Their critically acclaimed eponymous debut album was released in 1997, and was characterised by strong vocal harmonies and energetic choruses. It was also the first album to be produced by (now) uber-producer Nigel Godrich, who went on to produce Radiohead and Paul McCartney among others. The song "Golden Skin" was featured on the soundtrack to the 1990s British comedy film, Shooting Fish.
The band's second album Neo Wave was released the following year. This album had a slightly more polished sound, which some found a little lacking compared to the fuzz-toned wall of sound that the band had cultivated with their debut release. It contains their biggest hit "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late", a cover of the Johnny Mathis ballad which the band originally recorded as a joke and have since disowned. The EP release also contained a version of Rush's 10 minute prog-epic "Xanadu" which the band condensed into a 3-minute pop song, as well as a cover of My Bloody Valentine's 'You Made Me Realise'.
The band re-formed to promote a third album, Disappear Here, in 2005, this time released on the Invisible Hands label. This album is remarkable in that lead vocalist, James Broad, is the sole artist to appear on the recordings, having played all musical instruments and sung all of the vocals.
In a more recent rare foray into the mass-media, their song "Last Day" was used on the Hollyoaks soundtrack on 24 January 2006.
Their fourth album, Dad's Weird Dream, was released in Japan on 11 September 2006. However, the decision was taken to remix it for the UK edition, where was released on 4 December 2006. One track, "Fallen" was remixed by Nigel Godrich, working with the band for the first time since their debut, currently available as an itunes exclusive EP. Unlike its predecessor, the entire original line-up has participated in the recording, though Richard Sayce is only credited with backing vocals, suggesting that a drum machine was used instead of live drumming.
Service
Silver Sun Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They're just circles if they weren't
They could be square
If only they weren't round
And March is only a month within days
[Chorus:]
And the in's go in and the out's just go
The in's go in and the out's just go
We built a fountain, it's to wash our children in
If sand gets wet, I am not sure
If it gets darker or was it lighter before
And yes or no Wendy try not to think
[Chorus:]
And March is only a month with days
But really it comprises a bunch of funny letters
Assorted to spell H-A-are-E-M
[Chorus:]
The lyrics of Silver Sun's song "Service" may appear to be just a random sequence of words at first, but upon closer inspection, they hold a deeper meaning. The song opens with the lines "Holes in the ground, they're just circles if they weren't, they could be square", indicating the futility of trying to change the natural order of things. Though they may seem pointless, everything in the universe has a purpose and meaning.
The second verse becomes much more philosophical, with the lines "If sand gets wet, I am not sure, if it gets darker or was it lighter before, and yes or no Wendy try not to think." These lyrics can be interpreted as a call to live in the present moment and not worry about the past or future. The chorus repeats the lines "The in's go in and the out's just go", emphasizing the cyclical nature of life and our inability to change its course.
The song ends with the line "Assorted to spell H-A-are-E-M", which is likely a reference to the band's record label, Hand. The ambiguity of the lyrics and their overall surrealistic nature is a hallmark of Silver Sun's music.
Line by Line Meaning
Holes in the ground
There are openings in the earth
They're just circles if they weren't
If these openings were not circular, they could be something else
They could be square
Such openings could take a square shape
If only they weren't round
If these openings had a different shape, that would be interesting
And March is only a month within days
March is a month that lasts only a set number of days
And the in's go in and the out's just go
Things that belong inside stay inside, while things that don't, leave
And how can you be, can you be so cold
How can you reject others so harshly
We built a fountain, it's to wash our children in
We constructed a fountain to cleanse our offspring
If sand gets wet, I am not sure
I am uncertain whether wet sand appears darker or lighter
If it gets darker or was it lighter before
I am not sure what happens to sand when it gets wet
And yes or no Wendy try not to think
Wendy, don't overthink things
But really it comprises a bunch of funny letters assorted to spell H-A-are-E-M
March is a word made up of letters - nothing more
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JAMES BROAD, RICHARD KANE, RICHARD SAYCE, PAUL SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind