Peter Astor (also known as Pete Astor) is a British singer and multi-intrum… Read Full Bio ↴Peter Astor (also known as Pete Astor) is a British singer and multi-intrumentalist, best known for his work with The Weather Prophets and Ellis Island Sound.

Following the sensational disbandment of his first band The Loft and the subsequent dissolution of The Weather Prophets, singer and guitarist Peter Astor embarked upon a solo career. His close links with Alan McGee helped to secure a contract with Creation Records, with whom he released two albums - Submarine (1990) and Zoo (1991).

Finding success in France, Astor moved to the Danceteria label to release Paradise (1992, as Peter Astor and the Holy Road), and God and Other Stories in 1993. Becoming disillusioned with the music business, he disappeared from view for a number of years, returning in the late 1990s with his Ellis Island Sound and The Wisdom of Harry projects.

In 2005, another Astor solo album, Hal's Eggs, appeared on Static Caravan Recordings (this time as Pete Astor). At around the same time, various Cherry Red compilation albums featuring his work were released, ultimately leading to the surprise reformation of his first band, The Loft.

Astor continues to perform and his latest album Spilt Milk will be released February 2016 on Slumberland Records.

On June 08, 2015 two cassette tapes of Pete Astor’s archive recordings of his early 1980s bands, The Damp Jungle (1980) and The Living Room (1982), were released by London label Negative Space Records http://negativespacemusic.bandcamp.com. A brief history:
Formed in London in 1980 as The Living Room by Peter Astor (vocals, guitar), Andy Strickland (guitar), Bill Prince (bass), and Andy Nott (drums), the band changed its name to The Loft when they discovered a local music venue was also called The Living Room, run by Creation Records boss Alan McGee. The band developed a friendship with McGee and played several gigs for him before signing to his Creation Records label.

Take This Longing
Peter Astor Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Many men have loved the bells
you fastened to the rein,
and everyone who wanted you
they found what they will always want again.
Your beauty lost to you yourself
just as it was lost to them.
Oh take this longing from my tongue,
whatever useless things these hands have done.

Let me see your beauty broken down
like you would do for one you love.

Your body like a searchlight
my poverty revealed,
I would like to try your charity
until you cry, "Now you must try my greed."
And everything depends upon
how near you sleep to me

Just take this longing from my tongue
all the lonely things my hands have done.
Let me see your beauty broken down
like you would do for one your love.

Hungry as an archway
through which the troops have passed,
I stand in ruins behind you,
with your winter clothes, your broken sandal straps.
I love to see you naked over there
especially from the back.

Oh take this longing from my tongue,
all the useless things my hands have done,
untie for me your hired blue gown,
like you would do for one that you love.

You're faithful to the better man,
I'm afraid that he left.
So let me judge your love affair
in this very room where I have sentenced
mine to death.
I'll even wear these old laurel leaves
that he's shaken from his head.

Just take this longing from my tongue,
all the useless things my hands have done,
let me see your beauty broken down,
like you would do for one you love.

Like you would do for one you love.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Peter Astor's song "Take This Longing" paint a picture of a relationship between two individuals that seems to be built on an unequal emotional exchange. The first stanza sets the tone of the song, with the singer acknowledging that many men have loved the bells that the person he's addressing has fastened to the rein. These men have found what they wanted in her beauty, but she's lost it to herself just as they've lost it to her. The singer wants her to take his longing from his tongue and to see her beauty broken down as she would do for someone she loves.

The second stanza, which starts with the metaphor of her body being like a searchlight, reveals more about the dynamics of their relationship. The singer is poor and is looking for charity from her, but ultimately wants her to try his greed. He recognizes that everything depends on how near she sleeps to him, suggesting that she holds the power in the relationship.

The third stanza brings a new metaphor, with the singer standing in ruins behind her as she's naked, and him loving to see her from the back. He begs for her to take the longing from his tongue and to untie her hired blue gown as she would do for someone she loves.

The final stanza is the most confrontational, with the singer accusing her of being faithful to a better man who has left, and him judging their love affair in the same room he has sentenced his to death. He even wears old laurel leaves that the other man has shaken from his head. The song ends with the singer again begging for her to take his longing from his tongue and to see her beauty broken down for him, as she would do for someone she loves.

Overall, the lyrics of "Take This Longing" depict a complex and unequal relationship between two individuals, where the singer is trying to win the affection of someone who seems to hold the power in the relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

Many men have loved the bells you fastened to the rein,
You have attracted many suitors with your charms and left them wanting more.

and everyone who wanted you they found what they will always want again.
The people who desired you were fulfilled and will always want that feeling.

Your beauty lost to you yourself just as it was lost to them.
Your own beauty is lost to you in the same way that it was lost to those who loved you.

Oh take this longing from my tongue, whatever useless things these hands have done.
Please relieve me of this yearning and regret for whatever futile actions I have taken.

Let me see your beauty broken down like you would do for one you love.
Allow me to witness the raw, vulnerable version of yourself that you would only show to someone that you loved.

Your body like a searchlight my poverty revealed,
Your figure illuminates my inadequacies and shortcomings.

I would like to try your charity until you cry, "Now you must try my greed."
I seek your generosity until you demand reciprocation.

And everything depends upon how near you sleep to me
Our relationship's success hinges on our physical closeness.

Just take this longing from my tongue all the lonely things my hands have done.
Remove my ardent yearning and help me forget the forlorn things I have done.

Let me see your beauty broken down like you would do for one your love.
Allow me to witness the raw, vulnerable version of yourself that you would only show to someone that you loved.

Hungry as an archway through which the troops have passed,
I hunger for you like an archway that has served as a passage for many.

I stand in ruins behind you, with your winter clothes, your broken sandal straps.
I am left in ruins behind you, with your winter garments and broken footwear.

I love to see you naked over there especially from the back.
I enjoy seeing you unclothed, particularly from a distance.

Oh take this longing from my tongue, all the useless things my hands have done,
Please alleviate my fervent yearning and cause me to forget the fruitless actions I have taken.

untie for me your hired blue gown, like you would do for one that you love.
Undo your rented blue dress for me, as if you were doing it for someone you truly loved.

You're faithful to the better man, I'm afraid that he left.
You remain devoted to the superior man, but I fear he has abandoned you.

So let me judge your love affair in this very room where I have sentenced mine to death.
Allow me to scrutinize your relationship in the same room where I have ended my own love.

I'll even wear these old laurel leaves that he's shaken from his head.
I'll even put on the old laurel wreath that he has cast aside.

Like you would do for one you love.
Just as you would do for someone you truly love.

Contributed by Natalie M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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