Wilson is self-taught as a producer, audio engineer, multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter. Under his own name, he has released the albums Insurgentes (2008), Grace for Drowning (2011), The Raven That Refused to Sing (and Other Stories) (2013), Hand. Cannot. Erase. (2015), To the Bone (2017), and The Future Bites (2021). He also released a EP, 4 ½ (2016), as well as a series of singles titled Cover Version (released online between 2003 and 2010; released worldwide as a compilation in 2014). His other solo projects can also be found attributed to monikers of his, such as Bass Communion and Incredible Expanding Mindfuck.
He is perhaps best known as the frontman for progressive rock band, Porcupine Tree, for whom he was the sole member during the 1980s and early 1990s. His projects are numerous however, including collaboration with Aviv Geffen as Blackfield; a long-running partnership with Tim Bowness, known as No-Man; teaming up with Dirk Serries in Continuum; as well as a joint album with Opeth's frontman, Mikael Åkerfeldt in Storm Corrosion.
Wilson employs synthesizers and programmed music along with live instruments to create a unique atmosphere for each song he works on, including otherwise-simple pop tunes. In addition to his prolific musical output, Steven has crafted a reputation for the high production quality of his music, and has undertaken production duties with such high-profile artists as Opeth, Dream Theater, Jim Matheos of Fates Warning, Anathema, Orphaned Land, Marillion, Fish, Pendulum, Yoko Ono, and friend Robert Fripp. He is also part way through remixing the albums of King Crimson and other classic artists' back catalogues into surround sound and new stereo mixes.
Perfect Life
Steven Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She arrived one February morning
Pale and shellshocked
From past lives I could not imagine
She was 3 years older than me
But in no time we became friends
We'd listen to her mixtapes
Dead Can Dance, Felt, This Mortal Coil
Gave me clothes
And my first cigarette
Sometimes
We would head down to Blackbirds Moor
To watch the barges on Grand Union in the twilight
She said "the water has no memory"
For a few months everything about our lives was perfect
It was only us
We were inseparable
But gradually
She passed into another distant part of my memory
Until I could no longer remember her face
Her voice
Even her name
We've got
We've got the perfect life
We've got
We've got the perfect life
We've got
We've got the perfect life
We've got (we've got)
We've got the perfect life
We've got (we've got)
We've got the perfect life
We've got (we've got)
We've got the perfect life
We've got (we've got)
We've got the perfect life
We've got (we've got)
We've got the perfect life
The song "Perfect Life" by Steven Wilson tells the story of the singer's brief but intense relationship with his sister when they were teenagers. The lyrics capture the nostalgia and longing for that time in his life when everything was "perfect." The singer reminisces about the time he spent with his sister, listening to music, sharing books, and enjoying each other's company. They had an idyllic few months where they were "inseparable," but gradually she disappeared from his life, and his memory of her faded away. The chorus of the song - "We've got the perfect life" - can be interpreted both as a reflection of the fleeting perfection of his time with his sister and a commentary on the facade of perfection that people present to the world on social media.
The story of the singer's sister adds a layer of poignancy to the song, but the themes of nostalgia and the search for perfection are universal. The lyrics touch upon the fleeting nature of happiness and how memories can become distorted over time. The chorus, with its repetition of the phrase "We've got the perfect life," can be seen as a critique of our culture's obsession with projecting an image of perfection on social media. The song can also be interpreted as a reminder to cherish the moments of happiness and perfection that we do experience in life, even if they are temporary.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was 13 I had a sister for 6 months
At the age of thirteen, I had a short-term sisterhood that lasted no longer than six months.
She arrived one February morning
She came into my life suddenly one morning in February.
Pale and shellshocked
Her physical appearance suggested that she was weakened and traumatized from a previous experience.
From past lives I could not imagine
I could not comprehend the events that lead to her current physical and emotional state.
She was 3 years older than me
My temporary sister was older than me by three years.
But in no time we became friends
Despite the age difference, we quickly formed a bond of friendship.
We'd listen to her mixtapes
We often enjoyed listening to the musical playlists she created.
Dead Can Dance, Felt, This Mortal Coil
The artists we listened to included Dead Can Dance, Felt, and This Mortal Coil.
She introduced me to her favorite books
She opened my eyes to her favorite literary works.
Gave me clothes
She generously shared some of her clothing with me.
And my first cigarette
She also initiated me into the habit of smoking by offering me my first cigarette.
