Davis was born in Anaheim, California. After graduating from high school, Davis enrolled at UCLA. He continued his study of musical composition with tutor Henri Lazarof. Additionally, he learned orchestration from Albert Harris. During their orchestration lessons, Harris introduced Davis to the TV composer Joe Harnell, who supported Davis during his search for work—his first job was working for composer Mark Snow's TV show Hart to Hart. He has worked as an orchestrator and conductor for Michael Kamen, Alan Silvestri, James Horner, and Randy Newman.
Davis won Emmys in 1990 for Beauty and the Beast and 1995 for SeaQuest DSV. He wrote scores mostly for television series up until 1995, in which he wrote a few of the cues for the animated Disney motion picture A Goofy Movie. He continued to score television series until the two then young directors, the Wachowskis, hired him to score their neo-noir film Bound. It was reasonably successful at the box office. Bound was the film which led Davis into becoming the composer for the entire Matrix trilogy. Subsequently, Davis has composed scores for films such as Jurassic Park III (recommended to the filmmakers by John Williams, the composer of the scores for the first two films in the series), House on Haunted Hill, Behind Enemy Lines, and The Unsaid. In 2004, he produced the music score for the BBC science fiction documentary series Space Odyssey: Voyage to the Planets, released as Voyage to the Planets and Beyond in the United States.
Davis' magnum opus is Matrix franchise: The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, and The Animatrix. It was set apart from other film scores of its time for its atonality and avant garde style of composition, with influences from polytonal minimalist works like John Adams' Short Ride in a Fast Machine and cluster-like as well as aleatoric techniques prominent in the works of composer Witold Lutosławski.
Don Davis' dark opera, Río de Sangre, received its premiere at the Florentine Opera Company on October 22, 2010. Previously, excerpts from the opera were performed in Los Angeles with the Los Angeles Master Chorale on November 6, 2005, and the New York City Opera on May 13, 2007.
No More Nebuchadnezzar
Don Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In my silver ship I sail, a dream that ended to soon
Now I know exactly who I am and what I'm here for
And I will go sailing no more
All the things I thought I'd be, all the brave things I'd done
Vanished like a snowflake with the rising of the sun
Never more to sail my ship, where no man has gone before
But no, it can't be true I could fly if I wanted to
Like a bird in the sky if I believe I can fly, why I'd fly
Clearly, I will go sailing, no more
In Don Davis's song No More Nebuchadnezzar, the singer reflects on their past experiences of exploring the unknown depths of the universe through space travel in a silver ship. However, the singer's adventurous spirit has come to an end as they come to terms with their true identity and purpose. The dream of space travel has ended too soon, leaving the singer to contemplate the bravery they once possessed and the things they thought they would achieve. The imagery of a snowflake disappearing with the rising sun shows the fleeting nature of the singer's aspirations. They will no longer embark on a journey where no man has gone before, as they have now found their true north.
The singer, however, still holds onto the belief that they can fly if they wanted to. The lyrics "But no, it can't be true I could fly if I wanted to. Like a bird in the sky if I believe I can fly, why I'd fly" indicate the longing to still reach for the stars, though it may not necessarily involve physical space travel. The singer concludes that they will go sailing no more, implying that they are ready to move on from their past adventurous self and embrace their newfound identity.
Line by Line Meaning
Out among the stars I sail, way beyond the moon
I travel into deep space, farther than the moon
In my silver ship I sail, a dream that ended too soon
My journey through space ended abruptly, and I long for more
Now I know exactly who I am and what I'm here for
I have found my purpose and identity
And I will go sailing no more
I will no longer embark on these space adventures
All the things I thought I'd be, all the brave things I'd done
My hopes and accomplishments vanished quickly
Vanished like a snowflake with the rising of the sun
My dreams melted away quickly
Never more to sail my ship, where no man has gone before
I will not journey into uncharted territories again
But no, it can't be true I could fly if I wanted to
I doubt that I can still achieve great things
Like a bird in the sky if I believe I can fly, why I'd fly
If I have faith in myself, I can still accomplish amazing feats
Clearly, I will go sailing, no more
I have made up my mind to stop seeking new adventures in space
Lyrics © Walt Disney Music Company
Written by: RANDY NEWMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Artiumlevrai
2:50 just for me :D