Roxy Music are an English rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry—who becam… Read Full Bio ↴Roxy Music are an English rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry—who became the band's lead vocalist and principal songwriter—and bassist Graham Simpson. The other longtime members are Phil Manzanera (guitar), Andy Mackay (saxophone and oboe), and Paul Thompson (drums and percussion). Other members included Brian Eno (synthesizer and "treatments") and Eddie Jobson (synthesizer and violin). Although the band took a break from group activities in 1976 and again in 1983, they reunited for a concert tour in 2001, and have toured together intermittently since. Ferry frequently enlisted band members as session musicians for his solo releases.

Roxy Music became a successful act in Europe and Australia during the 1970s. This success began with their self-titled debut studio album in 1972. The band pioneered more musically sophisticated elements of glam rock while significantly influencing early English punk music, and provided a model for many new wave acts while innovating elements of electronic composition. The group also conveyed their distinctive brand of visual and musical sophistication with their focus on glamorous fashions. Ferry and co-founding member Eno have had influential solo careers. Eno became one of the most significant British record producers of the late 20th century. Rolling Stone originally ranked Roxy Music No. 98 on their greatest artists list ("The Immortals – The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time"), but dropped the group from the list when they updated it in 2011.

Roxy Music's final studio album was Avalon (1982), which was certified Platinum in the United States. In 2005, the band began recording what would have become their ninth studio album—and their first album with Eno since 1973 (he wrote two songs for it and also played keyboards). However, Ferry eventually announced that the material from these sessions would instead be released as a Ferry solo studio album, with Eno playing on "a couple of tracks", and that he believed the group would never again produce a record as Roxy Music. The album was released in 2010 as the Ferry solo studio album Olympia. It featured contributions from Eno, Manzanera, and Mackay (amongst many other session players).

In 2011, Roxy Music played a series of 40th-anniversary shows, but went inactive as a performing entity following the concerts. In 2019, Roxy Music were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In 2022, Roxy Music reformed for a tour to mark the 50th anniversary of their debut studio album.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roxy_Music

Studio albums
Roxy Music (1972)
For Your Pleasure (1973)
Stranded (1973)
Country Life (1974)
Siren (1975)
Manifesto (1979)
Flesh and Blood (1980)
Avalon (1982)

A Song for Europe
Roxy Music Lyrics

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Here as I sit
At this empty café
Thinking of you
I remember
All those moments
Lost in wonder
That we'll never
Find again

Though the world
Is my oyster
It's only a shell
Full of memories
And here by the Seine
Notre-Dame casts
A long lonely shadow

Now, only sorrow
No tomorrow
There's no today for us
Nothing is there
For us to share
But yesterday

These cities may change
But there always remains
My obsession
Through silken waters
My gondola glides
And the bridge, it sighs

I remember
All those moments
Lost in wonder
That we'll never
Find again
There's no more time for us
Nothing is there
For us to share
But yesterdays

Ecce momenta
Illa mirabilia
Quae captabit
In aeternum
Memor
Modo dolores
Sunt in dies
Non est reliquum
Vero tantum
Comminicamus
Perdita

Tous ces moments
Perdus dans l'enchantement
Qui ne reviendront
Jamais
Pas d'aujourd'hui pour nous
Pour nous il n'y a rien
A partager
Sauf le passé

Tous ces moments
Perdus dans l'enchantement

Qui ne reviendront
Jamais

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Roxy Music's song "A Song for Europe" evoke feelings of longing, nostalgia, and loss. The singer is sitting alone in an empty café, thinking of a past love and remembering the moments they shared, moments of wonder that can never be recreated or reclaimed. Even though the singer acknowledges that the world is full of possibilities, it's only a shell that contains memories that cannot be relived. The singer is in Paris, by the Seine, and even the solemn shadow of Notre-Dame cathedral emphasizes his loneliness and sorrow. There's no tomorrow for the singer, and nothing left for him and his lost love to share but yesterday.

The lyrics' final stanza adds some interesting layers to the meaning of the song. The Latin phrase "Ecce momenta illa mirabilia quae captabit in aeternum memor" translates to "Behold those wonderful moments that will be captured forever in memory." The singer then switches to French, singing "Tous ces moments perdus dans l'enchantement qui ne reviendront jamais" (All those moments lost in enchantment that will never return). By using Latin and French, the song suggests that there's something universal and timeless about the longing for lost love and the memories we hold onto. The singer imagines himself in Venice, floating in a gondola, and the bridge he passes under seems to sigh, emphasizing the sadness and regret that surround him.

Overall, "A Song for Europe" is a deeply melancholy song that places the singer in a specific place and time but also transcends those details to capture the feeling of loss that anyone who's experienced heartbreak can relate to.

Line by Line Meaning

Here as I sit
I am currently sitting at an empty café

At this empty café
The café is void of people and activity

Thinking of you
Reflecting on memories of someone special

I remember
Recalling past moments

All those moments
The collection of memories with someone special

Lost in wonder
Fully immersed in the joy of the moment

That we'll never
We will not be able to experience those moments again

Find again
We cannot recreate those unique moments

Though the world
Despite the vast opportunities the world offers

Is my oyster
The world is full of possibilities

It's only a shell
However, those possibilities are empty without the someone special

Full of memories
The world is filled with memories of past experiences

And here by the Seine
At the Seine River in Paris, France

Notre-Dame casts
The Notre-Dame cathedral sends

A long lonely shadow
A feeling of sadness and isolation

Now, only sorrow
Presently, feeling only sadness

No tomorrow
No hopeful future

There's no today for us
No present moment between us

Nothing is there
No meaningful connection or relationship

For us to share
No experiences or moments to share together

But yesterday
Only able to reflect on memories of the past

These cities may change
Cities may undergo transformation and evolution

But there always remains
However, there is always one constant that persists

My obsession
My infatuation with the someone special

Through silken waters
Floating serenely on smooth waters

My gondola glides
My boat moves effortlessly

And the bridge, it sighs
The bridge makes a sorrowful sound

Ecce momenta
Behold the moments

Illa mirabilia
Those wondrous moments

Quae captabit
That will forever capture

In aeternum
For eternity

Memor
Remembered

Modo dolores
But now, only sorrow

Sunt in dies
Sorrow increases each day

Non est reliquum
There is no more left

Vero tantum
Only true thing

Comminicamus
We communicate

Perdita
But only about lost memories

Tous ces moments
All those moments

Perdus dans l'enchantement
Lost in wonder and enchantment

Qui ne reviendront
That will not return

Jamais
Ever again

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDREW MACKAY, ANDREW EDWIN MACKAY, BRYAN FERRY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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