David Sylvian (born David Alan Batt, February 23 1958, in Beckenham, Kent, … Read Full Bio ↴David Sylvian (born David Alan Batt, February 23 1958, in Beckenham, Kent, UK) is an English singer, musician and composer who first rose to fame as the lead vocalist and main songwriter of the band Japan, and whose subsequent solo career has been influenced by a variety of musical styles and genres, including jazz, ambient music and electronic music.

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

Cafe Europa
David Sylvian Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Let me take you down
To Cafe Europa
There`s so much to be found
So much to discover
Let me take you down
To Cafe Europa
There`s so much to be found
I won`t let you dowm

We`re travelling by moonlight
From London to the Highlands
We lose ourselves in inner cities
In the hope of re-defining
The space that surrounds us
What an emptiness within
It`s all in the papers
The boy`s in love again

Always arriving
Headlights lit up from coast to coast
Empty days full to bursting
With the names of the people and places
We miss the most

I`m taking the last train
Flying the last flight
I`m calling on the angels
And letting in the sunlight

Let me take you down
To Cafe Europa
There`s so much to be found
So much to discover
Let me take you down
To Cafe Europa
There`s so much to be found
I won`t let you dowm
I won`t let you down

Let me take you down
To Cafe Europa
To Cafe Europa
There's so much to be found
So much to discover
Let me take you down
Cafe Europa
Cafe Europa

It`s the heart that has been broken
Finds the truth in what is spoken
Cafe Europa

Cafe Europa
Let me take you down

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to David Sylvian's song "Cafe Europa" invite the listener to join the singer on a journey of discovery, redefinition, and new beginnings. The song starts with a reference to a historical conflict ("They fired off the first shot") and a call to action ("So we're on our feet and running"), indicating a desire to move forward and create a fresh perspective. The lyrics suggest that there's much to be learned and accomplished if we stop fighting each other, and start exploring what's possible. The chorus takes the listener to this magical place called "Cafe Europa," which represents a world of potential and discovery.

The verses are filled with references to travel, exploration, and reinvention. The singer references trips via moonlight to the Highlands of Scotland, and journeys through inner cities looking to redefine the space around them. The lyrics also acknowledge the emptiness within and the need to find closure when missing loved ones or places. Finally, the song ends with a message of a new start, calling on angels and letting in light.

The song's lyrics embrace the idea of living life to the full even though it has struggles and difficulties, and the realization that the heart only breaks to learn something new. "Cafe Europa" serves as a metaphor for an ideal place where everyone can find love, peace, and happiness if they're open to discovery and change.

Line by Line Meaning

They fired off the first shot
The conflict has started, and we have to react quickly

So we're on our feet and running
We're taking action and not just sitting still

We're re-writing all the textbooks
We're challenging and changing the old way of doing things

In the process of becoming
We're evolving and growing, both as individuals and as a community

There's so much to live for
Life is full of endless opportunities and possibilities

If we stop putting up a fight
We shouldn't give up the battle, no matter how tough it is

There's a place for every story
Everyone has a story to tell, and we should listen to and value each one

And this one starts with us tonight
We have the power to begin something new and exciting

Let me take you down
Come with me on this journey

To Cafe Europa
A place where we can find new experiences and perspectives

There's so much to be found
The world is full of amazing things to discover

So much to discover
We should be open to learning and exploring new things

I won't let you down
I'll be there for you, no matter what happens

We're travelling by moonlight
We're taking a romantic and adventurous journey

From London to the Highlands
We're exploring the beauty of different places

We lose ourselves in inner cities
We get lost in the fascinating and diverse cultures of different cities

In the hope of re-defining
We're looking for new ways to think about and understand the world around us

The space that surrounds us
The physical and emotional environment we inhabit

What an emptiness within
Despite all of our experiences, we're still searching for something to fill the void inside us

It's all in the papers
The media is always reporting on the latest news and events

The boy's in love again
A reminder that despite all the chaos and confusion, love is still a powerful force in our lives

Always arriving
Life is a constant journey and process of arrival

Headlights lit up from coast to coast
A beautiful image of the unity and connectedness of humanity

Empty days full to bursting
Our lives can feel simultaneously empty and overflowing with possibilities and potential

With the names of the people and places we miss the most
We're reminded of the people and places that hold a special place in our hearts

I'm taking the last train
I'm making a bold and decisive move

Flying the last flight
A reference to the transitory nature of life

I'm calling on the angels
Looking for divine intervention and guidance

And letting in the sunlight
Opening up to new possibilities and positivity

It's the heart that has been broken
Only those who have experienced heartbreak can truly understand the power of love

Finds the truth in what is spoken
Heartbreak gives us the ability to discern truth from falsehood

Cafe Europa
A symbol of new experiences and perspectives, a place where anything can happen

Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Andrea Zsinóros

4y↑3

They fired off the first shot
So we`re on our feet and running
We`re re-writing all the textbooks
In the process of becoming
There`s so much to live for
If we stop putting up a fight
There`s a place for every story
And this one starts with us tonight
Let me take you down
To Cafe Europa
There`s so much to be found
So much to discover
Let me take you down
To Cafe Europa
There`s so much to be found
I won`t let you dowm
We`re travelling by moonlight
From London to the Highlands
We lose ourselves in inner cities
In the hope of re-defining
The space that surrounds us
What an emptiness within
It`s all in the papers
The boy`s in love again
Always arriving
Headlights lit up from coast to coast
Empty days full to bursting
With the names of the people and places
We miss the most
I`m taking the last train
Flying the last flight
I`m calling on the angels
And letting in the sunlight
Let me take you down
To Cafe Europa
There`s so much to be found
So much to discover
Let me take you down
To Cafe Europa
There`s so much to be found
I won`t let you dowm
I won`t let you down
Let me take you down
To Cafe Europa
To Cafe Europa
There's so much to be found
So much to discover
Let me take you down
Cafe Europa
Cafe Europa
It`s the heart that has been broken
Finds the truth in what is spoken
Cafe Europa
Cafe Europa
Let me take you down

All comments from YouTube:

TheNouveauxdecadence

13y↑10

I absolutely love this track and the whole album is so deep and full of mystery and soul. I have laid in the dark listening to this album once and it was such a beautiful experience