His debut recording, At War With Walls and Mazes (2008), earned him the title of "Best New Artist" by NPR's All Songs Considered. Lott has built an impressive list of collaborators including everyone from indie-rock darlings such as Sufjan Stevens, Peter Silberman (The Antlers), These New Puritans, My Brightest Diamond; to composers and classical world institutions such as Nico Muhly, Richard Perry (Arcade Fire), Judd Greenstein, yMusic, ETHEL, and Pulitzer Prize winner Caroline Shaw; to rappers Serengeti, Busdriver and Beans (Antipop Consortium).
As a composer Ryan has scored films such as Everything Everywhere All at Once, for which he was nominate for an Academy Award, and commercials for a long and impressive list of clients such as Absolut, IKEA, Coca-Cola, Audi and many others. Production credits include arranging and programming for four major feature films, most notably Looper (2012), plus his score for the Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby (2013). In addition to his commissioned work, the Son Lux catalog has been licensed for both film (The Romantics, Looper) and television (Parks and Recreation, American Horror Story).
Son Lux has performed at Carnegie Hall with the Young People's Choir of New York, held a weeklong residency at the Joyce Theater with Stephen Petronio Dance Company, performed with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and has shared the stage with Laurie Anderson, Philip Glass, Kate Davis, and Dose One.
Ransom
Son Lux Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Unbury violently
All innocents, all innocents?
Lanterns illumine me
Burning the memory
Rise innocent, rise innocent
What rage will usher me?
Swallow the enemy
Lanterns illumine me
Incense from memory
Rise innocent, rise innocent
Or is the long war won?
The army in me gone
Overrun?
To heal this violent son
A breath from one last lung
Overcomes
Pull out the song from every open mouth at once
The lantern tongues!
And I will hear the song in every heart at once
The roaring drums
The harlot and the priest, the prophet and the thief
Up from their knees
In all their open mouths I see the lantern tongues
Light up at once
The lyrics to Son Lux's song Ransom are centered around the themes of redemption, salvation, and forgiveness. The lyricist is questioning what will ransom them from their present state, asking which wish will unbury and violently free all the innocents, and which rage will swallow all their enemies, allowing them to buy back their innocence. The lanterns that illuminate the singer are burning with memory, with incense rising from them, calling for all the innocent to rise up. These lyrics are intense and convey a sense of urgency for the singer to be saved and redeemed.
Son Lux's lyrics are more than just words that sound good, they have a deeper meaning behind them. To interpret them, it is essential to look beyond the lyrics to the underlying emotions and themes. The lyrics are an invitation to look beyond the surface, to seek meaning in every word and to appreciate the ability of the artist to express profound emotions through music. The repetition of the phrase "rise innocent, rise innocent" emphasizes the desire for redemption and serves as a call to action to all those who have lost their way.
Line by Line Meaning
What wish will ransom me?
What do I need to do to find redemption?
Unbury violently
To dig up old wounds with force
All innocents, all innocents?
All people who have been wronged?
Lanterns illumine me
Bringing light to the dark
Burning the memory
Destroying the past
Rise innocent, rise innocent
Letting go of innocence lost
What rage will usher me?
What will it take to control my anger?
Swallow the enemy
To conquer my foes
Buy innocence, buy innocence
To regain something that was lost
Incense from memory
A fragrance that reminds of the past
Or is the long war won?
Is victory finally here?
The army in me gone
To become at peace with oneself
Overrun?
Has the conqueror been conquered?
To heal this violent son
To find inner peace
A breath from one last lung
A final attempt
Overcomes
Overcoming obstacles
Pull out the song from every open mouth at once
Everyone speaking up at once
The lantern tongues!
Shedding light on truth and justice
And I will hear the song in every heart at once
Unity of thought and voice
The roaring drums
A call to action
The harlot and the priest, the prophet and the thief
A juxtaposition of societal roles
Up from their knees
To stand up and take action
In all their open mouths I see the lantern tongues
Each individual illuminating truth
Light up at once
Together and unified
Contributed by Lucy N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@shawnaloo2652
Lyrics:
What wish will ransom me
Unbury violently
All innocents, all innocents
Lanterns illumine me
Burning the memory
Rise innocent, rise innocent
What rage will usher me
Swallow the enemy
Buy innocence, buy innocence
Lanterns illumine me
Incense from memory
Rise innocent, rise innocent
Or is the long war won
The army in me gone
Overrun
To heal this violent son
A breath from one last lung
Overcomes
Pull out the song from every open mouth at once
The lantern tongues
Pull out the song from every open mouth at once
The lantern tongues
And I will hear the song in every heart at once
The roaring drums
The harlot and the priest, the prophet and the thief
Up from their knees
In all their open mouths I see the lantern tongues
Light up at once
In all their open mouths I see the lantern tongues
Light up at once
What wish will ransom me
Unbury violently
All innocents, all innocents
Lanterns illumine me
Burning the memory
Rise innocent, rise innocent
What rage will usher me
Swallow the enemy
Buy innocence, buy innocence
Lanterns illumine me
Incense from memory
Rise innocent, rise innocent
@Tamflakes
I love how unexpected their videos always end up being - there's always something that makes them feel profound, real. In this one, there's always two sides to everything.
@reneel7877
Same hat!
@shawnaloo2652
Lyrics:
What wish will ransom me
Unbury violently
All innocents, all innocents
Lanterns illumine me
Burning the memory
Rise innocent, rise innocent
What rage will usher me
Swallow the enemy
Buy innocence, buy innocence
Lanterns illumine me
Incense from memory
Rise innocent, rise innocent
Or is the long war won
The army in me gone
Overrun
To heal this violent son
A breath from one last lung
Overcomes
Pull out the song from every open mouth at once
The lantern tongues
Pull out the song from every open mouth at once
The lantern tongues
And I will hear the song in every heart at once
The roaring drums
The harlot and the priest, the prophet and the thief
Up from their knees
In all their open mouths I see the lantern tongues
Light up at once
In all their open mouths I see the lantern tongues
Light up at once
What wish will ransom me
Unbury violently
All innocents, all innocents
Lanterns illumine me
Burning the memory
Rise innocent, rise innocent
What rage will usher me
Swallow the enemy
Buy innocence, buy innocence
Lanterns illumine me
Incense from memory
Rise innocent, rise innocent
@metavore7790
This music video is such masterful storytelling. It's so minimal, and every frame matters, but it's also a thoroughly gripping emotional experience. I can't listen to this song without thinking about this battle against the ghosts of trauma. And the song was already great!
@iamwinklebottom
I love that there's a strong dramatic climax in every song
@sarahrnrs9995
Your music is one of the only things that make me feel something
@Gapbrick
Powerful track, powerful music video. Amazing!
@Retly_Ai
I’m honestly shocked this music video doesn’t have millions of views already. This is a hidden gem.
@nunbeam
I really can't think of another group/artist I miss more between releases, god damn
@reneel7877
This hits home.
Found my motivation today to get back up and resume strength training.