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
Some Small Hope
David Sylvian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All those lives that pass us by
Careless thoughts torment my lonely soul
But my trust is still pure
Why must all the days be dark?
Can no one ever escape their fears?
Could we ever fill such a sad despair
Like a corpse deep in the earth I'm so alone
Restless thoughts torment my soul
As fears they lay confirmed
But my life has always been this way
Breathing in these perfect hours
My regrets still try to drown me
Soon the past will be just an emptiness
Far away
Now you've gone
Time will pass
Close my eyes
Far away
Some small hope
Far away
Now you've gone
Time will pass
I'll close my eyes
Far away
David Sylvian's song "Some Small Hope" is an introspective piece about the difficulty of finding hope and meaning in life. The opening lines describe unfulfilled dreams and missed opportunities, leading to a sense of despair and loneliness. However, despite these feelings, the singer's trust remains pure, suggesting a resilience in the face of adversity.
The following verse continues to explore the idea of despair, with the singer feeling like a "corpse deep in the earth" and plagued by restless thoughts and confirmed fears. This leads to introspection about the nature of life and the possibility of escape from our own doubts and worries. Ultimately, the song offers a glimmer of hope, with the title phrase "Some Small Hope" suggesting that even a tiny bit of optimism can go a long way in getting us through tough times.
In terms of musical style, "Some Small Hope" features Sylvian's distinctive vocals and a slow, atmospheric backing of keyboards and percussion. The overall effect is haunting and emotional, emphasizing the introspective nature of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
All those dreams lie unfulfilled
A plethora of unfulfilled and unaccomplished dreams.
All those lives that pass us by
Numerous lives we encounter and lose.
Careless thoughts torment my lonely soul
My carelessly wandering thoughts lead to mental torture.
But my trust is still pure
Despite everything, I still possess an unadulterated trust towards life.
Why must all the days be dark?
Why is every day doom-filled and gray?
Can no one ever escape their fears?
Is there simply no escape from the grasp of fear?
Could we ever fill such a sad despair
With just one small hope?
Can we counteract immense despair with just a single glimmer of hope?
Like a corpse deep in the earth I'm so alone
I'm enclosed in solitude as if buried deep in the soil.
Restless thoughts torment my soul
Thoughts keep me restless and lead to spiritual anguish.
As fears they lay confirmed
But my life has always been this way
My life clings to be filled with confirmed fears and anxiety.
Breathing in these perfect hours
In this moment of perfection and peace.
My regrets still try to drown me
I'm still haunted by my regrets.
Soon the past will be just an emptiness
Far away
Eventually, the past will dissolve into a distant emptiness.
Now you've gone
Time will pass
Close my eyes
Far away
Some small hope
Far away
Now you've gone
Time will pass
I'll close my eyes
Far away
The chorus repeats the idea that time heals wounds and presses things into the distance whilst a small hope glimmers on in the ether.
Contributed by Jeremiah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@MisAnnThorpe
One of David Sylvian's best ever vocal performance. Those who claim that Sylvian and Astley's voices don't complement each other, (yes, believe it or not there are some) need to get their ears syringed. I'll be happy to do it for them! Oh and thanks for the upload. More people should hear this song although most don't deserve to! Regards
@haroldwalton932
Two geniuses...exquisite.........
@janknjazovic
tnx for that :))
@JorfranAV
Kami
@user-kn1lr4ed5l
포카리 스웨트♥고현정
@TheFpCassini
Visit Gag-bit Vinyl in Bushwick NYC for your post-punk/new wave/synthpop fetish, including this 12" and lots of other vinyl... :D
@harveytg
Sounds shit when you listen back to it
@MisAnnThorpe
Harvey; it appears that you like provoking people almost as much as I do!