Leah Quimby left in May 2006. Various people filled in before they eventually settled as a duo comprised of original members Pete and Elisa. Julie Tomlinson was picked up in 2007 to handle keyboard and bass duties on tour. For the rest, read wikipedia.
Lately Ambrogio has been touring with Six Organs of Admittance as well as collaborating with Ben Chasny as 200 Years. Nolan has been playing as Spectre Folk as well as running his Arbitrary Signs label and playing drums live with Jandek.
Magik Markers plays in Veiko Õunpuu's feature film "The Temptation of St. Tony". We can hear and see them twice during the film.
Taste
Magik Markers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The stars for him are only coat lining
You cannot sweat a piebald horse and make it a steed
I cannot take your want and make it a need
They keep wasting you, wasting you
Just to get a taste you
They've been wasting you, wasting you
Ted saw a black man's lips
And a movie star's blond
He shook her little bobby sox
Until the thrill was gone, the thrill was gone
He had tasted her, tasted her
Smiled right into the base of her
He kept racing her, racing her
Stayed alive, outpacing her
Blue bore the quiet land the best that he could
He learned war was silent and he understood
The fleshy pages of women wet from the rain
The rising, flooding water, feeling no pain, feeling no pain
Alone waits in him, aches in him
Takes up more than it makes of him
Alone shakes in him, hates in him
Thrums in the subway gate of him
She gathered rocks and twigs up in her skirt
She got the tired, wired drugs to make her get hurt
She ordered nature to her design
She went to sleep and dreamed asleep and it felt more fine, it felt more fine
The drug banked on her, blanked for her
Never bowed to the rank in her
It low-sank in her, drank in her
Never bothered with thanking her
They keep wasting me, wasting me
Eating up more than a taste of me
This time shakes in me, takes of me
Uses up more than it makes of me
The song "Taste" by Magik Markers is a complex exploration of human desire and the ways in which it can be fulfilled or denied. The lyrics are enigmatic and poetic, drawing upon surreal imagery and unexpected phrasings to create a sense of ambiguity and mystery. Throughout the song, the singer grapples with themes of power, control, and identity, struggling to reconcile conflicting impulses and emotions.
The opening lines set the tone for the rest of the song, describing a solitary figure driving down a deserted highway with the stars as their only company. This sense of isolation and detachment is reinforced by the subsequent lines, which suggest a sense of futility in trying to transform something into what it is not ("You cannot sweat a piebald horse and make it a steed / I cannot take your want and make it a need"). This theme of unfulfilled desire is further explored in the chorus, which employs repetition and dissonant chords to create a sense of tension and unease.
The second and third verses introduce new characters and scenarios, each one illustrating a different aspect of human longing. Ted, the singer of the second verse, seeks to possess and consume a woman until the thrill is gone. Blue, the subject of the third verse, has learned the terrible lesson that war is silent and destructive, and finds solace in the sensual experiences of the natural world. Finally, the fourth verse introduces a woman who seeks to escape her pain and loneliness through the use of drugs, but finds that they only serve to consume her further.
Overall, "Taste" is a rich and complex song that invites multiple interpretations and readings. Its lyrics are full of vivid imagery and unexpected turns of phrase, creating a sense of mystery and ambiguity that makes the listener want to delve deeper into its meanings and themes.
Line by Line Meaning
The only car on the raw sheet highway is riding
The singer is alone and isolated, driving on a deserted road.
The stars for him are only coat lining
Despite being surrounded by the beauty of the night sky, the singer cannot truly appreciate it as it is only a superficial aspect of his surroundings.
You cannot sweat a piebald horse and make it a steed
One cannot force something to be what it is not, just as one cannot train a horse with a genetic predisposition to certain coat patterns to become a different breed of horse.
I cannot take your want and make it a need
The singer cannot fulfill someone's desires to the point where they become necessities; he cannot force someone to truly need something they only want.
They keep wasting you, wasting you
Other people are using and taking advantage of the person the singer is addressing.
Just to get a taste you
These people are only interested in the person for their own satisfaction and pleasure.
