Biography
Subway to Sally was an idea that was a long time coming. The very first concert given in the name was held in September of 1990. The band then consisted of Ingo Hampf, Bodenski, Simon, Coni (trumpet) and Guido (drums). Their first appearance onstage in the constellation with which they later recorded their first album (Album 1994), was given in the Potsdamer "Stube" in January 1992. The group had decided on needing a fiddle to complete the sound, something which brought Frau Schmitt (Silke Volland) to the band, who in turn introduced Eric Fish (Eric Hecht) on the bagpipes.
In the early years, Subway to Sally played Irish / Scottish inspired folk rock, as reflected by the tracklist of their first album, being the only album where the majority of songs are in English (for this they hired a friend to write lyrics in English). The group then decided they wanted to keep their lyrics in German, thus being a part of the first wave of bands to do so after the Berlin wall broke down. Their second album, released in 1995 and aptly named MCMXCV, saw a mixture of biblically inspired lyrics and what is often referred to as "medieval" music, thus placing the label "medieval metal" firmly onto their foreheads. It is a label that they still are being confronted with, though the music can hardly be described as such and though the band repeatedly tries to deny this. Three major changes can be noted with the release of MCMXCV: Firstly, the appearing of the self-written German lyrics penned by Bodenski, secondly, Eric Fish moved up from being the piper to being the frontman and main singer. Thirdly, the focus of the music was no longer on folklore with the occasional self-composed song tossed in for measure, but was turned around to exactly the opposite, with the two translated folk songs "Krähenfraß" ("Twa Corbies") and "Carrickfergus" adapted to fit the band's style.
Between 1994 and 1997 the band rapidly released four albums and toured Germany to exhaustion, with an average of around 100 concerts (take or give a few) per year. Drummer T.W. left the band in 1997, after completing the recordings of "Foppt den Dämon", being replaced by David Pätsch for the tour and the following albums. "Der Sturm" was the first chart entry of the band, but they were quite consequently ignored by the radio and music television channels. With "Hochzeit" the band broke their habits and spent more time on producing the album, leading to a more polished and worked-through sound. This payed off with another chart placement: the album made it to #19 in the official charts. The sound of "Hochzeit" is very much picked up by the next studio album, "Herzblut", though thematically moving in a different direction. Where "Hochzeit" is darker and ends on the note of "Müde" ("Tired") "Ach, ich bin von dieser Welt so müd'" ("Oh, I am so tired of this world"), "Herzblut" starts off with the energetic "die Schlacht" ("the battle"), declearing that "Ich gewinne diese Schlacht" ("I win this battle").
In 2003 the album "Engelskrieger" was released. In preparation of the release, the band made the lyrics available on their home page, leading to wild discussions and accusations of "selling out". The sound of the record, breaking clearly with their previous works, did nothing to silence those accusations. Subway to Sally had grown up, met up with the real world and made a deeply disturbing record, dealing with modern issues on modern terms. The lyrics were no longer veiled and styled old-fashionedly, but instead painfully direct, as was the music, delivered with more brute and force. "Wenn Engel hassen" ("When angels hate") from "Herzblut" can be said to explore the same terrain that "Geist des Kriegers" ("Spirit of the warrior") does, dealing with an individual running amok, though the latter is firmly lodged in the "post 9/11"-world. Several band members have indeed emphasised the impact of the attacks of the Twin Towers and the following political events as inspirational source for the album. Other songs deal with incest, euthanasia, leaders who mis-lead their people and the general fall and corruption of our western society. "Engelskrieger" entered the German charts at #9, and the band once more toured extensively. A live DVD was filmed in the Columbiahalle in Berlin on the first leg of the tour, leading to the release of a double DVD in the autumn of 2003. In April 2004 Subway to Sally changed label, leaving Universal (Motor) for the smaller metal-label Nuclear Blast.
The very last concert of 2004, the all-yearly concert in Lindenpark (Potsdam) on the 30/12, was also the last concert of drummer David Pätsch, who left the band to pursue another musical direction with the Blue Man Group in Berlin. The band then spent half a year looking for a replacement, finally deciding on Simon Michael Schmitt to replace David. (On a side-note this has lead to a great deal of confusion, as there are now 2 Simons, 3 Michaels and 2 Schmitts in the band.) The recording of the new album was already finished by the time "tiny Simon" joined the band.
Despite being very pleased with the outcome of "Engelskrieger", the band made no secret of it being a one-off and of returning to the more conventional "Sally-sound" with the next studio recording. "Nord Nord Ost" was originally planned to be released in 2004, but was delayed until fall 2005, due to the extensiveness of the production. Though the band have previously made use of musicians from outside the band, they now did so on a bigger scale, involving the Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg to create a wider and more orchestral sound. The album debuted at #5 in the official charts, the highest chart placement the band has seen to date.
In 2006 they released an acoustic CD/DVD reminiscent of their pre-Hochzeit sound called Nackt ("Naked"), followed by another album in the vein of Nord Nord Ost, titled Bastard, in Fall 2007.
Side projects
Several of the band members have side- or solo-projects going. Wanting to "return to his roots" as a musician, Eric Fish started touring on his own in 1999. This project has now grown up to become a band in its own right, and two CDs have been released; "Auge in Auge" and "Zwilling". Eric is also involved in a hitherto online-only project called Weiß and often appears as a guest musician on records of other bands (for instance with Letzte Instanz and Fiddler's Green). Bodenski has published a book of poems, called "Inniglich", which draws heavily on his lyrics for Subway to Sally, but also contains other works and non-published Sally songs. Little Simon also plays in the powermetal band Silverlane. Frau Schmitt used to be a member of the somewhat "folkyjazzy" ensemble 17 Hippies.
Discography
* Album 1994 (1994, label: Costbar)
* MCMXCV (1995) (1995, label: Stars in the dark)
* Foppt den Dämon! (Tease the demon) (1996, label: Red Rooster)
* Bannkreis (Spell circle) (1997, label: BMG/Ariola)
* Hochzeit (Marriage) (1999, label: BMG/Ariola)
* Schrei! (Scream!) (live album, 2000, label: BMG/Ariola)
* Herzblut (Heartblood) (2001, label: Island Mercury)
* Die Rose im Wasser (The rose in the water) (Best Of album, 2001)
* Engelskrieger (Angel's warriors) (2003, label: Motor Music)
* Subway to Sally live (2 DVD, 2003, label: Motor Music)
* Nord Nord Ost (North north east) (August 22, label: Nuclear Blast 2005)
* Nackt (Naked) (2006, 1 DVD, 1 Live Album, Acoustic Concert, Nuclear Blast 2006)
* Bastard (Bastard) (2007, label: Nuclear Blast)
www.subwaytosally.com/
Angelus
Subway To Sally Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Und voll von Steinen auch
Ich kroch ein Stück davon auf Knien
Den Rest wohl auf dem Ruach
Du warst für mich ein hohes Tor
Bei meiner Wiederkehr
Ich lass dich nimmermehr
Ich bin der Bach der talwärts fließt
Ich habe meinen Engel
Im Aufwind schweben sehen
Hoch über allen Wolken
Und überirdisch schön
Ich habe meinen Engel
Im Aufwind schweben sehen
Hoch über allen Wolken
Und so schön
Du spanntest deine Schwingen auf
Sie waren weiß und weit
Und ich versank darinnen ganz
Ein Hauch von Ewigkeit
Umwehte mich in deinem Arm
Bei meiner Wiederkehr
ich lass dich nimmermehr
Ich bin der Bach der talwärts fließt
Du aber bist das Meer
Ich habe meinen Engel
Im Aufwind schweben sehen
Hoch über allen Wolken
Und überirdisch schön
Ich habe meinen Engel
Im Aufwind schweben sehen
Hoch über allen Wolken
Und so schön
Doch weil ich dem Bild nicht traute
Schoss ich auf ihn und sah
Bestürzt den Engel stürzen
Und blutig lag er da
Ich war der Bach der talwärts floss
Du aber warst das Meer
Ich habe meinen Engel
Im Aufwind schweben sehen
Hoch über allen Wolken
Und überirdisch schön
Ich habe meinen Engel
Im Aufwind schweben sehen
Hoch über allen Wolken
Und so schön
The song "Angelus" by Subway to Sally begins with the singer expressing their exhaustion and the difficult journey they've been on. They say that they had to crawl parts of the way and that the road was full of obstacles. However, they find comfort in the person they are addressing, who is described as a tall gate that will always be open to them. The singer says that they will never leave this person's side, comparing themselves to a stream that flows downwards while the other person is the vast ocean.
Next, the singer describes seeing their angel soaring in the sky, beyond the clouds, and above everything else. They're depicted as ethereally beautiful, and the singer is in awe of their sight. They continue to describe their wings, which are both vast and pristine. The singer is swept away by their presence and finds a hint of eternity in the angel's grasp. The singer is held by the angel at their return, and they say that they will never leave the angel and will always be there with them. They describe themselves as a stream and the angel as the ocean, again.
However, in the final verse, the tone changes dramatically. The singer reveals having shot the angel upon seeing them, causing them to fall to the ground and lay there bleeding. They realize too late that the vision was real and not imaginary, and that they caused a great tragedy. The final line is a reaffirmation of the ocean and the stream metaphor.
Overall, the lyrics of "Angelus" explore themes of honor, guilt, redemption, and the fleeting nature of beauty. The singer is on a quest and has a vision of pure beauty before them, but they ruin it through violence, causing regret and heartache. The song's slow and somber melody adds to the melancholic tone, making the listener empathize with the singer's sorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
Ich war so müd, mein Weg war weit
I was exhausted and my journey was long
Und voll von Steinen auch
There were obstacles along the way
Ich kroch ein Stück davon auf Knien
I had to crawl on my knees to overcome them
Den Rest wohl auf dem Ruach
The rest of my journey was carried by the wind
Du warst für mich ein hohes Tor
You were like a gateway to me
Bei meiner Wiederkehr
When I returned
Ich lass dich nimmermehr
I will never leave you again
Ich bin der Bach der talwärts fließt
I am the stream that flows downhill
Du aber bist das Meer
But you are the sea
Ich habe meinen Engel Im Aufwind schweben sehen
I saw my angel soaring in the updraft
Hoch über allen Wolken
Far above the clouds
Und überirdisch schön
And otherworldly beautiful
Du spanntest deine Schwingen auf
You spread your wings
Sie waren weiß und weit
They were white and broad
Und ich versank darinnen ganz
I was completely absorbed in them
Ein Hauch von Ewigkeit
A hint of eternity
Umwehte mich in deinem Arm
Enveloped me in your embrace
Doch weil ich dem Bild nicht traute
But because I did not trust the vision
Schoss ich auf ihn und sah
I shot at the angel and saw
Bestürzt den Engel stürzen
The angel fell in dismay
Und blutig lag er da
And lay there bleeding
Ich war der Bach der talwärts floss
I was the stream that flowed downstream
Du aber warst das Meer
But you were the sea
Contributed by Lucas H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.