Japan, which also included Mick Karn, Rob Dean, Richard Barbieri and Sylvian's brother Steve Jansen, started out as a confusing hybrid rock/sleaze outfit in the mould of David Bowie and The New York Dolls. Their music quickly evolved as, at least to begin with, they drew heavily on the influence of Roxy Music's art rock stylings. Their visual image developed in parallel and the band were (unwillingly) tagged as forerunners of the New Romantic movement.
Japan recorded five studio albums between March 1978 and November 1981. Their biggest hit single, the minimalist Ghosts, which reached the Top 5 in the UK charts in 1982, was a clear pointer to Sylvian's future direction. After a successful tour, the band split in late 1982, and Sylvian embarked upon a solo career.
Around the time of Sylvian's first solo album he collaborated with 坂本龍一 (Ryuichi Sakamoto) on the soundtrack music for the Nagisa Oshima film Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), which produced a Top 20 hit single, Forbidden Colours.
Sylvian's debut solo album, the jazz and ambient-influenced Brilliant Trees (1984), met with critical acclaim and yielded the single Red Guitar, another Top 20 hit. Guest artists included Jon Hassell and Holger Czukay. His follow-up was an instrumental EP Alchemy which cemented his drift away from commercial pop
The EP was in turn followed by the double album Gone to Earth (1986), which flouted convention (and perhaps commercial wisdom) by featuring one record of songs (predominantly atmospheric ballads) and one consisting almost entirely of ambient instrumental tracks. Guest artists included guitarists Robert Fripp and Bill Nelson.
His third album, Secrets of the Beehive (1987), was more acoustic and oriented towards somber, emotive ballads laced with string arrangements by 坂本龍一 (Ryuichi Sakamoto). It yielded one of Sylvian's most well-received songs, Orpheus, and was supported by his first solo tour, 1988's "In Praise of Shamans". Sylvian's touring band included ex-Japan bandmates Jansen and Barbieri along with trumpeter Mark Isham, bassist Ian Maidman and guitarists David Torn and Robbie Aceto.
Never one to conform to commercial expectations, Sylvian then collaborated on several ambient music projects with artists including Holger Czukay and Russell Mills.
In 1991, a highly-anticipated Japan reunion (excluding Rob Dean) ended in acrimony. Sylvian insisted on calling the project and the album Rain Tree Crow, to the dismay of both his label Virgin Records (who were hoping for a hit "comeback" album) and his former bandmates. Guitarists Bill Nelson, Phil Palmer and Michael Brook augmented the quartet for the recording of the album.
In late 1991, Robert Fripp approached Sylvian and asked him to be part of a new King Crimson. Sylvian declined and instead suggested they work on a future collaboration resulting in the release of The First Day.
A period of relative musical inactivity followed, during which time Sylvian moved to the United States. Eventually in 1999, Sylvian released Dead Bees on a Cake. It showed the most eclectic influence of all his recordings, ranging from soul music to jazz fusion to Eastern spiritual chants, and most of the songs' lyrics reflecting Sylvian's inner peace with his marriage (to the wonderful poet/singer Ingrid Chavez), family and beliefs. Guest artists included longtime friend 坂本龍一 (Ryuichi Sakamoto), as well as Talvin Singh, Marc Ribot, Kenny Wheeler and Bill Frisell.
Sylvian parted ways with Virgin and launched his own independent label, Samadhi Sound. Sylvian experimented alone with treated sounds made from his guitar and computer. The results were recorded during February of 2003. A few months later, he released the album Blemish. The disc was stark in its sound and content. The lyrical subject matter dealt primarily with the impending dissolution of Sylvian's marriage. In 2005 The Good Son vs The Only Daughter was released, which was comprised of remixes of tracks from Blemish.
With the conclusion of "A Fire In The Forest Tour" in 2004, work resumed on a joint project between Sylvian and Jansen. Yet the course of the album took on a completely new tone after Sylvian decided to add keyboardist/vibraphonist/programmer Burnt Friedman to the proceedings and make him an equal partner in the collaboration. The band name of Nine Horses was adopted and the CD, titled Snow Borne Sorrow, was released in October of 2005. The sound was a return to more traditional avenues for Sylvian after the radical departure he took with Blemish. Elements of avant-garde jazz, pop, folk and electronic music were all blended together
Nine Horses' Money For All EP was released in 2006, which included new material as well as Burnt Friedman remixes of songs selected from their first disc.
News on Sylvian's website was released in March stating that "We're preparing for the release of David’s new album Manafon. It’s a powerfully bold, uncompromising work featuring contributions from Evan Parker, John Tilbury, Keith Rowe, Christian Fennesz, Otomo Yoshihide, and many more."
