Although quite popular on alternative rock radio in the United States due to heavy airplay of the singles "Monkey Gone to Heaven" and "Here Comes Your Man", they were never widely popular there, but found success in Europe, especially in the UK (where they managed three top 40 singles "Velouria", "Planet of Sound" and a re-release of "Debaser") and Belgium and the Netherlands, where they were heavily broadcasted by alternative public radio.
The band's style of alternative rock music is heavily influenced by punk and surf rock, and while highly melodic, is capable of being tremendously abrasive at the same time. Francis is the Pixies' primary songwriter and singer and has a distinctly desperate, yowling delivery. He has typically written cryptic songs about offbeat subjects, such as UFOs and surrealism. References to mental instability, violent Biblical imagery, and physical injury feature in many of the band's songs.
The group is frequently posited as the immediate forebear of the alternative rock boom of the 1990s, though they disbanded before reaping any of the benefits this might have brought them. Avowed fan Kurt Cobain's acknowledgement of the debt Nirvana owed to the Pixies, along with similar tributes by other alternative bands, ensured that the Pixies' legacy and influence grew substantially in the years following their demise.
In 1993, during an interview with BBC Radio 5, Black Francis announced that the band had split - something he had not told his bandmates. After the interview, he called Santiago, who in turn faxed Deal and Lovering the news the next morning. After the split, Black Francis inverted his stage name to Frank Black and embarked on a successful solo career, while Deal resumed her role in The Breeders with her identical twin sister Kelley. In 2004, the band reunited for a tour - documented in the film loudQUIETloud - and released a new single, "Bam Thwok" that summer. In 2007, Black Francis (now going by that name again) stated in an interview that the reunion was "done" even though the members remain in good terms with each other. In later interviews however, he began to mention that he might be willing to record another Pixies album. Nonetheless, Francis has returned to his solo career and Deal to the Breeders, both of which released albums and toured in 2008. Lovering and Santiago, meanwhile, set up their own project, a band called Everybody.
In order to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of Doolittle, Pixies launched a tour in October 2009, on which they perform all the album's songs and B-sides. In the autumn of 2011 the "Lost Cities" tour continued the "Doolittle Tour" as they played many venues for the first time.
Silver
Pixies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There are dangers
There are sorrows
I can't see this lady
It is shady
I am leavin' tomorrow
Tomorrow
Tomorrow
Even there's a reason
It's silver
It's gone
In this land of strangers
There are dangers
There are sorrows
Sorrows
Sorrows
Sorrows
Sorrows
Sorrows
Sorrows
The Pixies' song Silver is a hauntingly evocative ballad about the perils of being isolated in a foreign land, with the singer of the song reflecting on the dangers and sorrows that surround them. The lyrics of the song paint a vivid picture of this desolate and solitary existence, as the singer finds themselves completely alone in a strange land, with no one to turn to for comfort or guidance. The repeated refrain of "tomorrow" suggests a sense of hopelessness, as if the singer has given up on any chance of a brighter future.
There is a powerful sense of melancholy and despair that permeates this song, as the singer confronts the harsh realities of their situation. The metaphor of silver, which is both valuable and fleeting, underscores the transience of all human experience and highlights the fragility of life in the face of danger and uncertainty. Ultimately, the song offers a bleak yet poignant reflection on the human condition, reminding us of the inescapable sorrows that we all must face at some point in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
In this land of strangers
In a place where nobody is familiar
There are dangers
There are threats to my safety
There are sorrows
There are things that cause me great sadness
I can't see this lady
I am unable to perceive this woman
It is shady
The situation is suspicious
I am leavin' tomorrow
I am departing from here tomorrow
Tomorrow
The day after today
Even there's a reason
Despite there being a justification
It's silver
It is valuable, but fleeting
It's gone
It disappeared or was lost
In this land of strangers
In a place where nobody is familiar
There are dangers
There are threats to my safety
There are sorrows
There are things that cause me great sadness
Sorrows
Things that cause me great sadness
Sorrows
Things that cause me great sadness
Sorrows
Things that cause me great sadness
Sorrows
Things that cause me great sadness
Sorrows
Things that cause me great sadness
Sorrows
Things that cause me great sadness
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Kim Deal, Charles Thompson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mike D
on Nimrod's Son
It’s “shock the people” not chocolate people