The band consists of Rachel Goswell (vocals/guitar), Neil Halstead (vocals/guitar), Nick Chaplin (bass), Christian Savill (guitar), and Simon Scott (drums, 1990-1994, 2014-present); additionally, Ian McCutcheon replaced Scott from 1994-1995. Goswell and Halstead had known each other since early childhood in Reading, Berkshire.
Initial demos were released as the Slowdive EP in late 1990; the band's sound was influenced by the Cocteau Twins and Creation labelmates My Bloody Valentine, featuring heavy use of guitar effects and muted vocals. Reviews in Melody Maker and the NME were enthusiastic, and two further well-regarded EPs followed in 1991 (Morningrise & Holding Our Breath). Their debut LP Just for a Day was written and recorded in six weeks, and was generally felt to be a disappointment at the time. At the same time, the UK music press had started to pick up on the American grunge scene, and the more introspective sounds of Slowdive, labelmates Ride, Chapterhouse and other "shoegazing" bands had fallen from critical favour. American label SBK pushed back the release of Just for a Day after a disastrous viral marketing campaign (involving vandalism of a public statue). In early 1992, the band toured the USA with Ride, and then returned to the UK to record a second album.
The band's second album, Souvlaki, would later become generally the band's most popular and well-received record. The album broke new ground for the band: two songs featured contributions from Brian Eno; "Souvlaki Space Station" was influenced by dub reggae; tracks such as "Dagger" and "Here She Comes" would become indications of the country-rock direction Halstead and Goswell would take a few years later; and several songs such as "When the Sun Hits" and "Alison" continued the style of the first album, but with improved songwriting. Initial copies of the UK version came with Blue Day, a compilation of most of the early EP tracks originally released as a separate album in Japan and some European countries. Later in the year, the band also released the 5 EP, containing four songs showcasing the influence of ambient techno; the lead track "In Mind" was also remixed by Bandulu and Reload (both then signed to Creation's dance label).
As with the first album, SBK delayed Souvlaki's release, and the band found themselves touring the USA in the summer of 1993 as Catherine Wheel's supporting act with no product to promote. The US version of Souvlaki was eventually released in early 1994, and included "Some Velvet Morning" (originally recorded for the Volume 7 compilation) and three of the tracks from the 5 EP. When Slowdive were finally able to tour America to support the album, SBK withdrew their funding halfway through; two further tours in 1994 were entirely funded by the band.
Simon Scott left amidst creative differences in 1994; he was replaced on drums by Ian McCutcheon. The band had almost become a Halstead solo project by the recording of their final album, 1995's Pygmalion. A critically misunderstood and widely-misinterpreted "ambient" record, Pygmalion took the dreamy guitar sound and warm-yet-solemn tone of earlier Slowdive to a newer, more minimalist extreme, similar to earlier dream pop bands such as A R Kane, or bands such as Labradford.
Slowdive was dropped by Creation in 1995 a week after the release of Pygmalion; Halstead had been warned before the recording of the album that the relationship with the label would end unless he delivered a "pop album". A legend arose that the band was dropped due to the Gallagher brothers refusing to sign Oasis to Creation if Slowdive and their counterparts remained on the label's roster, although Oasis had in fact released their debut single almost a year before Pygmalion.
After being dropped from Creation, Slowdive eventually went on hiatus later in 1995. Neil Halstead, Rachel Goswell and Ian McCutcheon recorded an album of country-influenced songs, and were signed to label 4AD, changing the band name to Mojave 3. Halstead and Goswell have also both released solo albums for 4AD.
Christian Savill went on to form Monster Movie, a dream pop group that continued where Slowdive left off. They have released three albums thus far, Last Night Something Happened, To The Moon, Transistor, and—most recently—All Lost.
Simon Scott formed Televise in 2004, a group which developed the lengthy noise swells and experimental song structures that helped define shoegaze while (also) including a more electronic brand of indie rock.
Eventually, all of Slowdive's albums were reissued in late 2005. Just For a Day included a bonus disc with all tracks from the first three EPs, and the three songs recorded for a John Peel session on 26 March 1991. Souvlaki included a bonus disc with all the remaining EP tracks, as well as "Some Velvet Morning" (originally recorded for a compilation). Pygmalion—which had become a collector's item in the years since its release due to it never being issued in the USA—contained no extra material, however.
On January 28, 2014, following a 12-day countdown and the appearance of an official website and Twitter account for the band, Slowdive announced their reunion with the Just for a Day/Souvlaki-era line-up including Simon Scott as drummer. The band was confirmed the same day to be playing the 2014 Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona, Spain. 2014 saw the band go on a 5 month, 40 date long tour. In January 2017, Slowdive released their first new single in 22 years on the Dead Oceans label. Another single and a self titled fourth album followed in May 2017, preceded by another single, "Sugar for the Pill".
In September 2020, Slowdive announced they had begun work on their fifth studio album. In April 2023, the band confirmed on a podcast that they had finished their new album. The lead single "Kisses" was released on 20 June 2023, and later that month the band played the Glastonbury Festival for the first time. The album's second single "Skin in the Game" was released on 18 July 2023, followed by "The Slab" and "Alife" in August, and the album Everything Is Alive, was released on 1 September 2023.
I Saw the Sun
Slowdive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey, I Saw The Sun
Hey, I Saw The Sun and It moves
Under the moon now, you can tell by the night
Don't stare at the moon now, makes me so sad
You were always sitting here with wings, I feel all alone
And those tears in your eyes, they make me feel much better
And those tears in your eyes, they make me feel much better
Hey, I saw the sun
Hey, I saw the sun and it moves
Hey, I saw the sun
Hey, I saw the sun and it moves
The lyrics to Slowdive's "I Saw The Sun" depict a sense of longing for a connection with someone, as well as a deep appreciation for the beauty of nature. The repeated refrain of "Hey, I saw the sun and it moves" suggests a realization of the ever-changing nature of life and the world around us. The mention of the moon and night sets the stage for a feeling of introspection, with the singer reflecting on their own loneliness and the fleeting nature of time.
The second half of the song is more optimistic, with the singer finding solace in the tears of another person and the sense of belonging that comes from running through the woods. The line "you were always sitting here with wings" suggests that the person they are missing has passed away, but that they still feel their presence in the natural world.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, I Saw The Sun and It moves
The singer is expressing awe and wonder at the beauty and power of the sun and its constant, ever-changing motion.
Hey, I Saw The Sun
The singer is simply repeating their prior statement, indicating the lingering impact this vision has had on them.
Under the moon now, you can tell by the night
The singer is observing the night sky and noting that the moon is out, which is visible due to the darkness that envelops everything else.
Don't stare at the moon now, makes me so sad
The artist is sharing their own emotional state - feeling down - and warning the listener not to dwell on the melancholy brought on by gazing at the moon.
You were always sitting here with wings, I feel all alone
The artist recalls previous company they had, a person who seemed to always be free and light-hearted like a bird. Now that this person is gone, the artist feels very much alone and weighed down.
And those tears in your eyes, they make me feel much better
Despite their loneliness and sadness, the singer has found solace in comforting someone else who is crying, and in some way taking comfort that they are not alone in experiencing emotional pain.
A journey through the woods, see you run, I belong here
The singer seems to be remembering a time when they shared a pleasant journey through some woods with another person who ran with joy, and feeling a sense of belonging or peace in that memory.
Hey, I saw the sun and it moves
The artist repeats their original admiration for the constant, changing motion of the sun.
Contributed by Mateo D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@lucasaltamirano1354
Hey, I Saw The Sun and It moves
Hey, I Saw The Sun
Hey, I Saw The Sun and It moves
Under the moon now, you can tell by the night
Don't stare at the moon now, makes me so sad
You were always sitting here with wings, I feel all alone
And those tears in your eyes, they make me feel much better
A journey through the woods, see you run, I belong here
And those tears in your eyes, they make me feel much better
Hey, I saw the sun
Hey, I saw the sun and it moves
Hey, I saw the sun
Hey, I saw the sun and it moves.
@tropicwave1
I Saw the Sun
Slowdive
[Chorus]
Hey
I saw the Sun
And it moves
Hey
I saw the Sun
Hey
I saw the Sun
And it moves
[Verse]
Under the moon now
Can tell by the light
Don't stare at the moon now
Makes me so sad
You were always sitting with wings
I feel all alone
And there's tears in your eyes
They make me feel much better
A journey through the woods
I belong here
And there's tears in your eyes
They make me feel much better
[Chorus]
Hey
I saw the Sun
Hey
I saw the Sun
And it moves
Hey
I saw the Sun
Hey
I saw the Sun
And it moves
@softmusic996
This song feels like waking up after a long dream only to open your eyes to the light of day in your room and realising you woke up as a child again.
@perpetua111vv
it sounds like being desoriented
@stellarch9524
birds chirping and the smell of fresh air makes me forget that im not a 3rd grader anymore
@lucasaltamirano1354
Hey, I Saw The Sun and It moves
Hey, I Saw The Sun
Hey, I Saw The Sun and It moves
Under the moon now, you can tell by the night
Don't stare at the moon now, makes me so sad
You were always sitting here with wings, I feel all alone
And those tears in your eyes, they make me feel much better
A journey through the woods, see you run, I belong here
And those tears in your eyes, they make me feel much better
Hey, I saw the sun
Hey, I saw the sun and it moves
Hey, I saw the sun
Hey, I saw the sun and it moves.
@p0rzela1n
I like how the song progressively gets louder in the beginning
@davidpalmer963
like something from the Velvet Underground....I like their
groove.
@aziel9141
First time I heard this band I was 16 and my little mind was completely blown away. I never knew this song until a few days ago cause I always hear them on Spotify. Needless to say I'm reminded of the sheer beauty and bliss of their sound and how much I love it. This is been on repeat for days now. In my heart I'm thankful for the ease this song brings to me, and my mind travels in gorgeous dreams just to get out of the mess for a while. Thank you Slowdive
@user-sm5gg4ep6n
the outtakes from this album are better than other artists' best work
@laylamarie_17
True
@limpiiicken1949
Doesn't matter what version it is. For me this song holds too much sentimental value to ever be different. It still brings about that nostalgic pain that lingers in my soul.