David Sylvian's official website: www.davidsylvian.com
Buoy
David Sylvian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's always work to be done
We take much more than we care to give away
You'll be the moth, I'm the flame
I'll bless you and keep you safe and sound
Until sunrise comes around again
I'm like a mountain made of stone
I'm like a new day dawning
We'll sail on a river, way out to the Baltic sea
Love will keep us together
And the tide will draw you close to me
(Never words so true, never words so wise)
Love will keep us together
'Cause there's more to this than meets the eye
I burn a candle in your place
I picture the passions on your face
Feelings that rise on a wave and fall away
All the pleasures have returned
All of the lessons I should have learned
Return again to light, for us to see
You're like the map of buried gold
I search for treasures in your soul
And when I'm gone, you'll know I will come back to you
We'll sail on a river, way down to the salty sea
Love will keep us together
And the tide will draw you close to me
(Never words so true, never words so wise)
Love will keep us together
'Cause there's more to this than meets the eye
I'm like a mountain made of stone
I'm like a new day dawning
I'll be here every morning, close to you
David Sylvian's "Buoy" is a song about the power of a love that can withstand time and distance. The opening lines, "Underneath a burning sun, there's always work to be done," set the scene for a relationship that endures, even in the face of challenges. The lyrics describe the two lovers as complementary opposites, with the singer being the "mountain made of stone" and the other person being the "moth" drawn to the flame of his love. The line "Love will keep us together" is repeated throughout the song, reminding the listener of the unwavering bond between the two.
The second verse hints at the idea of reincarnation, with the lyrics "All the pleasures have returned, all of the lessons I should have learned, return again to light, for us to see." This could suggest that the love between the two has existed across multiple lifetimes, with each one learning and growing from the experiences they share. The final lines of the song, "I'm like a new day dawning, I'll be here every morning, close to you," further emphasize the idea of a love that is timeless and unchanging, even as the world around them shifts and evolves.
Line by Line Meaning
Underneath a burning sun
In the midst of difficult and trying circumstances
There's always work to be done
There is always something that needs to be accomplished
We take much more than we care to give away
We tend to receive more than we give back
You'll be the moth, I'm the flame
I will attract you like a moth to a flame
I'll bless you and keep you safe and sound
I will protect and care for you
Until sunrise comes around again
Until a new day begins
I'm like a mountain made of stone
I am strong and unyielding
I'm like a new day dawning
I am like a fresh start
I'll be here every morning, close to you
I will always be near and devoted to you
We'll sail on a river, way out to the Baltic sea
We will embark on a journey together
Love will keep us together
Our love will keep us united
And the tide will draw you close to me
The natural attraction between us will bring us closer
(Never words so true, never words so wise)
(These words have never been more truthful or insightful)
Love will keep us together
Our love will keep us united
'Cause there's more to this than meets the eye
Because our relationship is deeper and more profound than it appears
I burn a candle in your place
I keep you in my thoughts and prayers
I picture the passions on your face
I imagine the intensity of your emotions
Feelings that rise on a wave and fall away
Emotions that come and go like the tide
All the pleasures have returned
All the joys we once shared have come back
All of the lessons I should have learned
All the things I should have taken to heart
Return again to light, for us to see
Become illuminated once more, so we can understand
You're like the map of buried gold
You are like a treasure map waiting to be discovered
I search for treasures in your soul
I look for the riches within you
And when I'm gone, you'll know I will come back to you
Even if I am physically distant, my love will always return to you
We'll sail on a river, way down to the salty sea
We will venture far and wide in our love
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DAVID SYLVIAN, MICK KARN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robert Paulson
10 years since we lost one of the greatest musicians ever 😢
Morena De Luca
❤
TMI Repository
Thank you so much for uploading this, and with the original sleeve artwork. One of those moments like meeting an old friend after many years and feeling the rush of love sweep over you. A perfect, precious moment for both men in a career of so many great moments. Just beautiful and life affirming. Thanks again...
velvet citizen
The fact that he brought Sylvian back to sing this song specifically speaks to me. It's extremely fitting.
Tim Webb
I'm a huge fan of Mick Karn and also David Sylvian, but never heard this before. What a fantastic piece of music. Thanks for sharing it.
l d
Heartbreakingly nostalgic to me. Unique, deep, strange beauty, Karn and Sylvian ❤
Jason Rigby
I have lived and loved Mick's music for three decades now. Always inspirational, always challenging and effortlessly unique. I miss you on so many levels. I hope Dave reads this.
Carmine Romano
mi ha fatto innamorare del basso, lo suonava in modo ecregio riposa in pace caro Mick...
Nicola Varvazzo
This song is a masterpiece I posses the original 12"
ANDY KING
I bloody love this.... My kind of pop music ... In my world this was #1 for months