By 1983, Bauhaus broke up and Murphy went on to new projects not involving Bauhaus members Kevin Haskins, David J, or Daniel Ash. After some brief dabbling with acting and dance - including a slightly odd televised performance to Bauhaus's "Hollow Hills" - he soon formed Dalis Car with Mick Karn, the bass player from Japan.
Murphy's solo career over time became more varied than Bauhaus, ranging from pseudo-pop to haunting ballads that showcased his deep and complex vocals. After the commercial non-start of Dali's Car, Murphy's first solo album was similarly overlooked. Should the World Fail to Fall Apart did spawn several singles, including a cover of Pere Ubu's "Final Solution" that made a minor splash on the club scene.
The followup, Love Hysteria, did much better. It also marked the beginning of a long-term collaboration with songwriter Paul Statham, who co-wrote songs with Murphy until 1995. The resulting singles "All Night Long" and "Indigo Eyes" helped garner a wider following, and the black-and-white video for "All Night Long" entered rotation on MTV.
The pinnacle of Murphy's solo popularity came with the release of Deep. For this album Murphy reinvented himself as somewhat of a rock-god, now sporting hair dyed platinum blonde and performing a much more aggressive alt-rock sound. The single "Cuts You Up" from Deep held on to the top spot on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for longer than any other single before - displacing "So Alive" by his former Bauhaus-bandmates Love and Rockets.
In 2000, Murphy performed his international Just for Love tour, which resulted in the album aLive Just for Love. It is a live recording of the fully uninterrupted set from the El Rey show in Los Angeles on November 30, 2000. During the tour, Murphy chose to perform with only two back-up musicians, Canadian electric violinist Hugh Marsh and Peter DiStefano from Porno for Pyros on guitar, although former Bauhaus bassist David J sometimes joined the trio for an encore. At this point he also contributed to works by noted film composer Harry Gregson-Williams.
Also in 2000, Murphy gave a nod to the North American goth scene, where his solo works and his works with Bauhaus are still very popular, by making a surprise guest appearance at the sixth annual Convergence festival in Seattle, to perform a low-key, acoustic solo set.
In 2004, Murphy signed to yet another new label, Viastar, which was home to several other 1980s pop artists who had moved into more eclectic areas. Despite numerous problems with the label, the album Unshattered was released, showcasing Murphy returning to a more pop sound.
Murphy undertook extensive tours of the U.S.A and Europe to promote 'Unshattered' in 2005, with a live band featuring guitarist Mark Gemini Thwaite of The Mission UK and Tricky on guitar, Jeff Schwartoff of Human Waste Project and Professional Murder Music on bass and Justin Bennett of Skinny Puppy on drums. Murphy and the band reconvened in November 2007 for shows in Portugal and Spain, with Nick Lucero replacing Bennett on drums. In May 2008 Murphy recorded a cover of the song "Warm Leatherette" with Trent Reznor and Jeordie White from Nine Inch Nails. This was played live at an intimate studio performance, and the video recording was released on both the official Nine Inch Nails website and YouTube. A full-length album called Ninth was released in 2011, featuring the single "I Spit Roses".
Shy
Peter Murphy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To say I'm sick of empty fun
It means if your faith is strong
It means you are no longer astray...
See I see all the light It comes straight from the sun
And I want to get near so I can be clear
Soon I will merge with the one
One day when the lights turn green
There is no time... this love I thirst
Don't get shy, don't get caught with the world and its thoughts
I'm not asking for worship or lazy sleazy thoughts
Soon I will merge with the one
Soon I will be with the love
One day when the light turns green
There is no time... this love I thirst
Don't get shy, don't get caught with the world and its thoughts
I'm not asking for worship or lazy sleazy thoughts
(The Sister of Sleep)
He was thought of as strange... a good looking man
And shallow eyes like two hidden from view and empty puddles of hue
His views on death spread like two anecdotal tales
Although he, reclining, declining, to disclose in public...
These opinions in public; the tales held the key
Death is the surname of sleep, but the surname unknown to us
Sleep is the daily end of life; a small exercise in death
Which is it's sister, but not every brother and sister are equally close,
Giving to the enemy a small exercise in submission
And holding onto nothing
He was thought of as strange... a good looking man
And shallow eyes like two hidden from view and empty puddles of hue
His views on death...
One day you will be the one
To say I'm sick of empty fun
It means if your faith is strong
It means you are no longer astray...
See I see all the light It comes straight from the sun
And I want to get near so I can be clear
Don't get shy, don't get caught with the world and its thoughts
I'm not asking for worship or lazy sleazy thoughts
Peter Murphy's "Shy" is a song about finding the truth and meaning in life beyond the distractions of the world. The lyrics suggest that the singer has come to a realization that the superficial pleasures of life are ultimately unsatisfying and that true fulfillment can only be found by connecting with something greater. The chorus, with its repeated refrain of "Soon I will merge with the one / Soon I will be with the love," express a longing to be united with something larger than oneself. The singer encourages the listener not to be shy or get caught up in the distractions of the world, but to keep their faith strong and remain open to the possibility of something greater.
The second half of the song is introduced with a spoken word interlude, a feature commonly found in Peter Murphy's music. Here he tells the story of a man with "shallow eyes" who has views on death that he keeps hidden. The man's views are compared to "anecdotal tales" who holds the key to understanding this mysterious figure. The singer then goes on to discuss the relationship between sleep and death, pointing out that the two are intimately connected.
"Shy" is a deeply philosophical and introspective song that challenges the listener to look beyond the surface of things and to seek out a deeper, more meaningful understanding of the world around them.
Line by Line Meaning
One day you will be the one
You will be the one to realize that empty fun is not fulfilling.
To say I'm sick of empty fun
You will voice out that you are tired of empty fun.
It means if your faith is strong
Having a strong faith means you are no longer lost.
It means you are no longer astray...
You are no longer lost and wandering aimlessly.
See I see all the light It comes straight from the sun
The light comes from within, and I want to be close to it to gain clarity.
And I want to get near so I can be clear
I aim to be close to the light to gain understanding.
Soon I will merge with the one
Eventually, I will connect with the divine.
Soon I will be with the love
I will reunite with universal love.
One day when the lights turn green
Someday, an opportunity will arrive.
There is no time... this love I thirst
Time is fleeting, and I yearn for this love now.
Don't get shy, don't get caught with the world and its thoughts
Don't be intimidated or influenced by external pressures and opinions.
I'm not asking for worship or lazy sleazy thoughts
I am not expecting reverence nor superficial thoughts.
(The Sister of Sleep)
This section is a separate spoken word piece titled 'The Sister of Sleep.'
He was thought of as strange... a good looking man
The persona was perceived as strange despite being handsome.
And shallow eyes like two hidden from view and empty puddles of hue
The shallow eyes had an empty look, devoid of emotion or depth.
His views on death spread like two anecdotal tales
His ideas on death were shared as stories, but not commonly accepted.
Although he, reclining, declining, to disclose in public...
Despite reclining and not openly sharing his thoughts, he held steadfast to his beliefs.
These opinions in public; the tales held the key
Though he kept his beliefs hidden, the stories held the answers to his ideas.
Death is the surname of sleep, but the surname unknown to us
Death can be seen as an extension of sleep, but the connection is unclear.
Sleep is the daily end of life; a small exercise in death
Sleep is a small taste of dying since it's the daily end of life.
Which is it's sister, but not every brother and sister are equally close,
Sleep and death are analogous sibling concepts, but they are not identical.
Giving to the enemy a small exercise in submission
Submitting to the 'enemy' (death) is inevitable.
And holding onto nothing
In death, one cannot hold onto anything from their time on earth.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MURPHY, STATHAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind