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".
The Scarlet Thing in You
Peter Murphy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah from the soaking mud
Gonna fly up to the sky
To the scarlet thing in you
On a long lost ocean wave of light
Submerged and unafraid
I saw you
I saw you
You were one
No way back to recall the way
Cause I threw out all the why's
Spinning with the spider in the cave
Found the scarlet thing in you
Where the birds can't reach
No words can teach
Spinning in the cave
For the scarlet thing in you
I saw you, you saw me
I saw you
You were one
I saw you
You were one
Spinning in the cave
For the scarlet thing in you
The song "The Scarlet Thing in You" by Peter Murphy explores the idea of searching for something seemingly intangible. The lyrics describe the journey of the singer, from the "world" to the "dreaming fields of light," and finally to the "scarlet thing in you." This "scarlet thing" is never explicitly defined, but it is clear that it is an important and elusive concept.
The lyrics bring up a sense of freedom and release, as well as a sense of fearlessness. The singer finds themselves "submerged" in a "long lost ocean wave of light," and yet they are "unafraid." This feeling of being in a limitless and boundless space is contrasted with the image of "spinning with the spider in the cave," indicating a more claustrophobic and dangerous set of circumstances. However, the singer is willing to face this danger because of the importance of the "scarlet thing" that they are searching for.
Overall, the lyrics of "The Scarlet Thing in You" are quite abstract and open to interpretation. However, the sense of adventure, danger, and searching for something important is clear. The final lines, "I saw you, you saw me / I saw you / You were one," suggest that the "scarlet thing" might be found in another person, or within oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
From the world to the dreaming fields of light
Traveling through realms of consciousness, from reality to a dreamlike state
Yeah from the soaking mud
Emerging from a place of darkness or difficulty
Gonna fly up to the sky
Ascending towards a higher state of being
To the scarlet thing in you
In search of the passionate essence within another person
On a long lost ocean wave of light
Drifting through an unfamiliar and ethereal atmosphere
Submerged and unafraid
Fully immersed in the experience without fear
I saw you
Encountering the other person
You were one
Feeling a strong connection or oneness with the other person
No way back to recall the way
Unable to return to a previous state of being or understanding
Cause I threw out all the why's
Letting go of the need to rationalize everything
Spinning with the spider in the cave
Navigating through a confusing and potentially dangerous situation
Found the scarlet thing in you
Discovering the passionate essence within the other person
Where the birds can't reach
In a place untouched by external influences
No words can teach
Unexplainable through language or basic understanding
Spinning in the cave
Still struggling to find direction within the complex situation
I saw you, you saw me
The connection is mutual and reciprocal
Spinning in the cave
Continuing to navigate through the confusing circumstance
For the scarlet thing in you
In pursuit of the passionate essence found within the other person
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PETER MURPHY, PAUL STATHAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
OBF
...From the world to the dreaming fields of light
Yeah from the soaking mud
Gonna fly up to the sky to the scarlet thing in you
On the red wings I will sail at night to the scarlet thing in you
On a long lost ocean wave of light, submerged and unafraid
I saw you, you were one
I saw you, you were one
I saw you, you were one
I saw you, you were one
No way back to recall the way
'cause I threw out all the why's
Spinning with the spider in the cave
Found the scarlet thing in you
Where the birds can't reach, no words can teach
Spinning in the cave for the scarlet thing in you
I saw you
You saw me
I saw you, you were one
I saw you, you were one
I saw you, you were one
I saw you, you were one
Everything's all right
Everything's all right
Everything's all right
Everything's all right
Spinning in the cave for the scarlet thing in you
Spinning in the cave for the scarlet thing in you
Spinning in the cave for the scarlet thing in you
Spinning in the cave for the scarlet thing in you...
Mark M
Lyrics
From the world to the dreaming fields of light
Yeah from the soaking mud
Gonna fly up to the sky
To the scarlet thing in you
On a long lost ocean wave of light
Submerged and unafraid
I saw you
You were one
I saw you
You were one
No way back to recall the way
Cause I threw out all the why's
Spinning with the spider in the cave
Found the scarlet thing in you
Where the birds can't reach
No words can teach
Spinning in the cave
For the scarlet thing in you
I saw you, you saw me
I saw you
You were one
I saw you
You were one
Spinning in the cave
For the scarlet thing in you
Written by Peter Murphy, Paul Statham • Copyright © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management US, LLC
Ambrose Fox
All the years I've known of this brilliant musician, I have never really got into his music until Today! His music is Spiritual and beautiful, I need this now more than ever.
Lisa23
the song cuts you up is my favourite by him please listen
D. Therrien
Glad it finally connected with you. Now theres a lot of catching up to do as his array is truly incredible. Peace.
OBF
...From the world to the dreaming fields of light
Yeah from the soaking mud
Gonna fly up to the sky to the scarlet thing in you
On the red wings I will sail at night to the scarlet thing in you
On a long lost ocean wave of light, submerged and unafraid
I saw you, you were one
I saw you, you were one
I saw you, you were one
I saw you, you were one
No way back to recall the way
'cause I threw out all the why's
Spinning with the spider in the cave
Found the scarlet thing in you
Where the birds can't reach, no words can teach
Spinning in the cave for the scarlet thing in you
I saw you
You saw me
I saw you, you were one
I saw you, you were one
I saw you, you were one
I saw you, you were one
Everything's all right
Everything's all right
Everything's all right
Everything's all right
Spinning in the cave for the scarlet thing in you
Spinning in the cave for the scarlet thing in you
Spinning in the cave for the scarlet thing in you
Spinning in the cave for the scarlet thing in you...
Frank Santos
Extraordinary singer and song writer, will always be one of my favorites.
Viviane
Meu Deus, eu amo essa música! Obrigada Peter Murphy!
JJ Kerwin
I was driving to work on a fine morning in 1995 and Chicago's WXRT 93.1 introduced me to this masterpiece.
Chris Miller
I saw Bauhaus back in 80s. A few times. PMs voice has always captivated me. It was only much later after i finished university, that i rediscovered his solo work and im just as captivated with this song as i was in the 80s
Mark M
Lyrics
From the world to the dreaming fields of light
Yeah from the soaking mud
Gonna fly up to the sky
To the scarlet thing in you
On a long lost ocean wave of light
Submerged and unafraid
I saw you
You were one
I saw you
You were one
No way back to recall the way
Cause I threw out all the why's
Spinning with the spider in the cave
Found the scarlet thing in you
Where the birds can't reach
No words can teach
Spinning in the cave
For the scarlet thing in you
I saw you, you saw me
I saw you
You were one
I saw you
You were one
Spinning in the cave
For the scarlet thing in you
Written by Peter Murphy, Paul Statham • Copyright © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management US, LLC
DamienNightmarish
On the red wings I will sail at night to the scarlet thing in you