Prior to joining the group, Jackson was a member of the now-defunct The Moondials, a band that released a single on Electric Honey, a label that would later issue Belle & Sebastian's first album, Tigermilk. The Moondials experience was a pleasant one for Jackson, and it took a great deal of work for nominal Belle & Sebastian frontman Stuart Murdoch to convince him to join his group. At the time, Murdoch was playing the open mic circuit in Glasgow as a solo act, and it was at one of these performances -- at The Halt Bar -- that Jackson first saw Murdoch play.
In the beginning, the band existed mostly as an outlet for Murdoch's songwriting. Since the band's third album, The Boy With The Arab Strap, other members have begun to contribute, Stevie Jackson chief amongst them. All of the band's subsequent full-lengths have featured compositions by Jackson, and he wrote the band's 2001 single "Jonathan David" as well as "To Be Myself Completely" for 2006's The Life Pursuit. His songs are noticeably different from Murdoch's compositions--they tend to be shorter and less introspective, opting for catchy 1960s-style pop more often that the folky melancholia that defined Belle & Sebastian's early releases.
Kurosawa
Stevie Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Honour thy friendship, honour thy blood
With sturdiness of purpose perpetrate all the above
Play on the flute made of purest gold
Let us be friends and I'll tell you of my dream
Let us be lovers, I'll show you what I mean
I am playful, always poised, never hateful
For life is never certain in the slightest sense of meaning
Feel the universal time with fullness of my being
There was a friendly pigeon, I met him in my dream
He came to entertain me, he kept me company
Along came a bigger bird, more bigger than he
Snapped his wing and dragged him to his destiny
"Oh why bigger bird, why'd you pick on me?"
Said the little pigeon hanging desperately
"I'm hungry and it's time for lunch." the bigger bird replied.
Go to sleep and dream your dream in pigeon pie
I am awkward, I am touching, I am graceful
I am playful, always poised, never hateful
For life is never certain in the slightest sense of meaning
Feel the universal time with fullness of my being
Heading for the parallel, the sultry state of dreaming
With your pigeon by your side, you're not alone
The lyrics to Stevie Jackson's song "Kurosawa" are centered around the themes of honor, friendship, and love. The first two lines of the song establish the importance of honoring these things, emphasizing the significance of these values in life. The stanza that follows suggests that if we persist in living with these values as core principles, we will live a fulfilling and joyful life, represented by the reference to a flute made of purest gold.
The Chorus of the song speaks to the metaphorical, eternal, and intangible aspects of being human. Jackson suggests that life, while never certain, should be lived with the fullness of our being, and that we should strive to understand the enduring nature of time.
The second half of the song tells a story about a little pigeon who is hurt by a larger bird. The little pigeon is left to ponder the question of why he was hurt by the larger bird, and to dream of a future that seems uncertain. This story seems to convey the same message as the rest of the song: life is filled with uncertainty, but we should always strive to live honorably, with love and friendship at our core.
Line by Line Meaning
Honour thy music, honour thy love
Respect and cherish the importance of music and love in life
Honour thy friendship, honour thy blood
Hold dear the value of friendship and family ties
With sturdiness of purpose perpetrate all the above
Commit and dedicate yourself to these things with strong determination
Play on the flute made of purest gold
Create beautiful music with the best tools at your disposal
Let us be friends and I'll tell you of my dream
Let's form a close bond and share our aspirations
Let us be lovers, I'll show you what I mean
Let's enter into a romantic relationship and demonstrate my feelings to you
I am awkward, I am touching, I am graceful
I possess a range of qualities and emotions that make me human
I am playful, always poised, never hateful
I approach life with a sense of fun, readiness and without malice
For life is never certain in the slightest sense of meaning
Life is unpredictable, ambiguous and can be difficult to understand
Feel the universal time with fullness of my being
Experience the vastness and connectedness of the universe with all your senses
There was a friendly pigeon, I met him in my dream
In a dream, I encountered a congenial pigeon
He came to entertain me, he kept me company
The pigeon provided amusement and companionship
Along came a bigger bird, more bigger than he
A larger bird appeared on the scene, much bigger than the pigeon
Snapped his wing and dragged him to his destiny
The bigger bird caused injury and took the pigeon away, likely to its death
"Oh why bigger bird, why'd you pick on me?"
The pigeon pleaded with its attacker
Said the little pigeon hanging desperately
The small bird was left dangling helplessly
"I'm hungry and it's time for lunch." the bigger bird replied.
The larger bird justified its actions with the need to eat
Go to sleep and dream your dream in pigeon pie
A cruel, mocking statement indicating the pigeon's fate as food for the aggressor
Heading for the parallel, the sultry state of dreaming
Embarking on a journey into the world of dreams
With your pigeon by your side, you're not alone
The pigeon from the dream journey accompanies and supports the dreamer
Contributed by Logan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
JimmyGarrison'sChin
Track #6 needs a re-upload.