With their debut, Yerself Is Steam, the band gained an underground following, particularly in the UK. 1993's Boces was critically acclaimed for its alternative sound, and the band's next album, See You on the Other Side, begins a shift away from the extremes of sonic experimentalism towards the elaborately-orchestrated classic rock blueprint of their later work.
With their early records, Mercury Rev offered experimental, psychedelic rock, which gradually shifted to a melodic, ornate sound. Mercury Rev is often compared to The Flaming Lips, and in fact share close ties: soon after the band's formation, Donahue also joined the Flaming Lips as second guitarist and appeared on two of their albums; and since the 1990 album In a Priest Driven Ambulance, Dave Fridmann has co-produced every Flaming Lips studio album to date except 1993's Transmissions from the Satellite Heart.
Despite considerable critical acclaim, their early releases never gave Mercury Rev more than cult popularity, though they appeared on the smaller second stage at some 1993 Lollapalooza stops. Baker left after their second record, Boces (1993), citing musical and personal disputes; he later recorded an album as Shady. With his departure, the darker, more experimental and less accessible features of their music began to disappear.
The band's first post-Baker album, See You on the Other Side (1995), found them in transition, and the 1998 release of the acclaimed Deserter's Songs (which featured appearances by Garth Hudson and Levon Helm of The Band) made Mercury Rev unexpected pop stars. In the UK, NME Magazine made Deserter's Songs their Album of the Year. Donahue's earnest, high-pitched vocals and concentration on relatively concise, melodic songs gave the band's material an entirely new feel and much increased popularity (Deserter's Songs spawned three UK top 40 singles).
All Is Dream was issued in 2001. It managed a UK top 20 single, "The Dark is Rising," which reached #16 in the UK Top 40.
Mercury Rev's much-anticipated The Secret Migration was released on January 24, 2005. This was followed up in 2006 by a compilation album called The Essential Mercury Rev: Stillness Breathes 1991-2006 and the film soundtrack album Hello Blackbird. More recently, the band released a pair of albums on September 29, 2008: Snowflake Midnight, and a free MP3 album of instrumentals, Strange Attractor.
In 2011 the band performed Deserter's Songs in it's complete form live at several festivals in the UK.
Dream Of A Young Girl As A Flower
Mercury Rev Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's like a flower in the field, well in my dream, you are real
Whatever happens now they say is whatever we choose
Under bright stars a young boy dreams
He's walking on the moon, in my dream we are too
And whatever happens now they say is whatever we choose
In the hot sun a young cat dreams
And whatever happens now I'll leave it all up to you
She's a flower in the field
You're the one that everyone leans on
You're the one that can't lose control
Your toes in the sand, inches from throwing yourself
In the sea but you can't
You're the one that everyone leans on
You're the one that can't lose control
Whatever you want and whatever you choose
What happens now is up to you
The song "Dream Of A Young Girl As A Flower" by Mercury Rev is a dreamy and poetic track that explores the power of dreams and the freedom to choose our own fate. The song starts with a dreamy scene where a young girl is dreaming of herself as a flower in the field. The lyrics suggest that the girl is lost in a world of her own and is naive, innocent, and fragile like a flower. The use of symbolism such as the flower represents the beauty, purity, and fragility of youth. The singer then sings that in his dream the girl is real, and this suggests that the girl is not part of reality, but rather a figment of his imagination.
The second verse introduces a young boy who is dreaming of walking on the moon. The use of the moon as a dream symbol represents hope, imagination, and freedom. The lyrics suggest that the boy is ambitious, and he is chasing his dreams. He is not afraid to wander and explore new territories. The song affirms the power of dreams and imagination, suggesting that whatever happens now, is whatever we choose. The third verse introduces a young cat dreaming of nights and making love. The use of the cat as a dream symbol suggests independence, grace, and curiosity. The lyrics suggest that the cat is adventurous and passionate. The song suggests that the freedom to choose is critical in our lives, as it enables us to determine our own fate and destiny.
Line by Line Meaning
In the green grass a young girl dreams
A young girl is peacefully engrossed in her dream, surrounded by vibrant green grass
She's like a flower in the field, well in my dream, you are real
The girl embodies the pure beauty of a flower, and the singer acknowledges that she appears vividly real in his dream world
Whatever happens now they say is whatever we choose
The outcome of present events will depend on the decisions we make, as it is often said
Under bright stars a young boy dreams
A young boy is fantasizing under the glow of bright stars above
He's walking on the moon, in my dream we are too
In the singer's dream, he as well as the boy is able to experience the sensation of walking on the moon
And whatever happens now they say is whatever we choose
The destiny of present events will depend on the choices we make, as others often explain
In the hot sun a young cat dreams
A young cat is dreaming under the scorching sun
Of night and making love, well in my dream we are too
The cat dreams of a romantic tryst in the darkness, where he and the singer enjoy each other's company
And whatever happens now I'll leave it all up to you
The singer has full faith that the decisions concerning ongoing affairs will be left to the other party
She's a flower in the field
The girl remains like a fresh flower that grows contentedly in an open field
You're the one that everyone leans on
The singer acknowledges that his target audience relies on him heavily
You're the one that can't lose control
The singer perceives himself as being in control and incapable of losing it
Your toes in the sand, inches from throwing yourself
The singer describes a moment of conflict where he feels like he is about to make a significant decision
In the sea but you can't
Despite being close to the ocean, the singer cannot take the plunge and make the challenging decision
Whatever you want and whatever you choose
The singer explains that it's entirely up to the audience's desires and choices regarding the outcome of current affairs
What happens now is up to you
The singer trusts the audience to take charge regarding the fate of current affairs
Contributed by Skyler T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
gigam57
this is one of the finest pieces of music i ve ever heard,
gigam57
this is one of the finest pieces of music i ve ever heard,
tarheel8494
just really awesome. sublime. reminds me, in all of the best ways, of the pet shop boys around the "very" album...crossed with pink floyd.
Anthony Phillips
I agree. This album gets better with every listen. Live they not only capture the sound of the album, but it sounds a lot more organic (with instruments)....totally amazing band that keeps getting better with every release, as rare as they are.
stevegeek
Just came back to this after a long gap and....simply wow.
Wattie Mackay
Superb
takaJETMANplus
this is more than just music...
candistarbuckle
I totally agree with Anthony :)
ernyzaz
unity
James Ward
A like to all the following comments.