The couple met while attending Belmont College in Nashville, and immediately began collaborating on songs. While pursuing a record contract, Painter began playing in studio sessions for artists like dc Talk, Sixpence None the Richer, Indigo Girls, Jars of Clay, Nanci Griffith, and Jewel.
In 1994, the band recorded "Harder to Believe than Not To" for I Predict A Clone, a tribute album to Steve Taylor. The following year, the couple released their first album, Delusions of Grandeur on Universal Records. Friend and fan Ben Folds, who called Fleming and John the "Carpenters of the 1990s with Led Zeppelin's rhythm section", invited them to open for his band. They continue to perform and record with Folds from time to time. And during Ben Folds Five's success of "Brick" Fleming & John helped on a side project of Folds' called Fear of Pop. John still did a lot of the orchestrations for Folds' albums, from Whatever and Ever, Amen through Songs for Silverman. (Ben Folds himself played drums on a number of songs on the Delusions Of Grandeur album.) Recently, Painter produced Folds' ex-wife's record Frally. Painter also did a lot of work for the Hoodwinked animated film's soundtrack.
In 1998, Fleming and John released their second album, The Way We Are, which spawned a minor hit with the single "Ugly Girl".
The duo has what is essentially a secondary career as a cover band, providing recordings of other peoples songs for tribute albums, soundtracks and compilations. Songs covered by the band include "Winter Wonderland" (to the tune of Led Zeppelin's "Misty Mountain Hop"), "Eldorado" (Electric Light Orchestra), "California Dreamin'" (the Mamas and the Papas), "Somebody to Love" (Jefferson Airplane), "After the Lovin'" (Engelbert Humperdinck). A longtime concert favorite has been Sonny and Cher's "I Got You Babe" to the tune of Zeppelin's "Black Dog".
The band has mainly laid dormant since the tour for The Way We Are completed in the late 1990s. However, their page on MySpace indicates that they are starting work on a new album in May, 2006.
Eldorado
Fleming & John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Playing the game, I'll sail away
On a voyage of no return to see
If eternal life is meant to be,
And if I find the key, to the eternal dream.
The painted ladies of the Avalon.
Play in the sun, take to the road
To the north there lies the chills of cold,
untold,
But in between their lies, the place
to close your eyes.
And I will stay, I'll not be back,
Eldorado,
I will be free, of the world
Eldorado
Say goodbye the city's heroes sing
Bird on the wind,
Feel, feel so free
Through the life upon the rooftop
haze,
All the cheating and the broken days,
So through it all I see,
There's nothing left for me.
And I will stay, I'll not be back,
Eldorado,
I will be free, of the world
Eldorado
Sitting here on top of everywhere,
What do I care,
Days never end.
I know the voyage's end will soon
be here,
No eternal life is here for me,
And now I found the key,
To the eternal dream.
Then I will stay, I'll not be back,
Eldorado.
I will be free, of the world,
Eldorado
The song Eldorado by Fleming & John is a deep and introspective exploration of the search for meaning and purpose in life. The lyrics describe a protagonist who is on a journey to find eternal life and is willing to set sail on a voyage of no return to discover the key that unlocks the eternal dream. The painted ladies of Avalon and the chills of cold in the north represent the ups and downs, the highs and lows of life, while the place in between - where one can close their eyes - represents a sort of respite or a moment of calm amidst the chaos.
The chorus of the song is where the singer declares their ultimate decision to stay and not return from Eldorado, the symbol of ultimate freedom and release from the world. The city's heroes singing and the feeling of flying like a bird on the wind conjure up images of a transcendental experience, something akin to enlightenment or epiphany. Finally, the singer accepts the finite nature of life and the fact that there is no eternal life and embraces the present moment, finding the key to the eternal dream within themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Here it comes another lonely day.
Every day is lonely and uneventful.
Playing the game, I'll sail away
Trying to escape from reality through imagination and fantasy.
On a voyage of no return to see
Venturing into unknown territories with no guaranteed outcome.
If eternal life is meant to be,
Exploring the possibility of there being a life beyond death.
And if I find the key, to the eternal dream.
If successful in finding eternal life, it would be a dream come true.
The painted ladies of the Avalon.
The women of the beautiful land of Avalon.
Play in the sun, take to the road
Enjoying life by being carefree and travelling.
To the north there lies the chills of cold,
The north is a cold, harsh and uninviting place to be.
To the south there lies, the tales untold,
The south is full of unknown stories waiting to be discovered.
But in between their lies, the place to close your eyes.
The place in between is peaceful and perfect for relaxation.
And I will stay, I'll not be back, Eldorado,
Deciding to stay in the peaceful place forever and never return to the real world.
I will be free, of the world Eldorado
Being free from the harsh realities of life by staying in the magical land of Eldorado.
Say goodbye the city's heroes sing
Farewells being sung by the heroes of the city.
Bird on the wind,
A bird flying freely with the wind.
Feel, feel so free
Feeling unrestrained and completely free.
Through the life upon the rooftop haze,
Looking down on the city with a hazy view from atop a building.
All the cheating and the broken days,
The unhappy moments of life filled with lies and deception.
So through it all I see,
Despite everything, able to recognize the true value of life.
There's nothing left for me.
Everything has lost its significance and meaning.
Sitting here on top of everywhere,
Sitting atop the world and feeling its vastness.
What do I care,
Nothing else matters and nothing can disturb the peaceful state of mind.
Days never end.
Time has stopped and the peaceful state of mind is eternal.
I know the voyage's end will soon be here,
Aware that the journey of life will soon be over.
No eternal life is here for me,
The sad realization that there's no afterlife and this life is all there is.
And now I found the key, To the eternal dream.
Finally realizing the true value of life and living in it to the fullest.
Then I will stay, I'll not be back, Eldorado.
Deciding to live in the present moment and not return to the hustle and bustle of the real world.
I will be free, of the world, Eldorado
Free from the worries and stress of living in the real world by staying in the magical land of Eldorado.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JEFF LYNNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind