs arriving from Norway
Here all nature is naked
We watch acrobats bathing themselves in blood
And over the doorway is a beast of prey
Straddled on the threshold of pleasure
And a giantess, sea priestess, beckoning the passers-by
She implores them, "Do not lose sight of the sea."
She says, "Do not lose sight to the sea."
bolderiks
On the sea coast of Tibet
Egyptian Aztecs are arriving from Norway
They've been varnishing the woodwork for forty-three centuries
Here, Nature is naked, her acrobats bathed in blood
There's a beast of prey on the threshold of pleasure
And the giantess, sea priestess, beckons the passers-by
"Do not lose sight of the sea. Do not lose sight to the sea."
Her wizened mouthpiece whistles with silver fishes
Swirls of spider-crabs crackle like Wimshurst mechanicals
All around her, jellies are diaphanous
After washing myself clean, I had breakfast with the sea priestess
Whose sibilant esses are escaping gas from the sea floor
The sea priestess lays on a bed of nails
Twenty-seven lead soldiers at her head
The sea priestess is escaping gas
The grass that grows is turned to gas
Gas fired from a gun, herbal hydrogen
If it goes any faster there'll be an astral disaster
If it goes any faster there'll be an astral disaster
We spent the rest of time
With furious faking of dreaming
Pissing tiny diamonds, and passing the time wondering
Whether we should walk down the same path
That had introduced us to the valley the day before
I was woken three times in the night
And asked to watch whales, listen for earthquakes in the sea
I had never seen such a strange sight before
Somehow I think the soft verges of insanity
At the hard shoulders of reality
Point past signs posted in the past sea
It's probably a lack of poor visibility
And something special in the sand
And the essences the rocks on the seashore make
The men here are desiccated like mummies
Been out in the sun for thousands of years, walking along
The women stuff themselves full of collagen and other animal remains
I don't think we'll stay here long
As soon as the ships have been rebuilt, we'll be out of here
Into the sun
Our ship was wrecked on the sea coast of Tibet
The first thing we saw were several Egyptian Aztecs arriving from Norway
Here all nature is naked
We watch acrobats bathing themselves in blood
And over the doorway is a beast of prey
Straddled on the threshold of pleasure
And a giantess, sea priestess, beckoning the passers-by
She implores them, "Do not lose sight of the sea."
She says, "Do not lose sight to the sea."
Zos Kia
if i could like this more, i would
Richard Garcia
This is beautiful, there is one thing that seems to still make me believe in higher powers and it's the music of Coil.
3 days ago
Richard Garcia you like coil because you believe
BlueKephra
Beautiful, thank you very much Jon
sparkles fantastic dclxvi
these gentle men carress me from beyond the grave as though i, too, have gone beyond. lovely.
Almeda Riddle
i could tell from the second this started that you put love into it. i really appreciate that and id like to see more of your stuff.
EyesWideOpenDevushka23
Jon, excellent video! Thank you for this amazing visual accompaniment to this classic track.
Arasaka
Her wizened mouthpiece whistles with silver fishes
Swirls of spider-crabs crackle like Wimshurst mechanicals
All around her, jellies are diaphanous...
Magnificent dream
Nice video, thank you...
Lindsey Chapman
Just love this <3