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
Forbidden Colors
David Sylvian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I thought all I needed was to believe
Here am I, a lifetime away from you
The blood of Christ, or the beat of my heart
My love wears forbidden colours
My life believes
Millions are willing to give their lives for you
Does nothing live on?
Learning to cope with feelings aroused in me
My hands in the soil, buried inside of myself
My love wears forbidden colours
My life believes in you once again
I`ll go walking in circles
While doubting the very ground beneath me
Trying to show unquestioning faith in everything
Here am I, a lifetime away from you
The blood of Christ, or a change of heart
My love wears forbidden colours
My life believes
My love wears forbidden colours
My life believes in you once again
The song is about a love that is forbidden, probably due to societal expectations or circumstances beyond their control. The opening lines allude to the emotional pain and scars that the person seems to bear, possibly as a result of their forbidden love. Despite this, the singer believes in the power of love and feels that all they need is faith to bridge the gap between them and their lover.
The imagery in the song is quite vivid, with references to the blood of Christ and the beat of the heart being juxtaposed. The singer seems to be torn between the religious and the emotional, and is learning to deal with the intensity of their feelings towards their lover. They talk about burying their hands in the soil, which could represent trying to find a grounding anchor in the midst of all the chaos and confusion.
The chorus is the most poignant part of the song, with the singer acknowledging the forbidden nature of their love, yet still believing in it wholeheartedly. They speak of their love wearing forbidden colours, which could mean that it is something that stands out from the norm and is therefore frowned upon. Despite this, their life believes in their lover once again, showing the depth of their devotion.
Line by Line Meaning
The wounds on your hands never seem to heal
You are mentally and socially wounded, and the afflictions seem to persist over time.
I thought all I needed was to believe
I believed that I could help you get better by simply believing in you.
Here am I, a lifetime away from you
I feel like I am miles away from you emotionally and physically.
The blood of Christ, or the beat of my heart
I am trying to decide whether my care for you stems from religious beliefs or personal feelings.
My love wears forbidden colours
My love for you is unconventional, and not widely accepted by society.
My life believes
I invest heavily in and have deep conviction in my love and our potential future.
Senseless years thunder by
Time can be senseless and merciless, as it moves forward with or without healing.
Millions are willing to give their lives for you
Many people are willing to fight and sacrifice for your freedom, safety and happiness.
Does nothing live on?
Is there any hope for the future or the continuation of life after one's death?
Learning to cope with feelings aroused in me
I am learning how to handle the unfamiliar and strong emotions that you evoke in me.
My hands in the soil, buried inside of myself
I am trying to understand my own emotions at a very deep and intimate level.
I'll go walking in circles
I am lost and confused, going around and around, trying to find my way back or forward.
While doubting the very ground beneath me
I am uncertain and questioning the stability and security of my own beliefs and values.
Trying to show unquestioning faith in everything
I am trying to prove or conform to the expectations of society by having unwavering faith in everything.
The blood of Christ, or a change of heart
I am trying to decide whether my care for you stems from religious beliefs or personal feelings, perhaps risking a transformation in my own self.
My love wears forbidden colours
My love for you is unconventional, and not widely accepted by society.
My life believes
I invest heavily in and have deep conviction in my love and our potential future.
My love wears forbidden colours
My love for you is unconventional, and not widely accepted by society.
My life believes in you once again
I once again believe in the potential of our love and future together.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID SYLVIAN, RYUICHI SAKAMOTO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
blondwiththewind
LYRICS:
The wounds on your hands
Never seem to heal
I thought all I needed was to believe
Here am I, a lifetime away from You
The blood of Christ or the beat of my heart
My love wears forbidden colours
My life believes
Senseless years thunder by
Millions are willing to give their lives for You
Does nothing live on?
Learning to cope with feelings aroused in me
My hands in the soil, buried inside of myself
My love wears forbidden colours
My life believes in You once again
I'll go walking in circles
While doubting the very ground beneath me
Trying to show unquestioning faith in everything
Here am I, a lifetime away from You
The blood of Christ, or a change of heart
My love wears forbidden colours
My life believes
My love wears forbidden colours
My life believes in You once again
Read more: David Sylvian - Forbidden Colours Lyrics | MetroLyrics
Messer Morfeo
Rest in peace, maestro Sakamoto.
S Todone
❤
M Grissom
I found out today that Ryuichi had died in March.
Peter Carrington
True legend! Sorely missed.
The Lantern
Genius
Tom Flanagan
🎉LOVED THE MOVIE SAW IT WHEN IT CAME OUT 1980 TOM
Marie Whiting
Thanks for the great song 🇦🇺🙆👍🧡🌲
Paul Clarke
I never get tired of hearing this, sakamoto’s haunting melody and sylvians delivery is epic
Gary Fellows
Amen brother
A timeless classic
Patricia Houghton
Beautiful xxx 💕💕💕💕