Despite the growing public interest in the trio, this co-operation was put on ice until late1991. During the years to come, the romantic light continued to glow from the music they created. The EP ”Places” (1993) contained four songs which were not easy to place in any standard category. Some journalists tried though, and besides the commonly used epithet ”escapists”, they were also deemed ”pathetical intellectualists”.
In the autumn of 1996, the full-length album ”Live in Poland” was released. After having spent a great deal of time in Poland, the result was a collection of songs that in many ways was the very opposite of the softly-woven American dreamscapes from which they had departed.
Doris Days came to Dorado's attention when a handful of 10" singles made their way over from Japan and onto the turntables of people like Gilles Peterson, Patrick Forge and Ross Allen. To Ulrike M. is their debut for the label. The track is a tribute to Ulrike Meinhof who was part of the revolutionary German group Red Army Faction (RAF) which operated in the 1970s and it is her own spoken word intro that the mood for that piece.
”She is the only true icon in Western Europe this century...” says Markus, ”I do not defend terrorism or killing, but Ulrike Meinhof was a very beautiful woman in many ways, sad and inspiring.”
DISCOGRAPHY
”Cricket Buddhist”
(Cassette, Barnsliga skivor 1992, 50 copies, 9 songs)
”Places”
(EP/CD, Barnsliga skivor/Some Pearls 1993, 500 copies, 4 songs)
”Quiet Withdrawal”
(CD-single, Some Pearls, 1996, 2 songs+remixes)
”Live in Poland”
(CD, Some Pearls, 1996, 10 songs)
”Doris Days”
(10" EP, Pure Sand, Japan, 1996, 4 songs)
”Doris Days”
(CD, Pure Sand, Japan, 1996, 14 songs)
”To Ulrike M.”
(CDS/12", Dorado Records, UK, 1998, 1 song + remixes by Zero 7, Amalgamation of Soundz and Tosca)
To Ulrike M.
Doris Days Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Among blue lights and screaming sirens
We drove a car that night
And the radio played our song
In a mellow drum way
Fragments of untamed wildlife
With a push upon the heart
There I held a trembling hand
Seeking shelter in strange apartments
Til the day they turned her in
Being Judases of nowadays
Nowadays
Nowadays
the days of protest may seem far away, but the memory of those turbulent times still lingers. Doris Day's song "To Ulrike M." is an ode to one such protester, Ulrike Meinhof, a prominent figure in the leftist movement of 1970s West Germany. The lyrics, written by Andre Heller and translated by John Kander, capture the confusion, fear, and political upheaval of the era.
The first verse sets the scene of a nighttime drive through a city plagued by turmoil. The "blue lights and screaming sirens" suggest that the car's occupants are witnessing or even participating in a protest or riot. The radio playing "our song" suggests a connection between the singer and the cause they are fighting for. The second verse introduces an element of spirituality, with the "mellow drum way" and "Jesus in season" both suggesting a religious experience. The use of animal imagery also suggests a primal, untamed energy that is unleashed during moments of rebellion.
The final verse brings the focus back to Ulrike Meinhof, who was a member of the Red Army Faction, a left-wing militant group that carried out bombings and kidnappings in the 70s. The "strange apartments" may refer to safehouses or hideouts used by the group. The final line, "Being Judases of nowadays," suggests that Meinhof and her comrades were seen as traitors or betrayers by some in their society. Overall, the song paints a vivid picture of a moment in time when political ideals clashed with the status quo, and the stakes were high.
Line by Line Meaning
Needed time to think
I needed a moment to contemplate my thoughts and feelings
Among blue lights and screaming sirens
In a chaotic and intense environment, possibly a city or emergency situation
We drove a car that night
I was in a vehicle during this experience
And the radio played our song
The radio was playing a song that had personal significance to us
In a mellow drum way
The rhythm of the music had a calm and steady beat
Fragments of untamed wildlife
Random and wild thoughts and emotions, difficult to control
With a push upon the heart
An intense feeling, like a physical sensation in the chest
Like a Jesus in season
A sudden and dramatic religious experience, like a revelation
There I held a trembling hand
I was comforting someone who was scared or anxious
Seeking shelter in strange apartments
We were seeking refuge or safety in unfamiliar places
Til the day they turned her in
We were betrayed or betrayed someone we were trying to protect
Being Judases of nowadays
We were acting like traitors, like the biblical figure Judas who betrayed Jesus
Nowadays
This kind of betrayal and fear is common in the present day
Contributed by Peyton T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ZeroStateReflex
This track changed my life. That drum beat was made for soul searching.
@Big_Abomination
Damn i come back every few years to listen to this song. So good.
@antodarcy1
Searching for this track for a while! Had it on a Select CD. Brilliant tune. Thanks for posting.
@nayphee
The Zero 7 remix is a chillout classic. Interesting to hear the original of this track. Not what I expected.
@ivanmworozi8968
zero 7 remix one of my favorite songs of all time!
@gaspanda
One of the highlights on the excellent smokedown compilation.
@etherealcatholic5711
I had this on a compilation in 1998 and regret losing that CD.
@-laydeeintrigue-
Was it a Costes compilation?
@etherealcatholic249
Late Nite Beats
@thedarkknight1971
I found the Zero7 remix oooooh so many years a go, and it filled my ears with such delight that I still play it often today, it's just a brilliant track. Have a good headphone setup or stereo system, and it fills the room nicely. I admit, I love Zero7 stuff, just like 'Blank & Jones' chill stuff, 'Lemon Jelly' (They're a 'Ramblin Band' haha 😉), 'Conjur One', 'Groove Armada', and many more artists that create such delights.
As for this original, yeah, it's ok in its own right, but I (personally) wouldn't call it good enough to come back to listen to though.
😎🇬🇧