Phillips began her musical career as a vocalist in the early 1980s, singing background parts for Christian artists such as Mark Heard, Randy Stonehill, and others. After a short time, Phillips was signed to a solo contract with Myrrh Records (under her given name) where she went on to record four Christian pop albums: Beyond Saturday Night, Dancing with Danger, Black & White in a Grey World, and, The Turning, which teamed her with producer and future husband T-Bone Burnett. Throughout the Myrrh period, Phillips wrote more and more of her own songs and several were Top 10 singles on Christian radio.
Since Cyndi Lauper was popular at the time and also had an high-pitched, idiosyncratic vocal style, Myrrh insisted on promoting her as "the Christian Cyndi Lauper." Phillips was never comfortable with this image, and it was a bone of contention between her and the label. She began using the name "Sam" professionally in 1988 when she left Myrrh Records and signed with Virgin Records, partially in order to distance herself from her somewhat embarrassing Myrrh-imposed persona.
Like many Christian artists before her, she expanded into more secular content at the new label. She released The Indescribable Wow, which featured the orchestrations of Van Dyke Parks. Cruel Inventions, which was released in 1991, included a guest appearance from close friend Elvis Costello, and she (with her husband) supported Costello on his 1991 tour. 1994's Martinis & Bikinis was widely praised by music critics and was even nominated for a Grammy Award; this was Phillips' first nomination.
In 1995, Phillips made her silver screen debut in the Bruce Willis blockbuster Die Hard With a Vengeance, in which she played a mute terrorist. She was originally supposed to have a speaking part in the film but it was decided that her character would be silent, since it made her appear much more imposing and lethal, although it also placed her in a more stereotypically femme fatale role at the same time.
In 1996, Phillips released Omnipop (It's Only a Flesh Wound Lambchop), which was more experimental musically and ended up being her worst-selling album to date. After releasing a contractual obligation "best-of" album for Virgin in 1999, the label dropped Phillips from their roster.
In 2001, Phillips signed with Nonesuch Records and released a stripped-down acoustic album called Fan Dance, which featured some of the most critically acclaimed songwriting of Phillips' career. Van Dyke Parks contributed string arrangements for a track or two. Phillips also began writing music for and scoring the television series Gilmore Girls, and even appeared on-screen during the final episode of season six, performing Taking Pictures. In 2004 she released A Boot and a Shoe, another collection of acoustic cabaret songs in the same vein as her previous album.
Sam returned with a new album don't do anything in 2008. In October 2009 Sam launched Long Play, an exclusively web-based membership site which promised subscribers 5 digital EPs and 1 full-length digital album over the course of about one year. A physical "best of" compilation of Long Play songs, titled Solid State, was released in June 2011.
Circle of Fire
Sam Phillips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wondered if you wanted what you owned
Your magic ladders in the sky
Tie you to the place where angels fight
Our madness envy and desire
Ring you with an unforgiving fire
You love them with a burning soul
Fingers crying for you
Sleeping on your doorstep for the proof
We love ghosts we want to see through
The blood and bones that hide us from the truth
You circle the city from the sky
Watching children swallowing your lies
It breaks you but you will never fall
You've learned that love is greater than it all
Sam Phillips's Circle Of Fire is an insightful and poignant song about the nature of obsession, desire, and the human need for love. The opening verse of the song sets the tone, describing the singer's observation of another person standing alone. The singer wonders about the person's desire for what they own and the magic ladders in the sky that tie them to a place where angels fight. This opening verse captures the complexity and ambiguity of desire, which can create both joy and pain.
The second verse deals with the consequences of our desires and how they can become an unforgiving fire that surrounds us. The singer describes how love can be a burning soul, but in the end, it can reduce us to ashes. The third verse depicts the struggle of human nature between wanting to see through the blood and bones that hide us from the truth but also enjoying the ghosts that we love. Finally, the song reveals the essence of the human condition of love being greater than everything else.
Overall, Circle Of Fire is a brilliant and insightful song that poetically depicts the highs and lows of human desire and the human need for love.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw you standing there alone
I noticed that you were isolated
I wondered if you wanted what you owned
I questioned whether you truly desired what was in your possession
Your magic ladders in the sky
Your illusions that you have created for yourself
Tie you to the place where angels fight
Have bound you to the location where idealistic battles are waged
Our madness envy and desire
Our illogical and intense levels of coveting and longing
Ring you with an unforgiving fire
Surround you with merciless flames
You love them with a burning soul
You harbor a passionate love for these things
By the time he sold the ashes they were cold
The affection eventually dwindled and became lifeless
Fingers crying for you
Aching for your touch
Sleeping on your doorstep for the proof
Will do anything to obtain evidence of your existence
We love ghosts we want to see through
We adore vaporous apparitions and desire to decipher their true nature
The blood and bones that hide us from the truth
The physical parts of us that prevent us from discovering the ultimate reality
You circle the city from the sky
You overlook the metropolis from the heavens
Watching children swallowing your lies
Observing youngsters being deceived by the things you've created
It breaks you but you will never fall
Although it pains you, you will never be defeated
You've learned that love is greater than it all
You've realized that true love is superior to all else
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: LESLIE PHILLIPS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind