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
Transit
David Sylvian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I have listened very well
No one interrupts the harmful
When they're speaking
To wonder why of Europe
Say your goodbyes to Europe
Swallow the lie of Europe
(follow me, won't you follow me?)
A future's hinting at itself
Do you fear what I fear?
All those names of ancestry
Too gentle for the stones they bear
Someone somewhere wants to see you
Someone's traveling towards us all
To wonder why of Europe
To live, love, and cry in Europe
Say your goodbyes to Europe
Our history dies with Europe
(follow me, won't you follow me?)
The lights are dimming
The lounge is dark
The best cigarette is saved for last
We drink alone
We drink alone
The song Transit by David Sylvian is a deep reflection on the current state of Europe and the looming uncertainty of the future of the continent. The opening lines "I have listened repeatedly, I have listened very well" indicate that the singer has been contemplating and observing the current events for a long time, and has a clear understanding of the situation. The speaking of harmful people being uninterrupted indicates that the critical voices are being suppressed or ignored, leading to a lack of introspection and self-correction.
The repeated call to "wonder why of Europe" indicates the overarching theme of the song- the singer is urging people to critically think about their motives and actions and the impact it will have on the continent. The phrase "swallow the lie of Europe" highlights the discrepancy between the idealized image of Europe and the harsh reality that people have to face. The call to "say your goodbyes to Europe" is urging people to acknowledge the impending change and face it head-on.
The line "too gentle for the stones they bear" is a poetic reference to the people who have suffered and borne the burden of the history of the continent. The final verse emphasizes the loneliness and isolation that people feel in these difficult times. The repetition of "we drink alone" portrays the sense of desolation and the burden that each person carries themselves.
Overall, Transit is a thought-provoking and insightful reflection on the state of Europe and the looming uncertain future.
Line by Line Meaning
I have listened repeatedly
I have paid close attention and listened repeatedly
I have listened very well
I have listened with great attention and understanding
No one interrupts the harmful
When they're speaking
People often stay silent when someone harmful speaks, allowing them to continue without interruption
To wonder why of Europe
To contemplate and question the nature of Europe
Say your goodbyes to Europe
Bid farewell to Europe
Swallow the lie of Europe
Accept and believe the false narratives about Europe
Our shared history dies with Europe
If we let go of Europe, we risk losing our shared history as well
(follow me, won't you follow me?)
Encouraging someone to join and follow along
A future's hinting at itself
The future is starting to reveal itself
Do you fear what I fear?
Are you afraid of the same things that I am?
All those names of ancestry
Too gentle for the stones they bear
Our ancestors' names are not strong enough to withstand the weight of history and its impact on them
Someone somewhere wants to see you
There is someone out there who is hoping to see you
Someone's traveling towards us all
Someone is making their way towards us all as we move through life
To live, love, and cry in Europe
To experience the full range of emotions and experiences in Europe
The lights are dimming
The lights are becoming less bright
The lounge is dark
The atmosphere in the lounge is dark and somber
The best cigarette is saved for last
The final cigarette is the most enjoyable and cherished
We drink alone
We drink without company or companionship
We drink alone
We drink without company or companionship
Contributed by Charlie O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.