1. Dead Flowers are an A… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists using this name.
1. Dead Flowers are an Alternative-rock-pop band from Auckland, New Zealand that released material through Wildside records in the 90's.
Dead Flowers were signed by Wildside records in 1992, they released their first single 'Lisa' which reached 27 on the New Zealand charts. Later in the year they released their debut album 'Skin of A Stone' which was recorded at Phil Rudd's (AC/DC) recording studio in Tauranga, NZ. In December '93 they released their second album 'Sweetfish'. Their third and final album was a self titled album that was released early 1998.
2. Now defunct, Dead Flowers were for many years Newcastle's kings of acid rock. Their career began inauspiciously enough with the privately pressed TV single which, to be honest, was not especially good, consisting of two grungey hard rock tracks with little hint of the psychedelic mayhem to come.
After four years of local obscurity, they were picked up by Brian Sutton's Mystic Stones label for one of its earlier releases. The resultant album Smell The Fragrance does not capture the band at their best by any means. It contained plenty of good songs - Absolution, Crackdown and the drug anthem Piece Of Sky - but one had to ask "Where's the psychedelia?". The band sounded at this time like an updated, druggy Black Sabbath or an English Monster Magnet. If the idea sounds tempting, then go for it, but there was better to come. The track Crackdown also appeared on the Underground Newcastle compilation in an exclusive "grunge" mix.
1992's Moontan is something of an acid rock classic. It opens with the storming Chocolate Staircase which uses the riff from Pink Floyd's Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun A powerfully contrasting track follows in the spacey, almost ambient, Spiral Eye before the band turn the amps up to eleven again for Filling In Time. The heavy riffing of Thought World brings side one to a close. Side two begins with another near ambient track Gaia's Love Hole which despite the awful title is an awesomely beautiful piece of music; the word "ambient" should hold no negative connotations here: this is layers of liquid guitar and brushed cymbals with pulsating bass, and delicate flute (provided by Teapot from Cheops). There follows three tracks more in the heavy, doom-laden style of their first LP. Moontan is strongly recommended. A different version of Chocolate Staircase also appeared on the Delerium compilation Fun With Mushrooms which brought the band to the attention of a wider audience.
Moontan had turned Dead Flowers into one of the hottest properties on the psychedelic scene, and Delerium scooped them for their third LP Altered State Circus which was recorded at Dave Anderson's Foel studios. This contains all the elements which made Moontan so indispensable, but there was a noticeable improvement in the production and musicianship (not that it was bad before by any means). The music was even druggier than previously and the sleeve artwork amongst the most spectacularly psychedelic ever. The music showed the band developing the ambient textures of the previous album in six slow burning, extended tracks. Highlights are The Elephant's Eye Was Eerie (eh?), the title track Altered State Circus and Slouch Factor 9. The only half way weak track was Free the Weed a rather unfocused protest song. The CD contained an extra track, the excellent thirteen minute Vodafone In Oz. Although not an improvement on Moontan the band had instead tried a slightly different musical direction and the album is recommended. The deeply laid back Warmth Within (Chemical Binoculars) was featured on the Pick 'n' Mix Delerium sampler album.
The band split following the release of Altered State Circus. Steev Swayambhunath branched out into ambient dance music, forming a band called Cubic Space Collective. (Chris Williams)
The Days Of The Beautifully Strange
Dead Flowers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With nothing going on
Seems unfortunate to waste a night
On the dope that don't come
six days until I'm sane
dirty heop taking me away
Looks like I'm free
from the couple of crippled and maimed
to the days of the beautifully strange
it's all been done done
so you'll stay here a while for spite
I don't care man take your time
but I won't be coming home tonight
with nothing going on
The opening lines of Dead Flowers’ “The Days of the Beautifully Strange” present the listener with an individual who appears fretful, almost tense. The second line suggests the individual’s present state is due to boredom - nothing is currently happening. The third line implies that wasting a night pining away for something that isn’t coming is a disappointment. The following lines suggest the person is currently in a state of recovery or is awaiting it, and they are being held captive by something they called “dirty heop”. This is then contrasted with the phrase, “Looks like I’m free,” which leads the listener to believe that the individual has been released from whatever they were afflicted with. However, the following line shows ambiguity over whether the freedom is coming from the stop of taking “dirty heop” or the escape from the figurative weight of the “couple of crippled and maimed."
The chorus features the lyrics - “to the days of the beautifully strange, it’s all been done done. So you’ll stay here a while for spite, I don’t care man take your time, but I won’t be coming home tonight, with nothing going on.” These lines seem to allude to either a memory or a dream that the singer desires to return to - the beautiful strangeness. The singer seems to want to linger in this dreamlike state, and even though the singer knows the person will take their time, they refuse to stay behind. The song ends with the phrase, “with nothing going on,” which rounds off the feeling of listlessness precedent throughout the entire song.
Line by Line Meaning
You seem preoccupied if not uptight
You appear to be always worried and agitated.
With nothing going on
There doesn't seem to be anything interesting or important happening in your life.
Seems unfortunate to waste a night
It's a shame to spend an evening doing something unproductive or unfulfilling.
On the dope that don't come
Using drugs that don't have any effect.
six days until I'm sane
I have to wait six more days to feel mentally healthy again.
dirty heop taking me away
The habit of using heroin is leading me to a bad place.
Looks like I'm free
It seems like I'm out of trouble for now.
from the couple of crippled and maimed
I managed to escape from the company of injured and disabled people.
stop me if I'm wrong
Let me know if I'm mistaken about something.
to the days of the beautifully strange
Reminiscing the moments in the past when things were oddly beautiful.
it's all been done done
Everything has been accomplished and there is no more novelty left.
so you'll stay here a while for spite
You will remain here for a period of time just to be stubborn and contrary.
I don't care man take your time
I don't mind at all, take as much time as you need.
but I won't be coming home tonight
I won't be returning to my place of residence tonight.
with nothing going on
Without anything interesting happening.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thepeckhampoet1909
This performance for me is the ultimate Mick and Keith performance of all.
@wolfgangrittner6637
Hahahaha Yes ist is for me as well! Amazing background singing from Keith!
@thomasandersen2764
But as they started so inspired Taylor's guitar cleans out the dance floor
@JeffreyWilliams-dr7qe
@thomasandersen2764 so that means he might be better say maybe than Tonyy Iommi?
@jayjay66111
this is the absolute pinnacle of rock n roll right here, soaring to unmatched heights, seeing mick and keith sharing a mic while grinning from ear to ear never fails to make me smile, oh and mick taylor.
@billsmith9966
You are correct sir
@j.mcconnell5260
Best Stone's country music. Maybe anyone.
@markmiwurdz202
@J McConnell. I have seen Steve Earle cover this song live some years ago here in the U.K. Steve introduced "Dead Flowers" saying something like "And here is a perfectly good British hillbilly song". Kind of says it all really. Stay safe and well.
@j.mcconnell5260
@@markmiwurdz202 the great Townes Van Zandt covering it says more than anything.
@j.mcconnell5260
@@markmiwurdz202 American musicians were stumped by invasion music co-opting Americana. Americans recovered nicely a good example "tell me why" Nora Jones.