Ted saw a black man's lips
Ted found himself attracted to someone of a different race.
And a movie star's blond
Ted was also attracted to someone based on their physical appearance, specifically referencing the classic archetype of a blonde movie star.
He shook her little bobby sox
Ted tried to excite the person he was attracted to in a physical way.
Until the thrill was gone, the thrill was gone
Ted's attempts to create excitement failed and the person lost interest.
He had tasted her, tasted her
Ted had previously experienced a physical relationship with the person he was attracted to.
Smiled right into the base of her
Despite no longer being with the person, Ted still remembers her intimately.
He kept racing her, racing her
Ted moved on to new relationships, but still tried to compete with his past experiences and relationships.
Stayed alive, outpacing her
Despite feeling like he was in competition with his past, Ted still managed to keep living his life.
Blue bore the quiet land the best that he could
Blue, possibly a person, is trying to deal with a difficult and desolate environment.
He learned war was silent and he understood
Blue has been through difficult and traumatic experiences, which have taught him that sometimes silence can be more powerful than outward expressions of anger or pain.
The fleshy pages of women wet from the rain
The singer is describing the physical experience of being intimate with someone who is wet from the rain.
The rising, flooding water, feeling no pain, feeling no pain
The physical sensations of the intimate experience are so strong that the singer loses touch with reality and feels disconnected from pain or emotion.
Alone waits in him, aches in him
The singer is experiencing a deep loneliness and pain inside himself.
Takes up more than it makes of him
The pain and loneliness the singer feels are overwhelming and take up more of his time and energy than they should.
Alone shakes in him, hates in him
The loneliness causes the singer to feel intense pain and hatred.
Thrums in the subway gate of him
The pain and loneliness are so intense that they affect the singer's physical experience, causing him to feel it even in his body when he is in a subway station.
She gathered rocks and twigs up in her skirt
The woman in question is collecting rough and uneven material, symbolic of her difficult life experiences.
She got the tired, wired drugs to make her get hurt
To cope with her pain and difficulties, the woman turns to drugs that leave her feeling worn out and on edge.
She ordered nature to her design
The woman tries to control and reshape her environment to suit her own needs and desires.
She went to sleep and dreamed asleep and it felt more fine, it felt more fine
The woman's dreams provide her an escape from her difficult reality, leaving her feeling better and happier.
The drug banked on her, blanked for her
The drugs the woman is using are taking advantage of her and changing her behavior, leaving her feeling empty and numb.
Never bowed to the rank in her
Despite the negative effects of drugs on her psyche and well-being, the woman remains tough and does not give in to authority or pressure.
It low-sank in her, drank in her
The drugs continue to influence and control the woman, leading to further negative consequences and actions on her part.
Never bothered with thanking her
The drugs do not appreciate or care about the woman's well-being, leaving her to suffer without any sense of gratitude or reward.
They keep wasting me, wasting me
The singer feels like others are taking advantage of him and using him up.
Eating up more than a taste of me
The people in question are using up more of the singer's energy, time, and resources than he is willing or able to give.
This time shakes in me, takes of me
The experience the singer is going through is deeply affecting him, leaving him feeling drained and hurt.
Uses up more than it makes of me
The experience is taking up more of the singer's resources and energy than it is giving back, leaving him feeling depleted and robbed of what he needs to thrive.
Contributed by Jeremiah L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
moses wapshot
Nice riff, good lyrics, great video too. I have no idea what decade this dates from.
Cancun Mimosa
This is epic on so many levels.
Eater aka Andy Blade
Played with the Magik Markers at ATP festival, we had such a blast , now I know why there's always blood all over them! Hello Elisa wherever you are, get in touch!!!!
stiflingluxury
giving me Mazzy Star's "Ghost on the Highway" and JAMC's "Living End" realness... maybe it's the video's racing, driving material...
Angelo Ronzoni
Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!!!
hiknski
genius! i am def subscribing now
Gloria Pascoe
Like this sound.
Gloria Pascoe
Like this grungy sound.
Gloria Pascoe
Girl has magic voice.
irishgotee
great job