Born on 9th March 1942 in Garnant, Wales, Cale spoke only Welsh until the age of seven, when he began to learn English at school. He went on to study viola at Goldsmiths College, University of London, where he became involved in avant garde music. He traveled to the U.S. to continue his studies, thanks to the help and influence of Aaron Copland, and met and worked with various avant-garde composers, including John Cage, while becoming fascinated with the new Anglo-American art movements.
In 1965, he co-founded the Velvet Underground with Lou Reed. Though best known for his work with the band, Cale has produced a massive body of work that ranges from tastefully arranged strings and piano over Dylan Thomas poetry to barely-suppressed, nigh-psychotic aggression set to high-energy avant-garde rock. Cale's style is almost impossible to pin down, as almost every album contains new experiments and influences. He is also well known as the producer of such works as the debuts of The Stooges, The Modern Lovers, and Patti Smith (the critically acclaimed 'Horses'). He also played a major role in Nico's 'The Marble Index'.
He's released some compilation works such as 'Seducing Down the Door: A Collection 1970-1990' that attempt to show the range and depth of his music. Cale was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as member of the Velvet Underground in 1996, and he was also appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2010. As the years have gone by, he's had a wide variety of tours, additionally dealing with his own personal demons.
Wasteland
John Cale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
a wasteland
The soil is
cold and damp
Volcanoes in
the distance
Riverbeds run dry
hold me
in the dark
A black sea
a wind blows
The dinosaurs
are gone
Gave up the
ghost of yesteryear
Nothing could
be done
you comfort me
hold me
in the dark
In John Cale's Wasteland, the listener is taken on a very bleak and haunting journey through a barren and seemingly desolate landscape. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a world that has been destroyed by some unknown cataclysm; a ruined land where volcanoes speckle the horizon, areas that were once rivers now barren and dry, with cold and damp soil underfoot. The chorus brings some measure of solace, as Cale sings about someone clinging to another in the dark.
While the subject matter is undoubtedly bleak, there is a sense of comfort and human connection found within Wasteland. It seems to suggest that no matter how lonely, barren, or devastated a world might be, there is always the possibility of finding solace in the arms of a loved one. Many interpretations of the lyrics have been offered over the years, with some suggesting that the song could be about dealing with the aftermath of nuclear war or global warming - but perhaps the true meaning lies in the beauty of human connection itself and the comfort that it can provide, even in the face of annihilation.
Line by Line Meaning
We're living in
We are currently residing in
a wasteland
a barren and desolate landscape with no life
The soil is
The ground is composed of
cold and damp
having low temperature and excessive moisture content
Volcanoes in
A mountain or hill that has a crater or vent through which lava, gas, and rock fragments erupt
the distance
far off in the horizon
Riverbeds run dry
The watercourses have dried up
You comfort me
You console me in my time of need
hold me
embracing me gently
in the dark
when there is no light present
A black sea
A vast, dark, and deep body of water
a wind blows
a stream of air that moves objects along its path
The dinosaurs
Extinct reptilian creatures that lived millions of years ago
are gone
no longer in existence
Gave up the
ceased existing or perished
ghost of yesteryear
the remnants or memories from a past time that no longer exists
Nothing could
There was no way that
be done
any action taken would not change the current situation
Contributed by Emily M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.