Love Spirals Downwards was begun by multi-instrumentalist Ryan Lum and then-girlfriend Suzanne Perry. In 1991, Lum and Perry recorded a demo, which led to a contract with Projekt Records. Over its 8-year history, the band released four full-length albums, a career retrospective, and a CD single, selling (by their own account) in excess of 40,000 CDs. They were also included on over two dozen various artist compilations, including the Heavenly Voices series released by the German label Hyperium.
Perry's sister Kristen collaborated with Lum on two tracks for the 1998 album, Flux. One of her songs, "Psyche ," was used on episode #501 of Dawson’s Creek, originally airing on 10/10/2001. This episode is included on the Season 5 DVD set.
Jennifer Wilde (then working under her maiden name, Jennifer Ryan Fuller) collaborated with Lum and Perry on two tracks for Love Spirals Downwards' 1994 second release, Ardor. Her vocals from one of these songs, "Sunset Bell," were reused for a new version of the song 4 years later on the band's album, Flux. Wilde went on to form her own band, Liquid State, in January 2006.
Although the band never officially broke up, in 1999 Lum began releasing music under the shortened moniker, Lovespirals, featuring new vocal collaborator, Anji Bee. In January 2000, the Love Spirals Downwards career retrospective CD, Temporal, was released by Projekt with no indication of the duo's split.
Soon after the 2002 release of Lovespirals' first full-length album, Windblown Kiss, Projekt announced that Perry would release an EP under the band name, Melodyguild. Though recorded in 2003, the band's debut EP, Aitu, wasn't released until mid-2008. Perry has since collaborated with Falling You on material released in 2006 and 2008.
In 2007 Projekt re-released the first two Love Spirals Downwards albums remastered by Ryan Lum with additional tracks included in newly designed digipacs.
Psyche
Love Spirals Downwards Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In this field dark and bleak
Eros holds the keys I seek
Psyche's tasks to complete
I loved him blindly
Never saw his face by day
I loved him nightly
From my lips Venus fountains drip
Bitter-sweetness
Eden howls behind garden walls
Reed pipes for wantoness
I held the lamp
Suspicion beheld me his face
I held the lamp
My lover flew away
I loved him blindly
Never saw his face by day
I loved him nightly
Aphrodite
In the shadows of passion's throws
Love's harvest seemed so cruel
Black rivers cross beauty's domain
Mortal world you begin to fade
I loved him blindly
Never saw his face by day
I loved him nightly
My lover flew away
I loved him blindly
Never saw his face by day
I loved him nightly
Aphrodite
The opening stanza of "Psyche" by Love Spirals Downwards, a now-defunct ethereal wave group from the 1990s, sets the scene for this song that is partially based on the Greek myth of Psyche and Eros. The singer, seemingly Psyche herself, is working in a field where she reaps barley, corn, and wheat. She is guided by Eros, whom she wants to meet face-to-face, but in order to do so, she must complete various challenging tasks. The tone of the song is dark and mournful, with a gothic/ethereal feel to it.
In the following stanza, we hear more about Psyche's love for Eros. She loved him blindly, only able to see him by night, but never by day. She is trapped by her love and can't escape from his grip, which is embodied by her tasks that she has to complete. The namedropping of "Aphrodite," the goddess of love, suggests that Psyche's relationship with Eros has immortal elements, which leads us to the darker aspects of the song's lyrics. Psyche's obsession with Eros has made her lose her sense of self, and she has only bitterness and sweetness to offer, which could be interpreted as love and pain.
The third stanza concludes with Psyche standing alone, betrayed by Eros, who flees from her. The lyrics show a dramatic development here, as the tone shifts from mournful to angry. The image of holding a lamp becomes central as Psyche's suspicion reveals Eros's face, perhaps for the first time. It is clear now that it is the end of their love story, a tragic one where Psyche is left behind. The song ends with a repetition of the earlier stanzas, and the realization that her lover has left her.
Line by Line Meaning
Here I reap barley, corn and wheat
I am working hard in this desolate and dark field, growing crops like barley, corn, and wheat.
Eros holds the keys I seek
I am seeking the keys to unlocking my heart, and Eros (the Greek god of desire) has them.
Psyche's tasks to complete
I have been tasked by Psyche (a goddess in Greek mythology) to complete certain tasks.
I loved him blindly
I was in love with someone and didn't see their true nature or intentions.
Never saw his face by day
I only knew this person in the darkness or in my dreams.
I loved him nightly
My love for this person was only present at night, when I could dream of them.
Aphrodite
This person or my love for them was like Aphrodite (the Greek goddess of love and beauty).
From my lips Venus fountains drip
I am expressing my love in a passionate, overflowing manner, like the fountains of Venus (another name for Aphrodite).
Bitter-sweetness
My love carries both joy and pain, like the taste of bittersweet chocolate.
Eden howls behind garden walls
There is a sense of desire and longing in me, akin to Adam and Eve's expulsion from the Garden of Eden.
Reed pipes for wantoness
I am indulging in wanton behavior, like someone playing reed pipes to entice others.
I held the lamp
I am holding a lamp, which symbolizes the light of truth.
Suspicion beheld me his face
I have come to realize that my lover was not who they seemed, and my suspicions were confirmed when I saw their face.
My lover flew away
After discovering the truth, my lover fled and left me alone.
In the shadows of passion's throws
My passionate love has cast shadows and brought on challenges.
Love's harvest seemed so cruel
The results of my love are painful and harsh, like a cruel harvest.
Black rivers cross beauty's domain
Darkness and despair have infiltrated the realm of beauty and love.
Mortal world you begin to fade
My attachment to the mortal world is slipping away, as I experience something beyond it.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind