Hailing from York, Pennsylvania, the group is comprised of Ed Kowalczyk (lead vocals & guitar), Chad Taylor (lead guitar), Patrick Dahlheimer (bass) and Chad Gracey (drums). Since approximately 1999, Live has toured with Ed’s younger brother, Adam Kowalczyk as a rhythm guitarist, and, previously, British keyboardist Michael “Railo” Railton.
Kowalczyk, Taylor, Dahlheimer, and Gracey first came together for a middle-school talent show in the Pennsylvania blue-collar town of York. The group remained together throughout high school, going through a handful of band names and new-wave covers before settling on the moniker Public Affection and recording a self-released cassette of originals, The Death of a Dictionary, in 1989. Frequent trips into New York to play at CBGB helped net the band a deal with Radioactive Records in 1991. With the new name Live, the band entered the studio with former Talking Heads keyboardist Jerry Harrison that year and began recording the EP Four Songs. The single “Operation spirit (the tyranny of tradition)” went to #9 on the Modern Rock chart, and paved the way for the band’s Harrison-produced, full-length debut, 1991’s Mental Jewelry (#73). The album lyrics, penned by Kowalczyk, were heavily inspired by Indian guru Jiddu Krishnamurti.
Fueled by heavy touring (including billing at Woodstock ‘94 and Peter Gabriel’s WOMAD tour) and a string of hit singles (“I Alone”, “All Over You” and the #1 Modern Rock hits “Selling the drama” and “Lightning crashes”), their next album, Throwing Copper, went to #1 in 1994. It is their best-selling, and often most highly regarded by fans and critics, album to date. The band was even asked to perform on Saturday Night Live where they performed their hits “I Alone” and “Selling the Drama” and to this day, they are the only band to receive a standing ovation at the party after the broadcast.[citation needed]
The momentum continued long enough to help 1997’s Secret Samadhi (coproduced by the band and Jay Healey) debut at #1. Deriving its name from a state of Hindu meditation, the album spawned four Modern Rock hit singles, but failed to match its predecessor’s success, with sales topping off at 2 million. The band performed “lakini’s juice” and “Heropsychodreamer” from this album on NBC’s Saturday Night Live.
Harrison came back on board as coproducer for 1999’s The Distance to Here, which debuted at #4 and featured the minor US hit single “The Dolphin’s Cry.”
In September 2001, the more experimental V (originally scheduled to be titled “Ecstatic Fanatic”) was issued to mixed reviews, preceded by “Simple creed” as the first single. However, with the events of 9/11—which occurred a week before V ‘s release—the melancholic “Overcome” began receiving significant airplay, superseding “Simple Creed” and becoming V’s selling point. Unfortunately, Live’s commercial stock—compounded by their petering radio airplay—had fallen further since The Distance to Here, with V merely reaching #22 at home, failing to reach gold status.
Birds of Pray appeared in May 2003, bolstered by the unexpected success of “Heaven”, Live’s first US Hot 100-placing since “The Dolphin’s Cry.” Reaching #28, Birds of Pray ultimately outsold V, although it too received mixed reviews and failed to reach gold status.
In November 2004, Live released Awake: The Best of Live, a career-spanning compilation that included “We deal in dreams”, a previously unreleased song from the Throwing Copper sessions, and a cover of Johnny Cash’s “I Walk The Line”, as well as Birds of Pray’s “Run Away”, re-imagined with Shelby Lynne on co-lead vocals.
In 2005, Live signed with Sony BMG Music Entertainment’s Epic label, and released a new album entitled Songs From Black Mountain in June 2006, preceded by “The river” as lead single. Thus far, while the album has achieved international success, it has proven Live’s lowest-seller yet domestically, only reaching #52 in the US before quickly disappearing from the charts.
While Live remain only moderately popular in terms of record sales in the United States, much of their current sales come from places in Europe, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Ed Kowalczyk has said that “Holland is the center of the Live universe” [citation needed].
The group made news in January 2006 as three band members (Chad Taylor, Patrick Dahlheimer and touring rhythm guitar Adam Kowalczyk) and two members of the band’s road crew were on a United Airlines flight when smoke filled the cabin, requiring the pilot to make an emergency landing.
On season 5 of American Idol, finalist Chris Daughtry was accused of performing Live’s rendition of Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line” and calling it his own. This angered some Live fans, but one week later Daughtry acknowledged it was not his own rendition, even saying Live was one of his favorite bands. In May 2006, Live appeared on The Howard Stern Show and addressed this issue.
On May 24, 2006, the band and Chris Daughtry performed “Mystery” on the season finale of American Idol, and on June 7, a new version of “Mystery” was released on the Friends of Live website featuring Chris Daughtry on guest vocals.
The members of Live announced in June 2009 that the band would be taking a two-year hiatus as they work on other projects. On November 30, 2009, guitarist Chad Taylor confirmed that the hiatus of the band was most likely a permanent rift. See the Wikipedia page for more. During the first European tour of the new band of Taylor, Gracey and Dahlheimer (The Gracious Few), Taylor commented both on stage and in post-show discussions that he believes Live may still come back together, though he also stated that the chances of Kowalczyk joining them in this effort may be very small. In an exclusive blogpost[1] on website The Comet, Taylor confirmed that the remaining members of the band would be working on new material for Live in Nashville early July 2011.
