Between 1999 and 2002, Perri released a series of 12"s (by Cog, Dot Wiggin, and Polmo Polpo) on his own Audi Sensa label. These early Polmo Polpo tracks were compiled and re-issued on CD in 2002 by Alien8 Recordings, after which Perri began work on a proper full-length, issued by Constellation in 2003.
In recent years, Perri has been singing original songs either solo (employing kick drum and guitar) or with a rotating cast of improvisers in a project under his own name. A self-released CDr of such recordings was re-issued by Constellation in 2006, featuring re-interpretations of tracks from his Polmo Polpo oeuvre, marked by vocals and live group playing - and notably, no 'electronics'. A full-length recording of brilliant new tunes was released on Constellation in the autumn of 2007, where one can hear musical influences as diverse as post-tropicalia Caetano Veloso, Vanguard-era Skip James (and his weary falsetto), and the 60s-era axis of hybrid songwriters like Tim Buckley, Tim Hardin, Harry Nilsson and Fred Neil. All of this filtered through the beautifully cracked musicianship of some of Toronto's finest young avant and improv players, and guided by Perri's wonderful melodic sense and brilliant lyrics.
Perri has toured extensively as Polmo Polpo, was part of the Constellation European Roadshow in 2004, was invited to Winnipeg's 'Send+Receive' festival that same year, and played Montreal's 'MUTEK' electronic music festival in 2005. Sandro has also performed at 'All Tomorrow's Parties' (UK), 'Domino' (Belgium), 'Printemps Du Bourges' (France) and 'Klangtransfer Ost-Fest' (Germany). Sandro has played and released music as part of Glissandro 70, Double Suicide and Dot Wiggin. Other past and present collaborators include Great Lake Swimmers, Eric Chenaux, Adam Marshall, Andre Ethier, Sawako, Detective Kalita/The Michael Parks, Andy Swan, Barzin, The Singing Saws and Tinkertoy.
Behind the board, Perri has engineered, produced or mastered recordings by Alex Lukashevsky, Deep Dark United, CJ Boyd, Off The International Radar, Castlemusic and more. He has also remixed material for the likes of Stephen Malkmus, Under Byen, Ultra Red, Greek Buck, Nilan Perera and Luis Jacob. He does most of his production work out of his Toronto home studio, The Honey Pot.
In 2016 he released the collaborative electronic album Off World 1, with a follow-up album simply entitled 2 released in 2017. In 2018 he released In Another Life, an experiment in "infinite songwriting" which consisted of two long tracks.
Wolfman
Sandro Perri Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yesterday I was sure I'd forgotten how to swim
I jumped right in you covered me like a lotion
Yesterday I was sure I was losing my skin
The sting of salt, the thrill of devotion
That's the one I trust, incoming forward motion
Ooh, I wanna come to you, I wanna come
Ooh, I wanna come to you, I wanna come
Really now, what else? What else is to be done?
Today out on the beach I saw the Wolfman
He was alone, he looked tired
He could see he reminded me the way love pretends to expire
And so instead of tearing me up
He invited me for a swim, his eyes full of fire
And so even the Wolfman you can see
He aspires to take it higher
Ooh, I wanna come to you, I wanna come
Really now, what else? What else?
Ooh, I wanna come to you, I wanna come
Really now, what else? What else is to be done?
Once in a while, he turned and said
I wanna shave my face, my body and my head
I asked him why and then the well ran dry
So I zoomed in for a look
What did I see? What did I see?
Clouds and sunshine and joy and pain
So I zoomed, zoomed zoomed in again
And what did I see? What did I see?
All that which seems to be erasing me
I can choose to learn again
Wolfman to I, said I don't give up myself too easily
I am just tired, now go away
He started crying, wolf, that is the oldest line
Wolfman, and I we are the same
Sometimes I've tried
The one about a wolf among wolves by my side
One with which I have got a way
Now I know why
The one about a wolf among wolves makes me cry
What does a dark night rearrange?
What does a night light do to change?
What does a dark night rearrange?
What does a night light do to change?
What does a dark night rearrange?
What does a night light do to change?
What does a dark night rearrange?
What does a night light do to change?
Ooh, I wanna come to you, I wanna come
Really now, what else? What else?
Ooh, I wanna come to you, I wanna come
Really now, what else? What else is to be done?
Today I see you, big as the ocean
The song "Wolfman" by Sandro Perri is a complex and intriguing exploration of human emotions and relationships. The first verse begins with the singer expressing the joy of rediscovering their ability to love and be loved, after a period of doubt and fear. The metaphor of the ocean is used to describe the overwhelming nature of their feelings, which envelop them like a lotion. The reference to incoming forward motion suggests that this love is not just a fleeting emotion, but a force that will drive them towards the future.
The second verse introduces the character of the Wolfman, who represents a different aspect of the human condition. The Wolfman is tired and alone, but instead of attacking the singer, he invites them to swim with him. This moment of vulnerability and connection between the two characters is a powerful reminder that even in our darkest moments, we can find redemption through human connection. The singer's curiosity about the Wolfman's desire to shave his body is a metaphor for the search for identity and self-discovery. The singer sees both darkness and light when they zoom in: clouds and sunshine, joy and pain. The repetition of the question "what else" at the end of each verse suggests a longing for more, a desire to transcend the limitations of the self and connect with something greater.
Line by Line Meaning
Today I saw you, big as the ocean
Today I felt your overwhelming presence, as large as the sea
Yesterday I was sure I'd forgotten how to swim
I felt incapable of opening myself up to love
I jumped right in you covered me like a lotion
I finally let go and you enveloped me with your love and healing power
Yesterday I was sure I was losing my skin
I felt like I was losing my sense of self
The sting of salt, the thrill of devotion
The pain of love's challenges and the exhilarating feeling of devotion
That's the one I trust, incoming forward motion
I trust the journey of love and its ability to propel me forward
Today out on the beach I saw the Wolfman
I saw someone who symbolized the struggle of love
He was alone, he looked tired
He seemed disconnected and worn out
He could see he reminded me the way love pretends to expire
He understood how love can sometimes feel like it's fading away
And so instead of tearing me up
But instead of causing me pain
He invited me for a swim, his eyes full of fire
He offered me a chance to connect and his passion was shining through
And so even the Wolfman you can see
Even someone who seems hardened by love
He aspires to take it higher
Still has a hope of reaching a higher level of love
Once in a while, he turned and said
Occasionally he would speak to me
I wanna shave my face, my body and my head
I want to shed my old self and change everything about me
I asked him why and then the well ran dry
I asked him for an explanation but he didn't have a clear one
So I zoomed in for a look
So I took a closer look myself
What did I see? What did I see?
What was revealed to me?
Clouds and sunshine and joy and pain
The ups and downs of life
So I zoomed, zoomed zoomed in again
I continued to look closer
And what did I see? What did I see?
What else did I discover?
All that which seems to be erasing me
The aspects of life that I thought were erasing my sense of self
I can choose to learn again
I have the power to learn and grow from my experiences
Wolfman to I, said I don't give up myself too easily
The Wolfman told me he doesn't easily let go of his sense of self
I am just tired, now go away
He's just exhausted and wants to be left alone
He started crying wolf, that is the oldest line
He tried to dismiss me with a cliche
Wolfman, and I we are the same
We both struggle with love and identity
Sometimes I've tried
I've struggled as well
The one about a wolf among wolves by my side
I've tried to find strength in a group of others who relate to me
One with which I have got a way
One that I've found some success with
Now I know why
Now I understand the reasoning behind it
The one about a wolf among wolves makes me cry
The idea of relying on others to find my sense of self is emotionally difficult
What does a dark night rearrange?
What can be discovered when we face difficult times?
What does a night light do to change?
What small changes can bring light to a dark situation?
What else? What else?
What other options or possibilities are there?
What else is to be done?
What actions can be taken to improve the situation?
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Sandro Perri
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind