Son Lux was founded as a solo project of Ryan Lott and is now a trio consis… Read Full Bio ↴Son Lux was founded as a solo project of Ryan Lott and is now a trio consisting of Ian Chang and Rafiq Bhatia.

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.

War
Son Lux Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

We were at war
With walls and mazes
Torn up and tearing inside

You wooed us out
To open places
Trading our death for your life

You raised the sun
To warm our faces
Astonishing us with light

We were at war
With walls and mazes
Torn up and tearing inside

You wooed us out
To open places

You raised the sun
To warm our faces
Astonishing us with light

Astonishing us with light
Astonishing us with light

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Son Lux's song War describe a transformational journey from a state of conflict and confusion to one of openness and wonder. The opening lines suggest a state of inner turmoil, where the individual is at war with themselves and their surroundings. The walls and mazes are symbols of the obstacles and challenges that they face, both within and without. In the next lines, however, the mood shifts. The singer addresses a higher power who has "wooed us out/to open places", suggesting that there is a way out of this state of conflict through the help of a guiding force. The image of trading "our death for your life" suggests a kind of exchange or sacrifice that is necessary for transformation.

The next stanza continues with the theme of transformation, but now the focus turns to the external world. The higher power, perhaps earth or nature itself, is described as "raising the sun/to warm our faces". This line highlights the power of nature to bring warmth and light into our lives, even in the darkest times. The final stanza repeats the earlier lines, emphasizing the sense of astonishment that comes with this journey of transformation. The repetition of "astonishing us with light" suggests that this newfound openness and wonder is a gift that is continually unfolding.

Overall, the lyrics of War promote a message of hope and transformation. They suggest that even when we are at war with ourselves and our surroundings, there is a way out through the help of a higher power or the healing power of nature.

Line by Line Meaning

We were at war
We were in a state of conflict and struggle

With walls and mazes
The conflict involved barriers and complicated patterns

Torn up and tearing inside
The conflict caused internal emotional damage

You wooed us out
You enticed us to leave that state of conflict

To open places
You led us to spaces without barriers or complications

Trading our death for your life
You offered us a chance to exchange our negative situation for your positive one

You raised the sun
You provided us with warmth and light

To warm our faces
You gave us comfort and joy

Astonishing us with light
You amazed and stunned us with positivity and hope

Astonishing us with light
You continued to impress us with your positive impact

Astonishing us with light
You kept amazing and mesmerizing us with your influence