The band returned from their nearly three-year hiatus on March 12, 2012, with Chris Shinn, formerly of Unified Theory, as their new lead singer. The new line-up performed before an invited audience at the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center in York. The band performed as a six-piece with The Gracious Few's Sean Hennesy on guitar and Alexander Lefever on keyboards
[1]: http://thecomet.com/posts/exclusive_blog_chad_taylor_talks_the_gracious_few_and_live
There's another band with the same name:
2. Live was a 70s-era Progressive Rock group from Germany. Formed in 1971, the outfit appeared to be a strangely named band indeed.
In October 1972 their guitarist Martin Knaden went to Curly Curve. Throughout their history only one member has remained, the multi-talented keyboards and flute player Norbert Aufmhof. Although in existence for a decade Live never got to record a proper studio album, or gain a contract, which surely they should have. Maybe the band name was a bit of a jinx?!
Their earlier history was originally just documented by a single. Only more recently did an LP surface collecting 1974 recordings. Quite obviously a collection of rehearsal session tapes, the LP reveals a band with promise albeit rather grottily recorded with often barely understandable muffled lyrics in English. Musically, there are nods to early Satin Whale and Jane, but with lots of classical touches, notably Grieg and Bach, and a penchant to meander rather nicely during the instrumentals.
Based on the ROCK OFFERS track "Sea Fever", they had blossomed and changed focus somewhat, as a much more sophisticated symphonic progressive of the Pancake and Jane type, typical of the mid/late-1970's.
In all, during their history, three different versions of Live existed, but eventually the band split in 1976. A full history of the band is included in the GEVELSBERG CD, which documents other oddments, sessions, and a live recording!
Run To The Water
Live Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh woman of the earth
Maker of children who weep for love
Maker of this birth
'Til your deepest secrets are known to me
I will not be moved
I will not be moved
When there ain't no question here
Brother let your heart be wounded
And give no mercy to your fear"
Adam and eve live down the street from
Me
Babylon is every town
It's as crazy as it's ever been
Love's a stranger all around
In a moment we lost our minds here
And lay our spirit down
Today we lived a thousand years
All we have is now
Run to the water
And find me there
Burnt to the core but not broken
We'll cut through the madness
Of these streets below the moon
These streets below the moon
And I will never leave you
'Til we can say, "this world was just a
Dream
We were sleepin' now we are awake"
'Til we can say
In a moment we lost our minds here
And dreamt the world was round
A million mile fall from grace
Thank god we missed the ground
Run to the water
And find me there
Burnt to the core but not broken
We'll cut through the madness
Of these streets below the moon
With a nuclear fire of love in our hearts
Yeah, I can see it now lord
Out beyond all the breakin' of waves
And the tribulation
It's a place and the home of ascended
Souls
Who swam out there in love!
Run to the water
And find me there
Burnt to the core but not broken
We'll cut through the madness
Of these streets below the moon
With a nuclear fire of love in our hearts
Rest easy baby, rest easy
And recognize it all as light and rainbows
Smashed to smithereens and be happy
Run to the water (and find me there)
Run to the water
The song begins with the plea, "Oh desert speak to my heart, oh woman of the earth, maker of children who weep for love, maker of this birth". The singer is calling on the desert to speak to his heart and referring to it as a woman, the maker of children who weep for love. The metaphorical connection here is that just like the desert, love can be both beautiful and painful. The singer then professes that they will not be moved until the deepest secrets of the desert are known to them.
The chorus of the song urges for action: "Run to the water and find me there, burnt to the core but not broken, we'll cut through the madness of these streets below the moon". The singer is calling for an escape from the chaos of everyday life and encourages the listener to join them. The final verse's opening line echoes the first, "In a moment we lost our minds here, and dreamed the world was round". The singer implies that we are all lost and dreaming, until we "run to the water" and shed our fears and concerns.
Overall, "Run to the Water" is a song about the search for solace and clarity amidst confusion and pain. It speaks to the desire to break away from the chaos of everyday life and seek out a simpler, more meaningful existence.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh desert speak to my heart
I am asking the desert to speak to my heart to connect me to nature and the universe.
Oh woman of the earth
I am referencing the mother earth and embodying femininity as a symbol of nurturing and caring.
Maker of children who weep for love
Mother earth gives birth to all living things, including those who experience sadness and love.
Maker of this birth
Mother earth is the creator of all life and birth on this planet.
'Til your deepest secrets are known to me
I am determined to keep exploring the mysteries of the earth and the universe until I know every secret she holds.
I will not be moved
I am telling the listener that I will not be shaken from my pursuit of knowledge and the connection to the earth.
Don't try to find the answer
I am advising the listener not to seek answers where there are none or try to control the mysteries of the universe.
When there ain't no question here
I am suggesting that sometimes there are no answers to be found and that we should accept this as a part of life.
Brother let your heart be wounded
I am encouraging the listener to open their heart and experience emotions, even when it hurts.
And give no mercy to your fear
I am urging the listener to not let fear hold them back and to confront it head-on.
Adam and Eve live down the street from me
I am comparing the present day to the Garden of Eden, suggesting that the world is just as corrupted and misguided as it was in ancient times.
Babylon is every town
I am using Babylon, a symbol of a corrupt society, to describe the state of every town.
It's as crazy as it's ever been
I am pointing out that the world is still a chaotic and confusing place, just as it has always been.
Love's a stranger all around
I am acknowledging that love can be elusive and difficult to find in the world we live in.
In a moment we lost our minds here
I am describing a moment of confusion and chaos that can happen in life.
And lay our spirit down
I am suggesting that this confusion and chaos can compromise our spirit and weaken us.
Today we lived a thousand years
I am pointing out that one day can feel like a lifetime when we are living in the moment.
All we have is now
I am reminding the listener that the present moment is all we have and that we should cherish it.
And I will never leave you
I am offering support and companionship to the listener, suggesting that they are not alone in this world.
'Til we can say, "this world was just a Dream
I am hoping that one day we will be able to see that the world is an illusion and that we are all connected in the eternal universe.
We were sleepin' now we are awake
I am suggesting that we are currently asleep to the reality of the universe and that one day we will wake up to the truth.
And dreamt the world was round
I am referencing the idea that at one point in history, people did not believe that the world was round, suggesting that we are still learning and evolving as a society.
A million mile fall from grace
I am referencing the fall of humanity from grace, which can be a metaphor for a loss of innocence, purity, or spiritual connection.
Thank god we missed the ground
I am suggesting that humanity did not hit rock bottom, and that we still have a chance to get back up and reconnect with the divine.
And recognize it all as light and rainbows
I am suggesting that the listener look for beauty and positivity in the world.
Smashed to smithereens and be happy
I am suggesting that the listener find happiness even in the face of destruction and chaos.
Rest easy baby, rest easy
I am suggesting to the listener to calm down and relax in the face of adversity.
With a nuclear fire of love in our hearts
I am suggesting that the power of love can overcome all obstacles and bring us together as a society.
Yeah, I can see it now lord
I am expressing confidence and optimism about the future.
Out beyond all the breakin' of waves
I am referencing the idea of the unknown and the vastness of the universe.
And the tribulation
I am referencing the struggles and difficulties we face in life.
It's a place and the home of ascended Souls
I am referencing the idea of an afterlife or a divine realm where enlightened souls reside.
Who swam out there in love!
I am suggesting that love is the key to enlightenment and that it can lead us to a greater understanding of the universe.
Run to the water
I am advocating that the listener seek out the secrets of the universe.
And find me there
I am offering support and companionship to the listener in their quest for knowledge.
Burnt to the core but not broken
I am suggesting that the listener may face hardship and pain, but they will come out stronger in the end.
We'll cut through the madness
I am suggesting that we can rise above the chaos and confusion of the world through our pursuit of knowledge and love.
Of these streets below the moon
I am referencing the mundane and everyday world that we live in.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Edward Joel Kowalczyk, Chad David Taylor, Chad Alan Gracey, Patrick Michael Dahlheimer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mizzoupatriot8814
Ed Kowalczyk is one of the most underrated rock vocalists of all time by far. True fans on the other hand, we know he's a legend. Such a badass, powerful, unique voice and the band is top notch.
@calvinhobbes7504
Don't forget lyricist too ... in my library of music, he's one of the best. :)
@valerieblackthorn2792
Totally agree. I have known thousands of Rock and Metal bands of any kind. Nothing can be compared to the classic voices.
@The_Modeling_Underdog
Too deep for the mainstream listener, too lyric for the average translator of meaning in music, too detached from the painted canvas stage music turned into, decades ago.
I still treasure the few cds I own of the band. They're pure gold. No easy listening there. They demand full commitment. And reward you for it.
Cheers, lads.
@MrJeremytpage
Agreed. I think the reason they weren’t more popular is try googling live albums or live concerts. You can find them, but only if you know what you are searching for.
Another really good vocalist and lyricists is Vast. I wish more people knew them as well. Jon Crosby has a heart of gold.
@bastette5475
Yes to both bands!
Which album is this song on?
@21Rushisaband12
This is probably one of the best songs in the world, no exaggeration.. It is recorded so crisp and clear, their playing is fantastic, the chord progressions used and how its layered w/vocals, build up to the solo is fantastic, the modulation after the solo just adds to the epicness, Ed's singing is absolutely superb, the lyrics are beautiful. Its a song that after 4 minutes and 40 seconds you take your iPod back out and skip back just so you can listen to it again... This song is a masterpiece
@senadinfaze
Many of their songs are masterpieces. I'm glad people recognize the fantastic production this band had.👍
@kryptokenty
Well said, I can't wait to see them live.
@ntokozopholobajunior3492
Indeed it is.