Roland,, described as "the male Kate Bush" by one-time label mate Robyn Hitchcock, has released a series of albums for collectable labels such as Bam Caruso, New Rose and Imaginary in a low-key career that has seen him acclaimed on the continent but somewhat ignored in his native country. In England he is better known as a writer of mass market books on mysticism and the occult for major publishers. However, his reputation as a uniquely imaginative and consistently fascinating figure on the psych-pop circuit has substantially increased with each album. Other cult figures such as Robyn Hitchcock, Nick Saloman (Bevis Frond), Nick Nicely, and Andy Ellison (John's Children) have made guest appearances on his albums, several of which are now listed as highly collectable.
Since 1979 Paul has been spinning his bizarre tales in music. Among his more whimsical creations are the eccentric characters on the largely acoustic album "Happy Families" and its prequel "A Cabinet of Curiosities".
His first album "The Werewolf of London" (1980) which boasted a penchant for historical and supernatural themes was picked up by Armageddon Records, who at the time also had the Soft Boys on their roster.
And it was there that Paul met Robyn Hitchcock who later appeared on tracks for Paul's second album.
After an abortive flirtation with the music business, when he was managed by David Enthoven and June Bolan (widow of Marc Bolan), he returned to Armageddon in 1985 for the mini-album "Burnt Orchids".
Its title track was the first to feature Paul backed by a small string and woodwind ensemble, a trademark of all his albums to date.
The success of the album led to Paul's first tours in Europe and label deals in France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the USA and Japan.
A series of diverse albums followed, including the psych cult classic "Danse Macabre" (1987), the acoustic based mini LPs "A Cabinet of Curiosities" (1987) and "Happy Families" (1988), the rockier "Duel" (1989) with its medieval-tinged three-song suite "The King Must Die", the folk rock of "Masque" (1990), the more commercial "Roaring Boys" (1991), "Strychnine" (1992), a mini-album of cover versions and "Sarabande" (1994). "Gargoyles" (1996) and "Pavane" (2004). Many albums have followed.
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Walter the Occultist
Paul Roland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
His tarot is stained with cuccumber and tomato
The kettle bubbles over, calls the caged canary 'Walter, mind the shop". "Walter can you tell us" ask the fat girls from the chorus
"Will we be happy and the Gods they be for us
And what do the cards say about those men we met upon the pier?"
Once there were stars behind his eyes
But now they have dimmed and crystalised
The Gods are cruel, they tease the fool
Walter reads the tea leaves spread on the Sunday papers
The things that he sees there would astonish all his neighbours
The strongman and the midget, the bearded lady and the tattooed twins. Once there were stars behind his eyes
But now they have dimmed and crystalised
The Gods are cruel, they tease the fool
Who lifts the veil
The song "Walter the Occultist" by Paul Roland tells the story of a man who is deeply immersed in the world of the occult. We are introduced to Walter as he is sleeping in the parlour, surrounded by his mystical tools such as tarot cards stained with cucumber and tomato. Although he is deep in sleep, he is soon roused by the sound of a bubbling kettle and the anxious calls from his caged canary. The curiosity of the fat girls from the chorus is aroused, and they ask him to reveal what his cards have to say about the future, specifically about the men they met on the pier.
The song delves deep into Walter's struggles as a devotee of the occult. It paints a picture of a man who was once full of wonder and amazement, but has since become disillusioned and jaded. The stars behind his eyes have "dimmed and crystalised", a metaphor for how his outlook on life has become dull and jaded. The gods are described as cruel, teasing and taunting Walter, which further implies that he feels let down by them. He reads tea leaves spread on Sunday papers, which suggests that he has lost touch with the real world and the people around him. The song is a haunting and melancholic portrayal of the struggles that he faces as an occultist.
Line by Line Meaning
Walter the Occultist is sleeping in the parlour
Walter, who practices occultism, is currently asleep in the room used for entertaining guests
His tarot is stained with cuccumber and tomato
The tarot cards that Walter uses have been marked or dirtied by residual food stains, namely cucumber and tomato
The kettle bubbles over, calls the caged canary 'Walter, mind the shop'
The tea kettle on the stove is boiling and the caged canary is chirping. The canary's voice, to Walter's ear, sounds like it is calling for him to attend to something important
"Walter can you tell us" ask the fat girls from the chorus
"Will we be happy and the Gods they be for us
And what do the cards say about those men we met upon the pier?"
The corpulent girls in the singing group pose questions for Walter to interpret through his use of tarot cards. They inquire about their future happiness and what the cards might say about men they encountered at the pier
Once there were stars behind his eyes
But now they have dimmed and crystalised
The Gods are cruel, they tease the fool
Who lifts the veil
Walter, who was once hopeful and optimistic (induced by the stars behind his eyes), has since become disillusioned and somewhat jaded (as if his eyes have now crystalised). He suggests that the gods are not kind to those who seek knowledge (fools who lift the veil)
Walter reads the tea leaves spread on the Sunday papers
The things that he sees there would astonish all his neighbours
The strongman and the midget, the bearded lady and the tattooed twins.
Walter reads the tea leaves that have fallen onto the Sunday newspaper. His interpretations of the shapes and patterns he sees would be surprising or fascinating to anyone observing him. The things he sees refer to characters that are different or unusual (e.g. a strongman, a midget, a bearded lady, and tattooed twins)
Once there were stars behind his eyes
But now they have dimmed and crystalised
The Gods are cruel, they tease the fool
Who lifts the veil
This repeated stanza follows the same interpretation as described in the previous occurrence
Contributed by Jasmine K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.