The Czars were an indie rock band which formed in 1994 in Denver, Colorado.… Read Full Bio ↴The Czars were an indie rock band which formed in 1994 in Denver, Colorado. They were led by John Grant (vocals) and Chris Pearson (bass). The band split around 2004.

The band started in May 1994 when vocalist John Grant and bassist Chris Pearson had a chance meeting at Rock Island, a club in Denver’s lower downtown warehouse district. It took over a year to pull a complete band together and play their first show. The early years were slow, but recording began with local music icon Bob Ferbrache in 1995, who produced the first two albums. Contrary to press releases, the band actually self-released two albums, “Moodswing” and “La Brea Tar Pits of Routine” on their own label, Velveteen Records in 1995 and 1997, the later was sent to Cocteau Twins' Bella Union in London. Bella Union thought there was some promise and a follow-up five-song demo was quickly recorded and sent to Cocteau’s Simon Raymonde. He offered the band a four album deal soon after. The Czars would be the first American band to sign with London's Bella Union. A string of local opening gigs followed with opening slots for Low, the Dirty Three, and Ween

Recording on “Before...But Longer” was initiated at London’s September Sound studio in September ’98, and Raymonde finished production on the album in December.

By the end of ‘99 The Czars were named Best Rock Band by Westword (a local Denver music magazine). The following year the band was approached to compose the soundtrack for an independent film, “I’d Rather Be … Gone" again through the connections of Bella Union. Although it never saw the light of day outside of the Gay and Lesbian film festival in San Francisco, the soundtrack mini EP was released by Toronto's Absalom Recordings that November. Self-produced by the band in Denver with Colin Bricker at NFA studios this remains a collector's item.

Even though, the band didnt sell many records, the label stuck with them, and next up was the second album “The Ugly People vs. The Beautiful People.” Recorded in Denver over a month in early 2001, when Simon Raymonde took more time away from his family and label back home in London and produced it out of his love for the band. It was released in October with cover art featuring asses and tattoos. After 23 takes at “Black and Blue” the band nearly killed each other, but the recording was finished and accolades poured in, winning the 2002 album of the year in Westword and receiving critical praise from Mojo, Q, and NME. The band signed to Manifesto Records for a one-record deal for the United States.

The Czars toured Europe opening for David Gray, 16 Horsepower, and The Flaming Lips. Three small US tours followed. The band recorded and self-produced the tour EP “X Would Rather Listen to Y Than Suffer Through a C of Z’s”, a reference to John’s linguistics book on Russian sentence structure.

Despite all the touring, the band were not making any kind of critical breakthrough, despite Bella Union's best efforts in bringing the band over to Europe several times and releasing several singles. The band recorded "Goodbye” with money donated by fans. Work was completed in June 2004, and “Goodbye” was released to much acclaim last September. Picked as the 38th on the Top 50 albums of the year by Mojo, it beat out such luminaries as The Shins, Morrissey, and Bjork. Still the breakthrough wasn't on the horizon and whilst fellow labelmates like Explosions in The Sky and Midlake were also selling records as well as picking up plaudits, The Czars remained an enigma. The band were rarely happy in each other's company and recording and touring always seemed traumatic. Perhaps the audience picked up on this in someway.

In 2004, the core of the band would dissolve away over the course of the ultimately prophetic last album entitled “Goodbye”. Over the span of nine months would see the departure of five out of six members, including original founding members Jeff and Chris, plus long-time guitarists Andy and Roger, as well as violinist Elin Palmer.

For Emily
The Czars Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

What a dream I had
Pressed in organdy
Clothed in crinoline of smoky burgundy
Softer than the rain
I wandered empty streets
Down past the shop displays
I heard cathedral bells
Tripping down the alley ways

As I walked on

And when you ran to me
Your cheeks flushed with the night
We walked on frosted fields
Of juniper and lamplight
I held your hand

And when I awoke and felt you warm and near
I kissed your honey hair with my grateful tears

Oh, I love you, girl
Oh, I love you

Overall Meaning

The Czars' "For Emily" tells a story of a dream that the lead singer had, where he is wandering empty streets and passing shop displays, as he hears cathedral bells ringing down the alley ways. The dream then transitions to a memory, where the lead singer is walking on frosted fields of juniper and lamplight with his loved one, whose cheeks are flushed with the night. The song's nostalgic tone is emphasized by the soft organ notes, gentle guitar strumming, and the lead singer's tender vocals. The dream and memory blur together as the lead singer awakes to find his loved one lying beside him, and he is overcome with gratitude and love.

It's possible that the song's title, "For Emily," was inspired by the poet Emily Dickinson, whose romantic poems and musings share a similar tone and theme with the song. The song's choice of instruments, including an organ, piano, and guitar, gives it a dreamy and cinematic quality, adding to the song's nostalgia and romanticism. The lyrics, too, are poetic and evocative, painting vivid images of organdy and crinoline clothing, smoky burgundy colors, and juniper fields. Overall, "For Emily" is a beautiful and wistful song that captures the bittersweet feeling of longing for a love that has passed.

Line by Line Meaning

What a dream I had
The author describes a vivid dream that they had.

Pressed in organdy
The dream involved wearing a delicate and glamorous dress made from organdy.

Clothed in crinoline of smoky burgundy
The dress was further embellished with a smoky burgundy crinoline fabric, making it even more stylish.

Softer than the rain
The dress was soft and comfortable, compared to the gentle feel of rainfall on one's skin.

I wandered empty streets
In the dream, the author wandered through deserted city streets.

Down past the shop displays
The author walked past shops that were closed for the night and couldn't enter, only admire the displays from the outside.

I heard cathedral bells
The author could hear the sound of bells ringing from nearby cathedrals in the distance.

Tripping down the alley ways
The sound of the bells echoed through the narrow alleys, giving the impression of them bouncing around the walls.

As I walked on
The author continued their journey through the city streets.

And when you ran to me
Suddenly, the author was joined by someone who ran towards them.

Your cheeks flushed with the night
The person who joined the author had rosy cheeks from the cold, dark night outside.

We walked on frosted fields
Together, the two walked through fields covered in frost and snow.

Of juniper and lamplight
The scent of juniper berries filled the cold air while the streets were lit by old-fashioned lampposts.

I held your hand
The author and the other person held hands as they walked together.

And when I awoke and felt you warm and near
The dream became so realistic that when the author woke up, they felt the warmth of the person next to them and had a strong emotional reaction.

I kissed your honey hair with my grateful tears
The author felt grateful and emotional, expressing it by kissing the other person's hair while crying in happiness.

Oh, I love you, girl
The author expresses their love towards the other person.

Oh, I love you
The author reiterates their love in a more general sense.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL SIMON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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