“Before there were many, there were few” - So starts the chapter about Stone Breath in Jeanette Leech’s book, “Seasons They Change: The Story of Acid and Psychedelic Folk” - and so it was back in 1995 when Stone Breath started. The 1960s had come and gone (the revival of the 60s and 70s folk bands was yet to come), the post-industrial scene’s flirtation with folk music had swayed to neo-classical or art-song, and the modern psychedelic scene was far more interested in Krautrock’s burning electricity than it was in acoustic instruments. Stone Breath, however, remained firmly rooted in folk music.
Wood, skin, bone, bronze, steel, gut. These are the materials of acoustic instruments. Materials of the earth. Stone Breath wanted to make earth music. Timeless music. Music that could be made without electricity. Music that could be played in field or forest (or even in lonely graveyards as was the case in the early days of the band). Stone Breath have held true to this vision over 9 albums, several eps, various compilation appearances, and almost 20 years.
Having remained a three-piece for most of the band’s life, recent years have seen the core band adding more members. The sound has moved gradually from sparse Syd Barrett meets Nick Drake ghost-songs to a much fuller sound - often incorporating layers of vocal harmonies and intricate instrumentation ranging from guitar and banjo to Middle Eastern instruments to homemade lyres, dulcitars, and more.
Members of Stone Breath backed Tom Rapp (of 60s/70s acid folk touchstone, Pearls Before Swine) for most of his comeback shows and recorded with Tom on his “Journal of the Plague Year” album. Stone Breath played most of the legendary Terrastock festivals sharing the bill with such acts as Tom Rapp, Country Joe, Sonic Youth, Acid Mothers Temple, The Bevis Frond, Kendra Smith, and many more. In 2001, Stone Breath conceived and helped organize The Poor Minstrels of Song and the Temple of the Moon tour - a traveling festival of acid/psychedelic/experimental acoustic music.
After initially splitting in 2006, the band reformed in 2009, releasing several new albums and performing live.
Sunshine in the Eyes of Death
Stone Breath Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
More colors than imagined; More colors than a dream
I can see them flying oh so easily
So like drifting bubbles caught upon the breeze
It seems that there were thousands dancing through the air
Now it seems they're few and painted by despair
Memory can prove false or weave into dreams,
But my life has taught me that nothing's what it seems
They were pulsing like a heartbeat, a dreamlike ghostly glow
Wings of blue flame deeper than the skies
So like the sun's reflection shining in Death's eyes
The lyrics of "Sunshine in the Eyes of Death" by Stone Breath describe the beauty of butterflies and the fleeting nature of memory. The singer reminisces about seeing thousands of butterflies, each one more colorful than a dream. These delicate creatures are compared to drifting bubbles caught on the breeze, so light and graceful. However, as time passes, the singer recognizes that the number of butterflies has dwindled and their colors have faded. The memories of these butterflies and their shimmering wings may be misleading, as memory can often fool us into believing things that never truly existed. The final lines of the song paint a striking image, describing the wings of the butterflies as deeper than the skies, radiating with a blue flame that shines like the sun's reflection in Death's eyes.
The song could be interpreted as a meditation on the transience of life and the beauty of things that are ephemeral. The butterflies, once so abundant and full of life, have faded away, much like memories of our own experiences. The mention of Death in the final line adds a layer of darkness to the otherwise peaceful imagery of the song. It could be seen as a reminder that even the most beautiful things in life are subject to the impermanence that comes with time.
Line by Line Meaning
I can see the butterflies as they seemed to me:
I recall my memory of the butterflies as they appeared to me previously.
More colors than imagined; More colors than a dream
The butterflies had a multitude of hues beyond what I could imagine, like a fantasy.
I can see them flying oh so easily
The butterflies' flight was graceful and effortless.
So like drifting bubbles caught upon the breeze
Their movements were reminiscent of bubbles carried by a gentle wind.
It seems that there were thousands dancing through the air
It appears that there were immense amounts of them fluttering and cavorting in the sky.
Now it seems they're few and painted by despair
Currently, there's less of them and their colors appear melancholic.
Memory can prove false or weave into dreams,
Recollection can deceive or blend with imagination.
But my life has taught me that nothing's what it seems
My experiences have presented that appearances can be deceiving.
I remember scaled wings; fragile shining blue
I recall wings that had scales with a delicate, bright blue radiance.
They were pulsing like a heartbeat, a dreamlike ghostly glow
The wings pulsated like a heartbeat to give off a spectral and surreal shine.
Wings of blue flame deeper than the skies
The wings were like a blue inferno with a depth further than the sky.
So like the sun's reflection shining in Death's eyes
They radiated like a reflection of the sun gleaming in the eyes of Death.
Contributed by Taylor V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.