Rotorelief Records, reissued in 2017 the first two mythical albums, eponymous from 1968 and "contact" from 1969
(rotorelief.com)
Contrasting the flowery psychedelic rock music of the late-1960s, the New York City-based Silver Apples created an avant-garde sound based on little more than a homemade synthesizer (named the Simeon after their lead singer - Simeon) and an extensive drumkit, originally played by Dan Taylor. They reformed in the 1990s, making new records and playing live again.
Silver Apples were one of the first groups to employ electronic music techniques extensively within a rock idiom, and their minimalistic style, with its pulsing, driving beat and frequently discordant modality, anticipated not only the experimental electronic music and krautrock of the 1970's, but underground dance music and indie rock of the 1990s as well.
Velvet Cave
Silver Apples Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Walk on through purple flowers. Breathe the golden fragrance.
You have reached the final island where dreams light up the daytime.
You are at the end of journey, all is peace.
Wine trickles down from mountains, crimson streamers floating.
Sweet meats hang from bushes and ripely cry for plucking.
Maidens gather flowers and feed you with soft fingers.
You can see love waiting inside the velvet cave.
She calls you from the meadow. Her eyes are brightly shining.
Her breasts are fruits she offers, so you leave the fields behind you.
To follow promises she will fulfill. She will fulfill.
In the cave there’s no tomorrow, nor any yesterday.
Just the hammer of her heartbeat as she draws you down beside her.
And you sink down on the pillow of her body hotly loving.
And you pray you’ll never waken to the day.
And you pray you’ll never waken to the day.
Never.
Never.
Never.
The lyrics of "Velvet Cave" by Silver Apples are very poetic and dreamy. The song takes the listener on a journey to a distant land where some sort of paradise exists. The first verse seems to describe this journey towards a final island, where dreams come to life and everything is tranquil and serene. The second verse describes a feast for the senses, where wine flows down like a stream and delicious food hangs from the bushes. The maidens are gentle and offer their flowers to those who pass by. The hours pass by like a never-ending song, and everything seems perfect.
Then, the song takes a turn towards love. In the third verse, the singer is called by love from a meadow, and she offers herself completely to him. He leaves everything behind and follows her into the velvet cave, where there is no tomorrow or yesterday, just the hammer of her heartbeat. They sink down on the pillow of her body, hotly loving, and he wishes he could stay there forever.
Overall, the song is a beautiful representation of a dream world where everything is perfect and love awaits. It has a feeling of serenity and peace, but also of desire and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
Sail over distant waters till you reach the honeyed shore
Embark on a voyage until you find a destination so sweet and inviting
Walk on through purple flowers. Breathe the golden fragrance.
Take a leisurely stroll in captivating scenery and inhale the smell of prosperity
You have reached the final island where dreams light up the daytime.
Finally, you have arrived at the place where aspirations become reality in the light of the sun
You are at the end of journey, all is peace.
This is the end of the path, where serenity reigns supreme
Wine trickles down from mountains, crimson streamers floating.
Wine flows from the heights, with ribbons of deep red cascading along
Sweet meats hang from bushes and ripely cry for plucking.
Juicy, flavorful food hangs from the branches, longing to be harvested
Maidens gather flowers and feed you with soft fingers.
Young women pick flowers and offer them to you with delicate, gentle hands
Hours are a song that never ends. Hours are a songt that never ends.
Time is like an endlessly repeating melody, with no discernible beginning or end
You can see love waiting inside the velvet cave.
Inside the soft, luxurious cave, there is the promise of love just waiting to be found
She calls you from the meadow. Her eyes are brightly shining.
She beckons you from the grassy field, her eyes radiant and sparkling
Her breasts are fruits she offers, so you leave the fields behind you.
She promises the sweetness of her bosom, which entices you to leave behind the meadow
To follow promises she will fulfill. She will fulfill.
You follow the promises of the woman, dreams she will undoubtedly fulfill
In the cave there’s no tomorrow, nor any yesterday.
Inside the cave, there is no time, no past nor future
Just the hammer of her heartbeat as she draws you down beside her.
All you can hear is the sound of the woman's pulse as she brings you closer to her side
And you sink down on the pillow of her body hotly loving.
You succumb to the woman's embrace, basking in the passion of her body
And you pray you’ll never waken to the day.
You desperately wish to never leave this intoxicating moment and return to reality
Never.
Never leave, never wake, never come back to the real world
Never.
Never depart from this dream, this paradise
Never.
Never face the cold, cruel light of day again
Contributed by Luke C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.