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
Died In The Wool
David Sylvian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pale blue frock-coat, snagged full of needles
Belly full of sunshine
And what will they do without him? (Without him)
Now she's gone
What will they do without him? (Without him)
Allured in the darkness
The years of the darkness startled by thunder
Gathered for safety
They dressed her in wool-coats
And what will they do without him? (Without him)
Now she's gone
What will they do?
Her hair that was blonde is matted and brown
The heft of her body impresses the ground
Softened by rainfall, soaked right through
The lightening sky and the darkening blue
And what will they do?
Now she's gone
Give her your shoes, boy
Lend her some threads
A fine line of linen stripped from your bed
What's with the face, child?
The smaller the bird, the closer it stood
Coming still closer from the edge of the woods
In the down of the den six hearts lie beating
The ground softens up and welcomes her in
You've been gone so long, honey, where have you been?
You are destined for better, surely nothing so cruel
What once was unwritten's died in the wool
Her hair that was blond is matted and brown
The weight of her body impresses the ground
Softened by rainfall, soaked right through
The lightening sky and the darkening blue
Is this how they'll find her?
Last ounce of courage
Face full of sunshine
The lyrics of David Sylvian's song "Died In The Wool" tell a haunting story of someone's death and the aftermath that follows. The opening lines suggest that the person may have been found dead, perhaps in a forest or meadow, wearing a blue frock-coat filled with needles, and with a belly full of sunshine. The next few lines ask what will happen to the people who loved and relied on the deceased. The repetition of the lines "What will they do without him?" highlights the impact that the loss of the person has on those left behind.
The sheep on the hill mentioned in the song seem to be a metaphor for the people who gather in the darkness for safety after the loss. They dress the deceased in wool-coats, again emphasizing the symbolism of sheep and wool. The description of the deceased's matted and brown hair, the impression of her body on the ground, and the darkening sky all create a vivid image of the aftermath of death.
Throughout the song, there are a number of references to nature, with mentions of thunder, lightning, and the sound of beating hearts. These references seem to underscore the idea that life goes on, even in the face of death. The final lines of the song suggest that the deceased is destined for something better and that what was once unwritten has now "died in the wool," suggesting that everything that person could have done or been has now come to an end.
Line by Line Meaning
Is this how they'll find her?
Will they discover her in this state?
Pale blue frock-coat, snagged full of needles
Her outfit consists of a blue coat full of needles.
Belly full of sunshine
She was content in life.
And what will they do without him? (Without him)
How will they cope with his absence?
Now she's gone
She has left this world.
The sheep on the hill
Animals on the hill.
Allured in the darkness
Drawn to the darkness.
The years of the darkness startled by thunder
Thunder breaks the years of darkness.
Gathered for safety
Came together to protect themselves.
They dressed her in wool-coats
They covered her in wool.
Her hair that was blonde is matted and brown
Her blonde hair is now tangled and brown.
The heft of her body impresses the ground
Her body has a heavy impact with the ground.
Softened by rainfall, soaked right through
She has been softened by the rain and is soaked.
The lightening sky and the darkening blue
The sky has changed color, blending light and dark tones.
Give her your shoes, boy
Offer your shoes to her.
Lend her some threads
Give her some clothing.
A fine line of linen stripped from your bed
Offer her the best you can give.
What's with the face, child?
Why do you have that expression?
The smaller the bird, the closer it stood
The smaller creatures seem to be getting close.
Coming still closer from the edge of the woods
Approaching from the forest's edge.
In the down of the den six hearts lie beating
Six hearts are still beating in the deep of the nest.
The ground softens up and welcomes her in
The earth accepts her into its embrace.
You've been gone so long, honey, where have you been?
Where have you been for so long?
You are destined for better, surely nothing so cruel
You will have a better fate, nothing so terrible.
What once was unwritten's died in the wool
What could have been has now become definite.
Last ounce of courage
The final bit of bravery.
Face full of sunshine
She died happy.
Contributed by Bentley F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.