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
Wanderlust
David Sylvian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Floating right out of your hands
And there's only so much I aspire to
Taking one day at a time
And deliverance has many faces
But grace is an acquaintance of mine
Tell me how could it have happened
You know that we're not the marrying kind.
We're leaving the shadows behind.
It's given us, yeah
This wonderful wanderlust.
It's given us this wonderful wanderlust
It's given us this wonderful wanderlust
I don't doubt it, I feel it, yeah
Wanderlust, wanderlust
Help me, this waterboy's wasted
Falling right out of your sky
And there's nothing that could do without you
Loving the state that I'm in
Between no longer and not yet
On the threshold of some bright affair
The match was struck and I was fired
The embers of a drowning man
Tell me why won't I listen
Or acknowledge that I don't understand
Losing light, a selfish kind
And we're out on the road again.
It's given us, yeah
This wonderful wanderlust.
It's given us this wonderful wanderlust
It's given us this wonderful wanderlust
I don't doubt it, I feel it, yeah.
Turn the headlights on full
I want to take in it all
And let it wash over me
The bridge looks so high
From the ledge that we climbed
But we climbed them so that we could be free
Give me no dreams of what the future brings
I need to know when I have gone too far, oh
Repeated lightening strikes
Up and down the spine
They search us out wherever we go
In a world full of lies
That tug at the truth
I'm taking no sides
Now I recognize you.
Wanderlust, wanderlust
It's given us, given us
This wonderful wanderlust
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful
Wanderlust
I don't doubt it, no.
The lyrics of David Sylvian's song 'Wanderlust' speak of a longing for something that is beyond the comfort zone, where the unknown and the unexpected reigns, and where the light of hope glows stronger than ever. The singer struggles with the weightlessness of uncertainty and the inability to define the aspirations that seem to elude him. The reference to 'deliverance having many faces' while still acknowledging the presence of 'grace' in his life, suggests that the journey is not about religious affiliation but a quest for spiritual transcendence. The lyrics remind us that sometimes the 'marrying kind' is not for everyone, and the nomadic way of living is a path that some must follow.
The song encourages the listener to embark upon a journey of discovery, to take chances, to embrace the unknown, to leave the shadows behind and to travel light. The singer speaks of the 'threshold of some bright affair' and the match that was struck, suggesting a moment when something was set alight, awakening the spirit of adventure. He admits to not always 'listening' or understanding what the journey entails, but what is important is that 'wanderlust' is allowed to follow its natural progression. The chorus emphasizes the wonder of wanderlust, and the feeling that brings: 'It's given us, yeah, This wonderful wanderlust. It's given us this wonderful wanderlust. I don't doubt it, I feel it, yeah.'
Line by Line Meaning
Help me I feel like I'm weightless
Assist me - I have a feeling of freedom from gravity, as if I'm soaring, the sensation of being unencumbered.
Floating right out of your hands
Drifting or fading away, losing your grip on me, unable to hold or contain what you once had.
And there's only so much I aspire to
My dreams or goals are limited; my ambitions are not excessive or grandiose, but simple and attainable.
Taking one day at a time
Moving forward slowly, calmly, and steadily, living in the present without worrying about the future or dwelling on the past.
And deliverance has many faces
Salvation or redemption may come in numerous ways, shapes, or forms.
But grace is an acquaintance of mine
I have some experience with a state of mercy, elegance, and beauty that I value and cherish.
Tell me how could it have happened
Explain to me how circumstances could have led to this outcome or situation.
You know that we're not the marrying kind.
You are aware that we are not inclined or suited for marriage or long-term commitment.
Travel light, don't think twice
Journeying without a lot of baggage or worries, taking risks without hesitation or second thoughts.
We're leaving the shadows behind.
Departing from our ghosts or darkness, stepping into the light or clarity.
It's given us, yeah
This wonderful wanderlust.
It's given us this wonderful wanderlust
It's given us this wonderful wanderlust
The feeling of being consumed or driven by a strong desire and curiosity to explore new places, people, and experiences.
I don't doubt it, I feel it, yeah
I have no skepticism about it, I sense it strongly and truly, yes.
Help me, this waterboy's wasted
Falling right out of your sky
And there's nothing that could do without you
Assist me, I am exhausted and thirsty, and I am plummeting like raindrops from your atmosphere, and my existence is dependent on you.
Loving the state that I'm in
Appreciating and enjoying the condition or circumstance I am presently experiencing.
Between no longer and not yet
On the threshold of some bright affair
In a transitional phase, not in the past nor in the future, but on the brink of some promising event, relationship, or opportunity.
The match was struck and I was fired
The embers of a drowning man
The spark ignited and I was excited and stimulated, the ashes of a person in peril.
Tell me why won't I listen
Or acknowledge that I don't understand
Inform me why I refuse to hear, or recognize that I am ignorant or perplexed.
Losing light, a selfish kind
And we're out on the road again.
Diminishing luminescence, and a narcissistic nature that puts oneself above others, and we are traveling once more.
Turn the headlights on full
I want to take in it all
And let it wash over me
Illuminate everything; I desire to absorb everything and allow it to wash over me like a wave of water.
The bridge looks so high
From the ledge that we climbed
But we climbed them so that we could be free
The structure appears enormous from the position we ascended from, we scaled it so we could be liberated.
Give me no dreams of what the future brings
I need to know when I have gone too far, oh
Don't illustrate any hopes of what the future holds, I require awareness when I have surpassed my limit, oh.
Repeated lightening strikes
Up and down the spine
They search us out wherever we go
Reoccurring electric shocks up and down the backbone, seeking and scrutinizing us wherever we wander.
In a world full of lies
That tug at the truth
I'm taking no sides
In a deceitful world, pulling at the honesty, I remain neutral.
Now I recognize you.
I now perceive or acknowledge you after previously being ignorant or unaware of you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALAN EUGENE JACKSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind