Allen and Halliwell spent time in the USA with extended stays in New York and Louisiana in 1987. These stays led to a new vision of rock and roll. Soon they brought on Martyn Barker, another ex-Shrieker, to play drums and Dominic Miller to play guitar. Miller had spent time in the band World Party (and now is with Sting.). To round out the band, they recruited Walter Wray to be their lead singer.
Shortly after King Swamp's self-titled album release in May 1989, the press had much to say- Music Week called the album "a throbbing blast of molten rock from a band with London sass" ; Sounds noted that the album had "startling gravity....towering and volatile, and alive with primal energy"; and RAW judged it as "a blistering, caustic rock 'n' roll album.....King Swamp swathe into the jungle with the arrogance and certanty of missionaries" .
King Swamp's first single, "Is This Love?", reached number 21 on Billboard's Album Rock chart.
The band released two albums and nine singles & promo Cds before disbanding in 1991.
Wray later produced a solo album with Dominic Miller in 1993, who later went on to play with Sting.
King Swamp's albums:
King Swamp - self titled debut album
released in 1989
Tracks:
Is This Love?
Blown Away
Man Behind The Gun
Original Man
Widders Dump
Year Zero
The Mirror
Motherlode
Louisiana Bride
The Sacrament
Wiseblood - the second album
released in 1990
Tracks:
Wiseblood
One Step Over The Line
Floating World
Walk The Knife
Can't Be Satisfied
Nightfall Over Eden
Walk On Gilded Splinters
Some Kind Of Love
Kiss The Sun
Wiseblood (original mix)
Nightfall Over Eden
King Swamp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rock of ages,
We looked down on the
Country wide,
Red glow in the tree
Tops,
Cities burning from the
Changes
Coins in our eyes.
And it looked like
Nightfall Over Eden,
The hungry sky, the
Shifting sand,
Have stole the
Footprints,
Stilled the voice of
Reason,
Nightfall Over Eden,
Take my hand.
And the children all
Come running,
Got the sun in a box,
Got the moon on a
String,
But you poison the
Heartland,
Like you poison the
Dream,
In the days before the
Flood
We are children of the
Rain.
And it looked like
Nightfall Over Eden,
The hungry sky, the
Shifting sand,
Have stole the
Footprints,
Stilled the voice of
Reason,
Nightfall Over Eden,
Take my hand.
And the leaves fall
From the tree,
Falling gold till they
Cover me,
Cain built a city on the
Open plain
Now his heart is broke
And he wants to be
Home again.
Follow me down to the
Rock of ages,
Bring your car, your
Money and your
Clothes,
We'll stand naked as
The day we were born,
Then we fly like
Avenging angels
Down into the valley
Below.
And it looked like
Nightfall Over Eden,
The hungry sky, the
Shifting sand,
Have stole the
Footprints,
Stilled the voice of
Reason,
Nightfall Over Eden,
Take my hand
The lyrics of King Swamp's "Nightfall Over Eden" are highly poetic and deeply metaphorical, touching on themes of love, loss, beauty, destruction, and redemption. The song opens with a picture of the singer taking his beloved to the Rock of Ages, from where they can look down upon the country and witness the destruction that has befallen it. They see the red glow of burning cities, and the changes that have rendered the landscape unrecognizable. In a moment of intimacy, they both lie down and put coins in their eyes, symbolizing their willingness to let go of material things and open themselves up to deeper experiences.
The chorus of the song repeats the image of "Nightfall Over Eden," which seems to represent a state of darkness and confusion in which the natural order has been overturned. The sky is hungry and the sand is shifting, indicating a lack of stability and security. The voice of reason has been stilled, suggesting that people are acting out of desperation and fear rather than rationality and compassion. The singer urges someone to take his hand, perhaps his beloved or someone else who he sees as a kindred spirit in this time of turmoil.
The verse that follows expands on the idea of children coming to terms with the world they inherit. The imagery of having the sun in a box and the moon on a string suggests a desire to control or contain powerful forces, but the reality is that humanity has poisoned the heartland and the dream. The reference to being children of the rain is somewhat puzzling, but it could be interpreted as a recognition of the fact that everything in nature is interconnected and we are all subject to forces beyond our control.
The final verse brings the song back to the Rock of Ages and the theme of redemption. Cain, the biblical figure who killed his brother Abel, is said to have built a city on the open plain, but he now wants to go back home because his heart is broken. This could be read as a metaphor for anyone who has gone astray and is seeking a way back to a state of innocence and purity. The singer invites the listener to join him on this journey of self-discovery, promising that they will stand naked as the day they were born and then fly like avenging angels down into the valley below. The final repetition of the chorus is both haunting and hopeful, suggesting that even in the darkest of times there is a possibility of finding something beautiful and meaningful.
Line by Line Meaning
Took my love to the Rock of ages,
We went to a place that is timeless and unchanging.
We looked down on the Country wide,
We saw the vastness and diversity of the land from a high place.
Red glow in the tree Tops,
There was an ominous, fiery glow coming from the trees.
Cities burning from the Changes
The cities were on fire due to the consequences of changes happening.
We lay down, put the Coins in our eyes.
We closed our eyes and let our minds escape from reality.
And it looked like Nightfall Over Eden,
The world was on the brink of collapse and chaos.
The hungry sky, the Shifting sand,
The sky was dark and foreboding, and the ground beneath our feet was constantly changing.
Have stole the Footprints,
The evidence of our existence was slowly being erased.
Stilled the voice of Reason,
People could no longer think clearly or make rational decisions.
Nightfall Over Eden, Take my hand.
We need to stick together and face the darkness together.
And the children all Come running,
Despite the chaos, the children are still innocent and full of hope.
Got the sun in a box, Got the moon on a String,
The children are imaginative and believe they can control the world around them.
But you poison the Heartland, Like you poison the Dream,
The things that are supposed to give us life and hope are being destroyed from within.
In the days before the Flood We are children of the Rain.
We are living in a time of great disaster, and we must adapt to survive.
And the leaves fall From the tree, Falling gold till they Cover me,
As time passes, everything begins to decay and disappear.
Cain built a city on the Open plain Now his heart is broke And he wants to be Home again.
We try to build things that will last forever, but they are never truly permanent and can ultimately make us unhappy.
Follow me down to the Rock of ages,
Let's return to the place where we can find comfort and stability.
Bring your car, your Money and your Clothes,
We can't escape reality entirely and must bring our possessions along with us.
We'll stand naked as The day we were born,
We will strip away our material possessions and return to a state of pure humanity.
Then we fly like Avenging angels Down into the valley Below.
We will conquer our fears and descend into the unknown with power and grace.
And it looked like Nightfall Over Eden,
Even in times of hopelessness, there is still a glimmer of something transcendent and beautiful.
The hungry sky, the Shifting sand,
The world may be chaotic and shifting, but we can find meaning in participating and adapting.
Have stole the Footprints,
Life is ephemeral and we must leave our mark while we can.
Stilled the voice of Reason,
We must be courageous and speak out even when faced with the unknown and the scary.
Nightfall Over Eden, Take my hand.
We need to face the future with strength and courage, and take the hands of those around us.
Contributed by Natalie M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.