The album also earned the artist a Grammy Award in March 1988 in the category of 'Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male'. In that same year, D'Arby earned three Soul Train Award nominations for 'Male Album of the Year' (from releasing 'Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby'), 'Male Single of the Year' (from releasing "Wishing Well"), and 'Best New Artist'. Receiving immense critical praise for a work that became RIAA certified as mutli-platinum, fans worried that he may have peaked too early, but they found D'Arby determined to continue down his own unique musical path.
D'Arby was born in Manhattan, New York, and he joined the army after leaving college, serving in Elvis Presley's old regiment in Germany. He was formally discharged by the army in 1983 after going absent without leave. While in Germany, he also worked with the group The Touch, releasing an album of material called 'Love On Time' in 1984. That album was later re-issued in 1989 as 'Early Works'.
D'Arby's follow-up studio album, 'Neither Fish Nor Flesh', came out in 1989. It sold over two million copies and earned praise from fans. Many critical reviews, however, were mixed and faulted D'Arby for what they saw as wandering about musically with a purpose, and the artist's acrimonious disputes with his record label grated on him. Note that the album is often alternatively known as 'Neither Fish Nor Flesh: A Soundtrack of Love, Faith, Hope & Destruction',
The expectations placed on D'Arby's shoulders from his early success caused him to undertake some needed soul searching. It took four more years and a move to Los Angeles, California until his next project, 1993's 'Symphony or Damn', was released. Also known as 'Symphony or Damn: Exploring the Tension Inside the Sweetness', the work proved somewhat of a commercial comeback and peaked at #4 on the U.K. album charts while receiving many supportive reviews.
D'Arby had moved into more and more of a musical vibe influenced by gritty rock, often inspired by blues. In 1995, D'Arby released 'Vibrator', which largely followed his previous work in its musical direction. Sadly, his commercial prospects were judged by many critics to be waning.
During the mid-90s, the relations between the artist and his label, Columbia Records, had became strained to the braking point, leading to the artist's departure in 1996. This was followed by four-years on Java Records, during which he recorded an album titled 'Terence Trent D'Arby's Solar Return'. Said work, however, was never released. In 2000, he bought the rights to his unreleased album and left the record company as well as Lippman Entertainment, which was his then-management-team.
In 1999, D'Arby was briefly hired by INXS to replace his friend, late vocalist Michael Hutchence, so the band could play at the opening of facilities for the Sydney Olympics.
In 2001 D'Arby changed his name to Sananda Francesco Maitreya. The same year, he settled in Munich, Germany, and started his own independent record label, Treehouse Pub. The year also marked his first album release in six years, Wildcard (the unreleased "Solar Return"). The album, first available for free through his website, was later released through a one-album distribution deal with Universal Music.
In 2002 Maitreya moved to Milan, Italy, and began working on his next project, Angels & Vampires - Volume I.
In July 2005 Maitreya started working on Angels & Vampires - Volume II, he released chapter after chapter online as soon he finished recording the songs. In April 2006 he released the finished album; again via his website.
Since 2006, Maitreya has released five more studio albums, alongside touring and the release of a few live albums and various live shows to his YouTube channel. In 2020, Maitreya was featured on The Avalanches' single Reflecting Light which would later be on their 'We Will Always Love You' album, later that same year.
Trivia:
D'Arby/Maitreya appeared in in the TV series "Shake, Rattle And Roll" where he played the part of Jackie Wilson. His music has also been included on several movie soundtracks, most notably 1991's Frankie and Johnny.
Turn The Page
Terence Trent D'Arby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To speak with a prima ballerina's rage
And speak of all the kingdoms
That would swoop down
Stick around
Then proceed to ignore you
No flash pot pan, guitar man
Or resurrected Apollo myth
Feed your plate
And just plain worship and adore you
But the pills you swill
Bring you no thrill
So travel lightly on the wing this time
Leaving all your baggage behind
As you wander through your vagabond stage
And find yourself shovelling shit
With a rusty jack-handle queen of a broken spade
You must not be afraid
You must turn the page
You wore your goddess down
In jaundiced disarray
Your halo fell into decay
Swiped by those you loved
But could not hold in sway behind you
And then the dry spell leaves
At a low shutter speed
Long enough for you to see
That you create your own reality
And that the wait alone will not enshrine you
And the war that you swore
Would pour through your door
To come to your rescue this time
Is all in your mind
Now as you wander through your vagabond stage
And you find yourself shovelling shit
With a rusty jack-handle queen of a broken spade
And you find yourself kicking dirt around
With your Paris green pumps
Of pentacles and precious jade
You must not be afraid
You must turn the page
You dreamt a world of things
Like you were a duchess born
Or Coretta Scott King
And the queen does not invite you over for a tea at her gaff
In Scotland
Or in Buckingham's back-yard
Now I'm sure 'Van the Man' of whom I'm a fan
Can surely understand
As he said "It is not why, it just is."
So therefore you need not remain scarred
And in time you'll find
That your salvation is mine
As you travel lightly on the wing this time
Leaving all your baggage behind
Now as you wander through your vagabond stage
And you find yourself shovelling shit
With a rusty jack-handle queen of a broken spade
And you find yourself kicking dirt around
With your Paris green pumps
Of pentacles and precious jade
Pulling the roots from your hair
Dyed from a bottle
You saw in a windows with
An 'Everything must go!!' sale sign
Prominently displayed
And yet waiting for your dancing
On the edge of a precipice heart to sing
Those serenading soul songs
That fulfillingness and consciousness brings
Releasing you from your captive cage
Replacing love for all your rage
Turning your hope on a rope's magic pope kaleidoscope
Into a rabbit's foot parade
You must not be afraid
(Eyes forward babe)
You must turn the page
One thing is sure
And that is change
When the water's rising
You can't remain
Move to dry land
Move to dry land
You've got to move on
The lyrics of Terence Trent D'Arby's song Turn The Page depict a journey of transformation for the singer. The song begins by acknowledging the singer's choice to speak with a "prima ballerina's rage" about the kingdoms that have ignored them. The singer has no divine intervention to ensure their success, and the pills they take do not bring them joy. The song suggests that the singer must travel lightly on the wing and leave their excess baggage behind, taking their vagabond stage as they wander through life. While they shovel excrement with a rusty jack-handle queen of a broken spade, they must be unafraid and turn the page.
