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
Pollen Path
David Sylvian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Welcome me father who knows no name
Welcome me mother the earth here is yawning
my body is shaking for want of a flame
down here
Got to laugh
drowning
Got to laugh
This whole mess is frightening
A follower of the pollen path
The pollen path
welcome me father
The lava is rising
Welcome me mother
And give me your name
we've drunk from this wellspring
Too too long
Dividing the hours
To measure the time
We've lived with this heartache
Too too long
Numbering what's yours what's mine
we've harbored this sadness so long
nursing a voice
Just sing us our songs
Raising a voice
To sing our songs
The song Pollen Path by David Sylvian is a poignant exploration of the human condition, specifically the sense of alienation and disconnection that may plague some individuals. The lyrics vividly describe the search for belonging and meaning in life, through the metaphors of nature and family relationships. The opening lines evoke a sense of arriving at a remote location in Lapland, seeking acceptance from a father figure who appears to be a stranger. The singer addresses both the father and mother of nature, expressing a deep longing for warmth and comfort. The repetition of the phrase "welcome me" reveals a desire to be received and acknowledged, to find a sense of home in an unfamiliar and inhospitable space.
The chorus of the song reveals the title's significance, as the singer identifies as a follower of the pollen path. This could be interpreted as a reference to Native American spiritual practices or perhaps a metaphor for the search for one's purpose in life. The pollen path may symbolize a journey of self-discovery, a pursuit of beauty and vitality amidst the bleakness of everyday existence. The final lines of the song express a yearning for expression and creativity, imploring the listener to "sing us our songs" and proclaiming the power of music to heal and uplift.
Line by Line Meaning
Welcome me father on the North shores of Lapland
I am arriving at the unfamiliar northern shores of Lapland and seeking an accommodating host
Welcome me father who knows no name
I am seeking a father figure who does not have any association with my past
Welcome me mother the earth here is yawning
I am calling out to the mother nature, who is experiencing a sense of weariness
my body is shaking for want of a flame
I am trembling and longing for the warmth of a fire within me
down here
I am referring to the current state of my life, where I feel I am in a dark place
Got to laugh
Despite the challenges, I have to find reasons to be positive
The kickback is ligtening
The intensity of the situation is beginning to ease up
drowning
I feel like I am sinking and unable to breathe
This whole mess is frightening
I feel scared and overwhelmed with the current situation
A follower of the pollen path
I am someone who believes in following the natural, organic path of life
The pollen path
The natural course of life and the environment
The lava is rising
The emotions within me are starting to boil over
And give me your name
I am seeking identity and a sense of belonging from the mother nature
we've drunk from this wellspring
We have consumed from this source for far too long
Too too long
It has been an excessively prolonged time
Dividing the hours
We are wasting the time by dividing it into hours and not using it productively
To measure the time
We are trying to calculate time and quantify it to make sense of it
We've lived with this heartache
We have endured and suffered from emotional pain for far too long
Numbering what's yours what's mine
We are keeping track of what belongs to us and what does not, which is unnecessary
we've harbored this sadness so long
We have been nurturing our sorrow and despair for too long
nursing a voice
We are taking care to cultivate and improve our voice
Just sing us our songs
We are requesting an opportunity to express ourselves through our music and songs
Raising a voice
We are attempting to elevate the level of our voice through practice and dedication
To sing our songs
We are seeking approval to perform and share our music and songs with the world
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Wawi633
Great drum and base opening!
@tonydemitre9392
What a genius in being himself
@carlalomas5016
I may love modern music doesn’t mean l can’t listen to old songs