Sometimes
On occasion,
We would head down to Blackbirds Moor
We often went to Blackbirds Moor,
To watch the barges on Grand Union in the twilight
where we would enjoy the sight of barges on the Grand Union canal during the twilight hours.
She said "the water has no memory"
She once conveyed the notion that the water has the ability to forget.
For a few months everything about our lives was perfect
During a brief period, everything in our lives was in harmony.
It was only us
We were the only two people that mattered in that moment.
We were inseparable
We were tied together by a strong bond that could not be broken.
But gradually
Over time,
She passed into another distant part of my memory
Her memory slowly began to fade into the back of my mind.
Until I could no longer remember her face
Eventually, I lost recognition of her face.
Her voice
As time went on, her voice became a distant memory too.
Even her name
I could not recall her name anymore.
We've got
Together, we have
We've got the perfect life
What we have together, despite its imperfections, is a perfect life.
We've got (we've got)
We've got the perfect life
Together, we have the perfect life.
We've got (we've got)
Together, we have
We've got the perfect life
What we have together, despite its imperfections, is a perfect life.
We've got (we've got)
We've got the perfect life
Together, we have the perfect life.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Steven John Wilson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@louangelwolf
When I was 13 I had a sister for 6 months.
She arrived one February morning, pale and shellshocked,
from past lives I could not imagine.
She was 3 years older than me,
but in no time we became friends.
We’d listen to her mix tapes;
Dead Can Dance, Felt, This Mortal Coil…
She introduced me to her favourite books,
gave me clothes, and my first cigarette.
Sometimes we would head down to Blackbirds moor
to watch the barges on Grand Union in the twilight.
She said “The water has no memory.”
For a few months everything about our lives was perfect.
It was only us, we were inseparable.
But gradually, she passed into another distant part of my memory,
until I could no longer remember her face, her voice, even her name.
We have got
We have got the perfect life...
@marcossaulsanchez
When I was 13 I had a sister for 6 months.
She arrived one February morning, pale and shellshocked,
from past lives I could not imagine.
She was 3 years older than me,
but in no time we became friends.
We’d listen to her mix tapes;
Dead Can Dance, Felt, This Mortal Coil…
She introduced me to her favourite books,
gave me clothes, and my first cigarette.
Sometimes we would head down to Blackbirds moor
to watch the barges on Grand Union in the twilight.
She said “The water has no memory.”
For a few months everything about our lives was perfect.
It was only us, we were inseparable.
But gradually, she passed into another distant part of my memory,
until I could no longer remember her face, her voice, even her name.
We have got
We have got the perfect life...
@pepperx3437
When I was 13 I had a sister for 6 months
She arrived one February morning, pale and shellshocked, from past lives I could not imagine
She was 3 years older than me, but in no time we became friends
We'd listen to her mix tapes; Dead Can Dance, Felt, This Mortal Coil...
She introduced me to her favourite books, gave me clothes, and my first cigarette
Sometimes we would head down to Blackbirds moor to watch the barges on Grand Union in the twilight
She said \"The water has no memory\"
For a few months everything about our lives was perfect
It was only us, we were inseparable
But gradually she passed into another distant part of my memory
Until I could no longer remember her face, her voice, even her name
@newpianotutorials
Steven Wilson makes music from his soul, from the heart and for himself - this is how there is such an amazing diversity to his music, he's not trying to please everybody by making one song sound the same as the last one. I imagine he is one of very few artists these days who is allowed complete artistic control over what he does. So before criticizing or comparing this to his other songs, remember , this is what makes him so great ....
@nickgarrett4213
Couldn't agree more steve wilson is a genius with his music and lyrics
Dont let him be in the mainstream bollocks to be enjoyed by a selected few.
@CynicalEntity
This is relevant now more than ever with The Future Bites.
@kamalsharma3233
He is one of the best artist I ever heard
@thundersweetiex2912
That is precisely one of the reasons he should not be criticised
@davidderoux7552
Sounds a little like the end of Routine...
@andrewrobinson427
This man is one of most prolific and creative musicians I have ever heard. I am late to the party but I am smitten
@Arianna-sl2hv
Me too. How did I miss this? So happy to find it now
@ThanosNikolopoulos
From the master of Progressive Rock comes a masterpiece of simplicity...
Sometimes a simple drum loop and a simple melody are just the magic we need...
A song full of feelings, nostalgia, heart...
@SpartanLaserCanon
Thanos Nikolopoulos For me sometimes a great song is a simple one. Some simple music has more feeling than some fast shred I have heard or just as much as some. Sometimes all I want is simple music. I do like many genres of music though. I don't like much music from the Radio though.