From the start, they have incorporated a diverse range of influences from British folk music to German Thrash Metal which has fed their constantly evolving sound. They are widely considered the inventors of Folk Metal.
The lineup remained stable for the recording of 2000's Folkémon, but founding member Walkyier left the band in 2001, citing various reasons, such as financial difficulties or the bands unwillingness to tour in South America owing to security concerns as the final straw, though other band members have commented that his somewhat pessimist personality was one of the major contributing factors to the groups lineup instability. Walkyier went on to form The Clan Destined. For many fans, Walkyiers lyrics and delivery style were one of the bands central attractions, and there were fears that his departure spelled the end of the band. After replacing drummer Jay Graham (who left shortly after Walkyier) and moving Kevin Ridley onto vocals, the group sprang into action to remedy these fears with 2002's No Daylights...Nor Heel Taps which featured studio recordings of "Irish Pub versions" of Skyclad classics by the new line-up, proceeded by a single, 2001's "Swords of a Thousand Men". The single's title track, a cover tune (originally recorded by Tenpole Tudor), also appeared on Folkémon as a bonus track, although in a different version. The single featured two recordings of the track, one of them with Ridley on vocals and one with Ridley sharing the microphone with Ten Pole Tudor's vocalist Edward Tudor-Pole. The single/album release was accompanied by the 'The Same...But Different' tour, the largest Skyclad had undertaken for many years. Also in 2001 the band released Another Fine Mess, which featured live recordings from 1995 and the contents of the Outrageous Fourtunes EP.
2004's A Semblance of Normality marks the bands first new material from the post-Walkyier era (there had been some unpleasantness between Walkyier and the other band members over copyrights and royalties for his lyrics, as well as the release of tracks featuring him), keeps very much in the vein of previous releases, with Ridley's lyrics making an obvious effort to follow similar themes and styles to Walkyiers whilst retaining an individual identity. The album has probably been the most widely received of their releases, probably due to better distribution and word-of-mouth advertising, and has received much critical acclaim, especially in the English-speaking world, where, ironically (given the use of inventive wordplay in their titles and lyrics, much of it aimed at native English speakers), the band is almost unknown. However, in South America and mainland Europe they have been extremely popular for many years, especially in Germany and Greece.
Skyclad's current release is an EP, Jig-a-Jig, self-released by the Band. A new album was recorded in summer 2008, it is to be released in late 2008 or 2009.
Four songs from the band's latest releases are available for both streaming and download at the Skyclad page at MySpace.
Troublesometimes
Skyclad Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A silent evil Slithers through the dawn.
Blissful in our ignorance God how could we have known
Today would be the day we learn to mourn?
The Shades of old dictators rise,
Impassive eyes cold hearted.
Watch their 'wunderkinder' try to finish what they started.
The morning sky had barely yielded to the sun's caress,
When from the hills came 'Yellow Wasps' in swarm.
Zvornik wakes discovers what a devil of a mess,
A fragile peace can look when it's been torn.
Now we stand like broken statues 'midst the wreckage of our homes,
Try to recognize our children by the ragsupon their bones.
Out of the 'Cold War' into the ceasefire flame!
[Chorus]
Opened wounds unsettled scores,
An ancient hate new icons.
The front line starts at our back doors
'Cause bygones won't be bygones.
Cleanse the bloodline start the cull,
Nazi roulette six chambers full
Fail to read the warning signs,
Find yourself in Troublesometimes
While common sense had turned it's back
A shadow crossed our nation,
Can mourning mothers veiled in black sing songs of liberation?
Out of the 'Cold War' into the ceasefire flame!
[Chorus]
The song "Troublesometimes" by Skyclad portrays the notion that ignorance is not always bliss. The lyrics depict the realization of the consequences of past actions that people were unaware of at the time. The phrase "High above the sleeping city streets where we've all grown" suggests that the town has been familiar to the individuals who live there, implying that it is their home. However, something eerie and terrifying is starting to take over the town as the lyrics say "A silent evil Slithers through the dawn."
The song talks about how people have remained ignorant and blissful about the reality of the situation until it was too late. The lyrics "Blissful in our ignorance God how could we have known Today would be the day we learn to mourn?" highlights the unfortunate fact that people do not realize the severity of a situation until it has already inflicted its damage. The track also depicts the rise of dictators and the havoc that they can cause. The lyrics "The Shades of old dictators rise, Impassive eyes cold hearted. Watch their 'wunderkinder' try to finish what they started" emphasize the terrifying vision of leaders who can destroy entire societies and their people.
Overall, Skyclad's "Troublesometimes" is a powerful, political track that speaks out against ignorance and warns people to remain vigilant.
Line by Line Meaning
High above the sleeping city streets where we've all grown
We live in a city where we have all grown up and are familiar with our surroundings.
A silent evil Slithers through the dawn.
There is a silent and evil presence lurking during the early hours of the day.
Blissful in our ignorance God how could we have known
We were blissfully unaware of the danger and did not have any warning.
Today would be the day we learn to mourn?
Is today going to be the day that we have to experience mourning?
The Shades of old dictators rise,
Old dictators are coming back to power.
Impassive eyes cold hearted.
They have cold-hearted and emotionless expressions on their faces.
Watch their 'wunderkinder' try to finish what they started.
Their talented children are trying to complete what their parents started.
The morning sky had barely yielded to the sun's caress,
It was early in the morning as the sun was just coming up.
When from the hills came 'Yellow Wasps' in swarm.
Suddenly, there was an attack by a group called the 'Yellow Wasps' coming from the hills.
Zvornik wakes discovers what a devil of a mess,
Zvornik wakes up to discover a huge mess caused by the attack.
A fragile peace can look when it's been torn.
The peace that existed before has been destroyed and it is now apparent how fragile it was.
Now we stand like broken statues 'midst the wreckage of our homes,
We are standing in the ruins of our homes, feeling broken and hopeless.
Try to recognize our children by the rags upon their bones.
We struggle to recognize our own children because of the way they have been affected by the attack.
Out of the 'Cold War' into the ceasefire flame!
We have gone from times of Cold War to a ceasefire but still face danger and destruction.
[Chorus]
This is the chorus of the song.
Opened wounds unsettled scores,
Old wounds have been reopened and scores are still not settled.
An ancient hate new icons.
Old hatreds have resurged and new symbols of hate have been created.
The front line starts at our back doors
We are basically on the front line of the war, because even our homes are not safe.
'Cause bygones won't be bygones.
We cannot let go of the past and forgive those who have done us wrong.
Cleanse the bloodline start the cull,
We need to purify our bloodlines and get rid of those who are considered undesirable.
Nazi roulette six chambers full
This is a metaphorical reference to playing Russian Roulette with a gun loaded with 6 bullets, representing the danger and unpredictability of the situation at hand.
Fail to read the warning signs,
We ignored the warning signs and didn't prepare for the worst.
Find yourself in Troublesometimes
We find ourselves in trouble sometimes, often when we least expect it.
While common sense had turned it's back
Even though we should have known better, we didn't listen to our common sense.
A shadow crossed our nation,
There was a feeling of impending doom as something ominous crossed our country.
Can mourning mothers veiled in black sing songs of liberation?
Even in their mourning, can the mothers who have lost their loved ones sing songs of hope and freedom?
[Chorus]
This is the chorus of the song.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind