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
River Man
David Sylvian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's medicine to me.
But as the hunted live their lifes,
You're keeping out of reach.
So I keep running, falling,
Till I reach the water.
Run with me holy man.
But when I reach out,
Now we're living,
Blessed with all the thunder in the world.
Now, should you ask me to come home.
To wake up from the sleep,
Like a boat inside a storm.
Is there no hope for me?
So I keep running, falling,
Wade into the water.
Run with me river man,
But when I reach out,
I find I'm standing right beside her.
Now we're living,
Blessed with all the thunder in the world.
So I keep running, falling,
Till I reach the water.
Run with me holy man.
But when I reach out,
I find I'm standing right beside her.
Now we're living,
Blessed with all the thunder in the world.
The lyrics to David Sylvian's song "River Man" bring to mind the idea of chasing after something elusive, perhaps a person or a feeling. The opening lines describe how the singer's eyes light up like fire, and this is like medicine to the singer. It seems as though this person brings the singer joy and comfort, but at the same time, the person keeps themselves out of reach, much like how a hunted animal would instinctively keep their distance from humans. Despite this, the singer keeps on running and falling, as if they are chasing after this person no matter what. Finally, when the singer reaches the water, they realize that they are standing right beside the person they have been chasing all along.
The repetition of the line "run with me" seems to suggest that the singer is inviting this elusive person to join them on a journey, whether it be a physical journey or a metaphorical one. The ideas of running and falling could represent the ups and downs that come with relationships and emotional connections. The reference to a holy man brings to mind the idea of spiritual or emotional healing, as if the singer is searching for something to make them whole. In the end, the singer seems to have found what they were searching for, as they describe themselves as "living, blessed with all the thunder in the world."
Overall, "River Man" is a poetic and evocative song that explores themes of love, chasing after something elusive, and finding one's place in the world. The repeated phrases and metaphors create a dreamlike quality that draws the listener in and invites them to reflect on their own experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
I see your eyes light up like fire;
Your passionate glare gives me a sense of healing and warmth.
But as the hunted live their lifes,
You choose to stay distant like prey trying to evade hunters.
You're keeping out of reach.
You are purposely avoiding me.
So I keep running, falling,
I persistently try to reach you, but I stumble along the way.
Till I reach the water.
I finally arrive at a place of reflection and depth.
Run with me holy man.
I invite you to join me on this spiritual journey.
But when I reach out,
However, when I try to touch you or connect with you...
I find I'm standing right beside her.
...I realize that I have inadvertently found myself in close proximity to another woman.
Now we're living,
As a result of this unexpected turn of events,
Blessed with all the thunder in the world.
We experience a powerful and intense connection.
Now, should you ask me to come home.
In the event that you ask me to return to you...
To wake up from the sleep,
...to leave behind a state of unconsciousness or ignorance...
Like a boat inside a storm.
...would be like trying to navigate a ship through rough sea weather.
Is there no hope for me?
Is there any possibility of redemption for our relationship?
Wade into the water.
I once again submerge myself in the deep, reflective waters.
Run with me river man,
I once again call out to those around me to follow me.
So I keep running, falling,
I persistently try to connect with others, but remain unsuccessful.
But when I reach out,
Even when I try to reach out to others...
I find I'm standing right beside her.
...I somehow find myself in the presence of another woman once again.
Now we're living,
As a result of this connection...
Blessed with all the thunder in the world.
...we experience an intense and powerful bond.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DAVID SYLVIAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind