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!
When Dolphins Cry
Live Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Reminds me of that night
God laid me down into your rose garden of trust
And I was swept away
With nothin' left to say
Some helpless fool
Yeah I was lost in a swoon of peace
You're all I need to find
Come to me sweetly, come to me
Come to me
Love will lead us, alright
Love will lead us, she will lead us
Can you hear the dolphin's cry?
See the road rise up to meet us
It's in the air we breathe tonight
Love will lead us, she will lead us
Oh yeah, we meet again
It's like we never left
Time in between was just a dream
Did we leave this place?
This crazy fog surrounds me
You wrap your legs around me
All I can do to try and breathe
Let me breathe so that I
So we can go together!
Love will lead us, alright
Love will lead us, she will lead us
Can you hear the dolphin's cry?
See the road rise up to meet us
It's in the air we breathe tonight
Love will lead us, she will lead us
Life is like a shooting star
It don't matter who you are
If you only run for cover, it's just a waste of time
We are lost 'til we are found
This phoenix rises up from the ground
And all these wars are over
Over
Over
Singin' la da da, da da da
Over
Come to me
Singin' la da da da, da da da
Come to me
"When Dolphins Cry" by Live is a song about the power of love to overcome all obstacles. The lyrics describe a deep connection between two individuals who are meant to be together. The singer speaks of being swept away by their lover's aura and the sense of calmness that overtakes him. He expresses the belief that love will lead them, and encourages his partner to come to him when the time is right. The song also speaks of the eternal quality of love, and how it can overcome all challenges, even the destruction and chaos of war. In the end, the song is about the transformative power of love, and how it can change lives and even change the course of history.
The image of dolphins is a recurring theme throughout the song, and it is used to symbolize the power of love. Dolphins are known for their intelligence, friendliness, and their ability to navigate the vast ocean with grace and ease. The singer asks if we can hear the dolphins cry, a metaphor for the power of love and for the ways in which love can lead us through the challenges of life. The song's message is ultimately one of hope and renewal, and it encourages us to embrace love as a force for change and transformation in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
The way you're bathed in light
The way the light falls on you, reminds me of a night when I let myself be vulnerable and found myself in your safe and trustworthy presence.
Reminds me of that night
The way the light falls on you in this moment, reminds me of a past night when I was vulnerable and found safety in your trustworthy presence.
God laid me down into your rose garden of trust
That night was so special, as if God himself laid me into your protective and nurturing garden of trust, where I felt safe and unconditionally supported.
And I was swept away
I was overwhelmed with emotions, feelings, and sensations that took me away from my conscious mind and left me feeling entranced and hypnotized.
With nothin' left to say
I had no words to describe my feelings, as they were beyond words and rational explanations.
Some helpless fool
I felt helpless, vulnerable, and exposed, like a fool who had no control over his emotions and had to surrender to them.
Yeah I was lost in a swoon of peace
I was completely immersed in a state of peace, calmness, and tranquility that I had never experienced before, and I lost myself in that sublime feeling.
You're all I need to find
You are the only one who can help me find my true self, my purpose, my place in this world, and my inner peace.
So when the time is right
Whenever you feel ready, whenever the circumstances allow it, whenever the universe aligns it, please come to me, and let me find myself in your presence once again.
Come to me sweetly, come to me
Come to me with tenderness, grace, and love, and let me feel your warmth, your light, and your embrace that have been missing in my life.
Love will lead us, alright
Love is the guiding force that will lead us to our destiny, our happiness, and our fulfillment, and we can trust it to show us the way.
Love will lead us, she will lead us
Love is feminine, nurturing, and caring, and it will lead us to the places where our souls belong, and where we can find joy, peace, and love.
Can you hear the dolphin's cry?
Can you feel the depths of your own heart, the call of your own soul, and the yearning of your own spirit to connect with the divine, the mystical, and the enchanting forces of nature?
See the road rise up to meet us
We can see the signs, the omens, the messages, and the opportunities that the universe is offering us, and we can trust that the path we are meant to take is unfolding and revealing itself to us.
It's in the air we breathe tonight
There is a magical, mystical, and transformative energy in the air tonight, and we can feel it in our bones, our breath, and our beings.
Oh yeah, we meet again
We have met before, in another time, another place, another life, and we recognize each other's souls, even when our minds and bodies forget.
It's like we never left
Even though we may have been apart physically, emotionally, or spiritually, our souls have always been connected, and it feels like we never truly left each other.
Time in between was just a dream
The time that separated us was like a dream, a blur, a haze, that didn't matter in the grand scheme of things, as our souls have always been together and will always be together.
Did we leave this place?
It feels like we are still in the same place, the same moment, the same feeling, and we wonder if we have ever left this place of love, trust, and connection.
This crazy fog surrounds me
We may feel confused, disoriented, and lost at times, as if we are surrounded by a fog that clouds our vision and our judgment.
You wrap your legs around me
You cling to me, embrace me, and hold me tight, like a lover, a friend, and a comforter, who won't let me go no matter what happens.
All I can do to try and breathe
Your presence overwhelms me, and I struggle to breathe, to speak, to think, as if I am under water, in a dream, or in a trance.
Let me breathe so that I
Give me some space, some air, some time to collect myself, to regain my bearings, and to come back to my senses.
So we can go together!
Let us go together, into this unknown, this adventure, this journey that awaits us, and let us hold hands, hearts, and souls, and trust that love will lead us, always.
Life is like a shooting star
Life is fleeting, unpredictable, and beautiful, like a shooting star that blazes across the sky and reminds us of the preciousness of every moment.
It don't matter who you are
No matter who you are, what you do, where you come from, or what you believe in, you are worthy of love, respect, and compassion, and your life matters.
If you only run for cover, it's just a waste of time
If you spend your life running away from your fears, your doubts, and your pain, you will never find peace, happiness, or fulfillment, and you will only waste your time and your energy.
We are lost 'til we are found
We all feel lost, confused, and uncertain at times, but we can find our way back to ourselves, to our truth, and to our purpose, by seeking love, connection, and meaning.
This phoenix rises up from the ground
Like a phoenix that rises from its ashes, we can rise from our struggles, our pains, and our failures, and we can be reborn, transformed, and renewed, into a better version of ourselves.
And all these wars are over
All the wars, the conflicts, the divisions, and the struggles that we face in our lives, are over, when we find love, peace, and harmony within ourselves, and with the world around us.
Singin' la da da, da da da
We sing, we dance, we laugh, and we celebrate life, even in the midst of its challenges, its complexities, and its mysteries.
Come to me
We invite, we beckon, and we welcome love, connection, and growth, into our lives, into our hearts, and into our souls.
Singin' la da da da, da da da
We sing, we chant, and we repeat the words that express our deepest longings, our highest aspirations, and our purest desires.
Come to me
We call out, we whisper, and we pray, for love, for grace, for hope, and for peace, to come and bless our lives, our world, and our humanity.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHAD ALAN GRACEY, CHAD DAVID TAYLOR, EDWARD JOEL KOWALCZYK, PATRICK DAHLHEIMER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@suzys937
Bring back he 90’s in every sense, I miss everything about it
@colincable6127
Me too. Now its 2024
@DirtyDog22
I have the same thought once a week
@kathleenhenry5830
One of the most underrated voices in music. This man pierces your soul. The drummer is magic.
@Nickbragg97129
One of the greatest songs ever written and recorded. I listened to Live in the 90s and I still listen to them in 2024. Great music never dies!
@marialehew5268
These kind of songs need to come back. Please PLEASE 90s come back. With everything coming back this music needs to
@smokeydaze4331
It's 2020, and I still believe this is one of the best, most underrated rock bands in history!!
@MRSorroySaRMMRSorroySaRM
😀😭
@georgehatzi-michael9036
And CREED Also !
@dickpful
one of my favorites