Porcupine Tree started out as a "fake" band, the only real member being multi-instrumentalist Steven Wilson. Wilson's first two releases, Tarquin's Seaweed Farm (1989) and The Nostalgia Factory (1990), were both released on cassette tapes. In addition to the band's trademark psychedelic sound, these two tapes also contained heavy ambient and pop influences. Wilson's favorite tracks were then compiled into the CD On the Sunday of Life... (1991), while the more ambient-leaning tracks were also collected in Yellow Hedgerow Dreamscape (1994). The first of these two featured many new versions of songs.
Wilson then went on to release Voyage 34 (1992) and Up the Downstair (1993), which refined the sound of the previous albums and removed the pop influences. Both of these were later re-released, the first as Voyage 34: The Complete Trip (2000), which included an extra two remixes (a total of four), while Up the Downstair was remastered at 2005 with real drums added in place of the drum-machine beats.
The Sky Moves Sideways (1995), often considered the band's best album by long-time fans, largely uses the spacey nature of previous albums. By the time of Signify (1996) Wilson had a full band at his disposal: Chris Maitland (drums), Colin Edwin (bass), and Richard Barbieri, formerly of Japan, on keyboards.
The band's next two albums, Stupid Dream (1999) and Lightbulb Sun (2000), saw them take on a more alternative rock-oriented sound, while still drawing influence from as far back as Up the Downstair. During this period, the band garnered increasing recognition, both in their home country and abroad. Finally, they were signed to Lava Records (a major American record label) in time for the release of In Absentia, with Gavin Harrison replacing Chris Maitland on drums. This album shows high metal influences, due in part to Wilson's work with Opeth on their album Blackwater Park. The band continued this sound for their 2005 release, Deadwing, which has the heaviest and most noticeable metal influences.
In April 2007, the band released Fear of a Blank Planet, an album clearly influenced by the post-rock genre, but also sees them expanding the metal side of their music, yet still remaining true to older facets of the band's sound.
In April, 2007, the band embarked on a six-month world tour in support of Fear of a Blank Planet, one that included Europe, the U.S., Japan, and Australia. The new album was featured, and the show featured the films and projections by the band's long-time visualist Lasse Hoile.
Fear of a Blank Planet is already the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful album of the band's career, charting high in most countries (even giving the band their first top-forty album in their home country). Porcupine Tree spent most of 2007 on tour promoting the album, and a new EP Nil Recurring containing material left over from the album-writing sessions was released on the band's own label Transmission in September.
The band started recording their tenth studio album The Incident in February 2009. This was confirmed by the band, posting this message on their official website: "Writing for the next PT studio record is well underway, with the band recently spending two weeks scheduled in the English countryside working on new tracks. Recording of these pieces and a new 35 minute SW song cycle were due to start in February..." A tour was announced on the band's website and MySpace, along with dates, following release of the new album. Around March and April, Wilson commented the 35-minute song kept evolving and now it has become a 55-minute song, occupying the entire disc.
On 20 May 2010, Porcupine Tree released their second live concert film on DVD and Blu-ray, titled Anesthetize. It was recorded live on 15 and 16 October 2008 in the Netherlands at the 013 Tilburg venue.
On 17 June 2010, the band announced on their website that a new live album titled Atlanta, recorded during the tour of Fear of a Blank Planet at the Roxy theatre, Atlanta, on 29 October 2007, would be released in a near future. This album was released via online distribution only, without any class of physical format; all the sale proceeds were donated to Mick Karn for his treatment against cancer.
In June 2012, Wilson re-emphasised his continued focus on his solo career.
On November 1st, 2021, the band announced their eleventh studio album Closure / Continuation, to be released in June 2022 on Music For Nations, along with their first single in over 12 years, Harridan. The release is the first without bassist Colin Edwin since he joined the band in 1993.
Collapse the Light Into Earth
Porcupine Tree Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I won't let the shadows take their toll
I won't cover my head in the dark
And I won't forget you when we part
Collapse the light into earth
I won't heal given time
I won't feel better in the cold light of day
But I wouldn't stop you if you wanted to stay
Collapse the light into earth
The lyrics of Porcupine Tree's "Collapse the Light Into Earth" are expressive of the singer's refusal to allow darkness and shadows to take their toll on his/her life. The first stanza begins with an unwavering declaration of intent to not allow oneself to be overwhelmed by the coldness and darkness of the world. The subsequent lyrics emphasize the singer's determination to remember a person even after they have parted ways. The main theme of the song is the idea of collapsing one thing into another – the light into the earth – which in many ways mirrors the singer's own sense of unity and completeness.
The second stanza of the song is just as decisive as the first. The lyrics assert that the singer won't heal given time nor will he/she attempt to alter the opinions of others. Instead, the lyrics seem to suggest that the singer finds comfort in the idea of things staying just as they are, without any need for change. The final line of the song, "Collapse the light into earth," can be seen as a summation of the singer's sense of unity and interconnectedness with the world around him/her.
Overall, "Collapse the Light Into Earth" is a powerful song that speaks to the human experience of struggling against the darkness that can threaten to consume us. The lyrics are evocative and poignant, while the music is haunting and ethereal, making the song a truly memorable work of art.
Line by Line Meaning
I won't shiver in the cold
I won't allow the coldness to affect me and weaken my resolve
I won't let the shadows take their toll
I won't allow the darkness to affect my emotional and mental state
I won't cover my head in the dark
I won't hide from the suffering that comes with life's challenges
And I won't forget you when we part
I won't disregard the memories of our time spent together
Collapse the light into earth
Let everything disintegrate into nothingness, including the memories and feelings associated with this relationship
I won't heal given time
Time won't necessarily heal my wounds or address the pain I feel
I won't try to change your mind
I won't attempt to sway your thoughts or emotions regarding the situation
I won't feel better in the cold light of day
The situation won't necessarily become clearer or easier to handle in a more objective, analytical state
But I wouldn't stop you if you wanted to stay
I won't impede your choice to remain or leave; the decision is yours to make
Collapse the light into earth
Reiterating the need to let everything fade away and disintegrate, without clinging onto the pain and memories attached to it
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: COLIN EDWIN BALCH, GAVIN RICHARD HARRISON, RICHARD BARBIERI, STEVEN WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind