Hannah Levin's review of the Black Angels album, Passover, described them as "Walking in the shadows cast by Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized mastermind Jason Pierce" and compared them to The Warlocks and Black Mountain, also invoking "dirges" reminiscent of both The Velvet Underground and the 13th Floor Elevators. The band's icon is a stylized image of Nico.
In December 2007, the group announced on their blog that their second album would be released in Spring of 2008. In March 2008 a release date of May 13th was announced for their second album, Directions to See a Ghost. Their third album was "Phosphene Dream" released in 2010. This record is slowly starting to give Black Angels international recognition.
http://www.theblackangels.com/
Yellow Elevator #2
The Black Angels Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Picture your image right over your eye
Now you see you see it fall
Now you see you see you fall
See your friends around the temple on the street downtown,
Run forth to tell them all the truth that you've found
One by one they go up inside,
(Yellow elevator, yellow elevator)
(Yellow elevator, yellow elevator)
Stuck on the ground 'til
I found another way there,
Now you take a ride
On that yellow elevator
Seeing through golden light
Pierce that ceiling with the light that you find
Try behold the spirit it can burn your eyes,
You hold the fire and catch your soul
I held the fire and I want it so, again
(Yellow elevator, yellow elevator)
(Yellow elevator, yellow elevator)
Nothing's the same after that elevator
Nothing's the same after that yellow elevator
Seeing through golden light
Now I can see how the seasons all repeat
And that love makes new things out of nothing that it needs
The generation born will grow from all the crimes before,
And then stack up with all the heads
That are piled outside your door
I understand that I exist in the between,
Of what was and what will be in those blurry vision scenes,
That appear but pass us by and for a moment get you high,
'til you find your way back down
Become the truth you've found
The Black Angels's Yellow Elevator #2 is a psychedelic rock song that revolves around a journey of self-discovery and enlightenment. The first stanza talks about envisioning the world and oneself in a different way, and with a deeper understanding, like looking from the top of a skyscraper or with a more profound inner vision. The second stanza hints at a spiritual vision, where the singer is sharing his newfound understanding with his friends, who are slowly taking the path he did, with the help of a yellow elevator. Meanwhile, he seems trapped on the ground until he finds another way of enlightenment that sets him free from the chains of his previous reality.
The song continues with the motif of golden light, which represents higher consciousness, and piercing the ceiling, which symbolizes breaking free from old mindsets and limitations. The singer feels the fire of this new awareness, and even though it burns his eyes, he holds on to it, knowing that it will transform him. In the final stanza, the singer acknowledges that he exists in the space between the past and future, in that moment of clarity that seems almost transcendental. The grain of hope, however, lies in the fact that every generation learns from the crimes of the past. Hence, it contributes to a positively changing world and creates a future of possibility, powered by love.
Line by Line Meaning
Picture the skyline right over the sky
Imagine the cityscape above the blue sky
Picture your image right over your eye
Visualize yourself with eyes closed
Now you see you see it fall
Watch it all come crumbling down
Now you see you see you fall
You fall with it, too
See your friends around the temple on the street downtown,
Observe your buddies near the local temple
Run forth to tell them all the truth that you've found
Share with them the newfound truth you've discovered
One by one they go up inside,
One by one they enter the elevator
I thought that I'd been left behind too
Assumed you missed out on a chance to ascend
(Yellow elevator, yellow elevator)
Repeated chant of 'yellow elevator'
Stuck on the ground 'til
Remained earthbound until
I found another way there,
Discovered an alternative means to arrive
Now you take a ride
Now you're taking the elevator
On that yellow elevator
On board the yellow elevator
Seeing through golden light
Perceiving through the glow of the elevator's light
Pierce that ceiling with the light that you find
Break through the ceiling using the illumination you discover
Try behold the spirit it can burn your eyes,
Attempt to perceive the spirit as it can be blinding
You hold the fire and catch your soul
Captured the fire and captured your soul
I held the fire and I want it so, again
I want to experience holding the fire again
Nothing's the same after that elevator
Things are different after riding the elevator
Seeing through golden light
Experiencing the world through the golden light
Now I can see how the seasons all repeat
Can see how the cycles of the seasons persist
And that love makes new things out of nothing that it needs
Love generates new creations from seemingly nothing
The generation born will grow from all the crimes before,
Future generations will develop from crimes of the past
And then stack up with all the heads
Will pile up with other heads
That are piled outside your door
That are mounted outside your entrance
I understand that I exist in the between,
Comprehend existing in between
Of what was and what will be in those blurry vision scenes,
Between the past and the future in the hazy scenes
That appear but pass us by and for a moment get you high,
That emerge and depart rapidly, briefly elevating you
'til you find your way back down
Until you come back down to reality
Become the truth you've found
Embody the truth you've discovered
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ALEXANDER MAAS, COLIN RYAN, GEARY BLAND, KYLE HUNT, NATHANAL RYAN, STEPHANIE BAILEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind