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)

Nightingale
Roxy Music Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Before the morning comes, will I hear your song
Come little nightingale, I won't be here for long
When you're up there flying, do you care
If there's no one else around?
When your lover leaves you in the air
Do you waver, do you fall?

Now while the moon is high

Shall we, nightingale,
Duet all through the night
A pair of souls for sale
Stars cluster glistening
Captive till the dawn
Patiently listening
They've heard it all before
Should I stay here or should I go?

I couldn't bear to be alone
Was it really love I saw?
Oh, now I'll never know
What is this I hear?
I recognize that song
Sweet little nightingale I knew you'd come along
Soon when the morning comes.
We will both be gone

So sing pretty nightingale
Lead, I'll follow on.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Roxy Music's Nightingale convey a sense of fleeting romance and the uncertainty of love. The singer is asking if the nightingale will sing for them before they have to leave in the morning, questioning if the bird even cares if anyone hears its song. The image of the lover leaving the bird in the air brings to mind a sense of abandonment and the fear of falling. The singer then addresses the nightingale directly, suggesting they sing together and become a "pair of souls for sale," indicating a desire for connection and companionship.

Line by Line Meaning

Before the morning comes, will I hear your song
I wonder if I'll get to experience your beauty before it's gone

Come little nightingale, I won't be here for long
Please grace me with your presence before I depart

When you're up there flying, do you care If there's no one else around?
Does solitude bother you when you're soaring high?

When your lover leaves you in the air Do you waver, do you fall?
Do you struggle to fly when your partner abandons you?

Now while the moon is high Shall we, nightingale, Duet all through the night A pair of souls for sale
Let's create magic with our music and offer our souls to the universe while time permits

Stars cluster glistening Captive till the dawn Patiently listening They've heard it all before
The stars are held captive, listening to our music, as if they've been through this before

Should I stay here or should I go? I couldn't bear to be alone Was it really love I saw? Oh, now I'll never know
I'm scared to be alone and confused about my feelings - I wish I knew the truth

What is this I hear? I recognize that song Sweet little nightingale I knew you'd come along
I feel an awakening in my soul - your arrival was expected

Soon when the morning comes. We will both be gone So sing pretty nightingale Lead, I'll follow on.
We'll disappear with the dawn, so let's create something beautiful together - I'll follow your lead.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: BRYAN FERRY, PHIL MANZANERA

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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