Later in the song, the singer realizes that they have worn down their goddess in "jaundiced disarray," and their halo has been swiped by those they could not keep in their sway. However, they also recognize that the dry spell leaves, allowing them to acknowledge that they create their own reality. It appears that the singer has been waiting for a war that will never come, rather the war is all in their mind. This part of the song paints a picture of frustration and a continuous cycle of hope and disappointment. The singer then reminds themselves that change is the only certainty, and they must move to dry land to survive as they cannot remain in rising water.
Line by Line Meaning
You chose with age
As you grow older, you made certain choices that have led you to where you are today.
To speak with a prima ballerina's rage
You express yourself with the intense passion of a renowned ballerina.
And speak of all the kingdoms
You talk about different worlds and possibilities.
That would swoop down
These worlds or possibilities would come down to you.
Stick around
Although they are present, they may not last very long or leave a lasting impact.
Then proceed to ignore you
Despite their fleeting presence, these possibilities do not care much about you.
No flash pot pan, guitar man
You are not a flashy or well-known musician.
Or resurrected Apollo myth
You are not a symbol of divine qualities or an iconic figure that will be remembered for centuries.
To seal your fate
You do not have an ultimate destiny that is already predetermined for you.
Feed your plate
You must work hard to sustain yourself and make a living.
And just plain worship and adore you
There are no legions of fans waiting to cheer you on and follow you blindly.
But the pills you swill
You consume drugs or substances to cope with your reality.
Bring you no thrill
These drugs do not bring you the satisfaction or joy that you seek.
So travel lightly on the wing this time
Take a more carefree and unencumbered approach to your journey forward.
Leaving all your baggage behind
Do not let your past experiences or regrets weigh you down anymore.
As you wander through your vagabond stage
You are in a phase of wandering and moving around without a fixed destination or purpose.
And find yourself shovelling shit
You may end up doing unpleasant or demeaning jobs to make ends meet.
With a rusty jack-handle queen of a broken spade
You are using outdated or broken equipment to do this job.
You must not be afraid
You should not let your fears stop you from moving forward.
You wore your goddess down
You treated someone special in your life poorly and caused them to lose faith in you.
In jaundiced disarray
Things fell apart around you and you were unable to prevent or fix them.
Your halo fell into decay
Your sense of righteousness or moral superiority disintegrated over time.
Swiped by those you loved
The people who were close to you took advantage of your goodness or naivete.
But could not hold in sway behind you
However, they were not able to control or affect your actions or destiny.
And then the dry spell leaves
After a prolonged period of hardships or struggles, things begin to look up.
At a low shutter speed
This positive change is gradual and slow, not sudden or dramatic.
Long enough for you to see
You have enough time and clarity of thought to recognize this change.
That you create your own reality
Your life experiences and outcomes are shaped by your own actions and attitudes.
And that the wait alone will not enshrine you
You cannot simply wait for good things to happen to you, you must take action to make them happen.
And the war that you swore
You promised yourself that you would fight against your adversaries or problems.
Would pour through your door
You expected external forces to help you overcome these problems.
To come to your rescue this time
You believed that this help would finally come when you needed it most.
Is all in your mind
These hopes or beliefs are unfounded and not based in reality.
And you find yourself kicking dirt around
You may feel restless, frustrated, or dissatisfied with your current situation.
With your Paris green pumps
You are wearing fashionable and stylish footwear that belies your economic or social standing.
Of pentacles and precious jade
You possess some valuable or prized possessions that you may use or admire, but that do not truly define you.
Pulling the roots from your hair
You are trying to remove any superficial or fake traits from your personality.
Dyed from a bottle
You may have presented yourself in ways that were artificial or misleading in the past.
You saw in a window with
You may have been influenced or swayed by societal norms or expectations.
An 'Everything must go!!' sale sign
You are realizing that these societal norms or expectations may not always be helpful or healthy.
And yet waiting for your dancing
You are anticipating a time when you can fully express yourself and feel free from constraints.
On the edge of a precipice heart to sing
You are close to experiencing a moment of intense emotion or passion.
Those serenading soul songs
These emotions are reflected in the music or lyrics you hear.
That fulfillingness and consciousness brings
You have a deep sense of spiritual or existential fulfillment when you experience these emotions.
Replacing love for all your rage
You are learning to let go of your anger or resentment and embrace love and compassion instead.
Turning your hope on a rope's magic pope kaleidoscope
You are clinging onto hope for your future, even if it seems unlikely or surreal.
Into a rabbit's foot parade
Your hope may be a symbol of good luck or fortune, but it is not a guarantee of success.
One thing is sure
There is only one thing that is guaranteed.
And that is change
Things will not remain the same, they will always evolve and transform.
When the water's rising
When you are experiencing difficult times and adversity.
You can't remain
You cannot stay still or idle during these hard times, you must persevere and overcome them.
Move to dry land
You must seek safety and security in a new place, situation, or mindset.
You've got to move on
You must let go of the past and move forward towards new opportunities and experiences.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bob Seger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind