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
Let The Happiness In
David Sylvian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watching the ships come in
I'm waiting for the agony to stop
Oh, let the happiness in
I'm watching as the gulls all settle down
Upon the empty vessels
The faded whites of their wedding gowns
The songs of hopeless selflessness
The cold december sun
A cold that blisters
The hands of a working man
Wasted
I'm waiting on the empty docks
Watching the ships roll in
I'm longing for the agony to stop
Oh, let the happiness in
Oh, let the happiness in
Listen to the waves against the rocks
I don't know where they've been
I'm waiting for the skies to open up
And let the happiness in
Oh, let the happiness in
In David Sylvian's song "Let The Happiness In," the singer is waiting on empty docks, watching ships come in and longing for the agony to stop. The imagery in the song is vivid, with the singer noting the gulls settling on empty vessels, their faded whites resembling wedding gowns. The song evokes a feeling of hopelessness, with the mention of the cold December sun that blisters the hands of a working man.
The singer is longing for happiness to enter their life. The repetition of the phrase "Oh, let the happiness in" emphasizes the desperate need for a change in their current situation. The waves crashing against the rocks represent the unpredictability of life and the unknown journey that lies ahead. The singer wants the skies to open up, suggesting that they are hoping for divine intervention to bring them happiness.
Overall, the song touches on themes of desperation, hopelessness, and the desire for happiness. The imagery in the lyrics is particularly striking and effectively conveys the emotions of the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm waiting on the empty docks
I am present at a place where there is no activity.
Watching the ships come in
I observed the ships arriving at the port.
I'm waiting for the agony to stop
I am anticipating the end of a painful experience.
Oh, let the happiness in
I am expressing my desire for joy and contentment.
I'm watching as the gulls all settle down
I observe the seagulls landing and staying in the area.
Upon the empty vessels
They are perching on the boats with no cargo or passengers.
The faded whites of their wedding gowns
Their feathers look like worn-out bridal dresses.
The songs of hopeless selflessness
The cries of the birds sound like they are offering themselves without hope or purpose.
The cold december sun
The sun is shining in the winter month of December.
A cold that blisters
The chill is so harsh that it can cause skin irritation.
The hands of a working man
The hands of someone who works manually.
Wasted
The hands are not being used to their full potential or for a significant purpose.
Watching the ships roll in
I am observing the ships entering the harbor.
I'm longing for the agony to stop
I yearn for the end of a difficult situation.
Oh, let the happiness in
I want to experience bliss and delight.
Listen to the waves against the rocks
I am paying attention to the sound of the water crashing against the stones.
I don't know where they've been
I am unaware of the places that the waves traveled before arriving here.
I'm waiting for the skies to open up
I am anticipating a sudden change in the weather or the environment.
And let the happiness in
I am asking for an opportunity to experience joy and contentment.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: DAVID SYLVIAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind