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!
They Stood Up For Love
Live Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
veins
electric nerves communicate
with tiny explosions through our brains
who is this energy that never left or
came?
give rise to passion the only glory
of this human story
I give my heart and soul to the one
we spend all of our lives goin' out of our
minds
looking back to our birth forward to our
demise
even scientists say everything is just
light
not created, destroyed but eternally
bright
masters in everytime lord in everyplace
those who stood up for love down in spite
of the hate
in spite of the hate
who put the flower in the barrel of that
gun?
who lit the candle that started the fire,
burnt down the fortress, the throne?
who could house all the refugees in a
single shack
or a lowly bungalow?
who lives in a different dimension, free
from the
struggles we know?
I give my heart and soul to the one
we spend all of our lives goin' out of our
minds
looking back to our birth, forward to our
demise
even scientists say, everything is just
light
not created, destroyed but eternally
bright
masters in everytime lord in everyplace
those who stood up for love down in spite
of the hate
we spend all of our lives goin' out of our
minds
they live in the light
we made it to the moon
but we can't make it home
waitin' on a rescue that never comes
made it to the moon
but we can't make it home
maybe home is where the heart is given
up
to the one
to the one
we spend all of our lives goin' out of our
minds
lookin' back to our birth, forward to our
demise
we spend all of our lives goin' out of our
minds
they live, they
they stood up for love
stood up for love
stood up for love
they stood up for love
stood up for love
stood up for love
we spend all of our lives goin' out of our
minds
masters in everytime
we spend all of our lives goin' out of our
minds
stood up for love
The lyrics to Live's song "They Stood Up For Love" explore the themes of human connection, passion, and perseverance in the face of hate and struggle. The opening lines describe the physical sensation of being in love, with "naked lovers [feeling] the blood beneath their veins" and "electric nerves communicat[ing] with tiny explosions through our brains." The singer questions the source of this energy, wondering "who is this energy that never left or came?" and suggests that passion is the only "glory" of the human story.
The second verse shifts the focus to the broader struggles of humanity, with references to war, refugees, and the search for a sense of purpose or belonging ("maybe home is where the heart is given up to the one"). The bridge asserts that "those who stood up for love down in spite of the hate" are the true "masters in every time, lord in every place." The catchy chorus repeats the title phrase, "they stood up for love," emphasizing the importance of standing up for what one believes in and connecting with others in a meaningful way.
Line by Line Meaning
naked lovers feel the blood beneath their veins
Two people in love feel the physical sensation of their hearts beating in unison.
electric nerves communicate with tiny explosions through our brains
Our nervous system is wired to respond to the electricity generated by our thoughts, feelings, and actions.
who is this energy that never left or came?
The force that animates our existence has always been and always will be present, regardless of where it came from.
give rise to passion the only glory of this human story
The one thing that makes human life worth living is the intensity of emotions that we experience.
I give my heart and soul to the one
I offer all of my love, devotion, and energy to my beloved.
we spend all of our lives goin' out of our minds
Throughout our lives, we experience a range of emotions that can drive us to the brink of insanity.
looking back to our birth forward to our demise
We reflect on the origins and significance of our existence, while also accepting the inevitability of our eventual death.
even scientists say everything is just light
From the smallest subatomic particles to the largest cosmic bodies, everything in the universe is made up of different forms of light.
not created, destroyed but eternally bright
Light cannot be created or destroyed, but it is always radiating its radiant energy in the universe.
masters in everytime lord in everyplace
There are beings who have achieved mastery over time and space, transcending the limits of physical reality.
those who stood up for love down in spite of the hate
The noble souls who fight for love despite facing adversity and opposition.
who put the flower in the barrel of that gun?
Who was the person who performed the act of compassion amidst violence and conflict?
who lit the candle that started the fire, burnt down the fortress, the throne?
Who was the catalyst for change and revolution, inspiring others to unite against oppression?
who could house all the refugees in a single shack or a lowly bungalow?
Who possesses the generosity and hospitality to open their home and their heart to those in need?
who lives in a different dimension, free from the struggles we know?
Who lives beyond the constraints of earthly suffering and transcends to a higher plane of existence?
they live in the light
Those who are awakened to the truth live in a realm of clarity, insight, and brilliance.
we made it to the moon but we can't make it home
We have accomplished great feats of technological progress, yet we struggle to create a more just and equitable society for all.
waitin' on a rescue that never comes
We hope for a savior or a solution to our problems, yet we must take responsibility for our own actions and create change ourselves.
maybe home is where the heart is given up to the one
Perhaps true home is found when we surrender our hearts to our beloved and feel a sense of belonging in their embrace.
they stood up for love
They courageously fought for the power of love and the greater good.
stood up for love
They embodied the resilience, determination, and compassion required to stand firm in the face of adversity whenever love was at stake.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHAD ALAN GRACEY, CHAD DAVID TAYLOR, EDWARD JOEL KOWALCZYK, PATRICK DAHLHEIMER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind