Pappalardi was born in the Bronx in 1939, the son of a doctor. He studied classical music and graduated from the University of Michigan, and came back to New York seeking work as a conductor before being lured to the burgeoning folk music community in Greenwich Village. He later worked as a backup musician and arranger with Tim Hardin, the Youngbloods, Ian and Sylvia, the Mugwumps, and Tom Rush. It was in 1966, while hanging out in the Village that he chanced upon a group of Middle Eastern-born or -descended musicians, playing at a coffee house called Feejon. Pappalardi began playing with them, and eventually they became the unofficial house band at Feejon -- the core members of the group, which took the name The Devil's Anvil, were Steve Knight (rhythm guitar, bass, bouzouki), Jerry Satpir (lead guitar, vocals), Elierzer Adoram (accordion), and Kareem Issaq (oud, vocals). Knight and Pappalardi developed a good working relationship, trading the bass and guitar spots during the recording of the group's one album, Hard Rock from the Middle East, which set the stage for their subsequent team-up together in Mountain.
The Devil's Anvil never caught on as a recording act, in part because of the timing of their debut album's release. The very same day that Hard Rock from the Middle East hit the stores, the 1967 Arab-Israeli War broke out, and not a single radio station anywhere in New York (where the group was based and, thus, had its best shot at airplay) would go near the album. The members eventually went their separate ways, Knight into Mountain and the rest out of the pop music industry.
Pappalardi, who was all over the group's only album on bass and guitar, as well as singing (joined by guest musicians Bobby Greg and Herb Lovelle on drums and Mike Mohel on the durbeki), subsequently emerged as an internationally known rock producer, based on his work later in 1967 producing Wheels of Fire by Cream. He formed Mountain in 1968 with Steve Knight, Corky Laing, and Vagrant's guitarist Leslie West, who spent four years as hard-rock superstars recording for Pappalardi's own Windfall label. In 1974, he formed a Japanese heavy metal outfit called Creation (no relation to the British band of that name), and began a solo career late in the 1970's -- eventually, he also began trying to write music for Broadway and television. On April 17, 1983, he was shot to death by his wife in an apparent accident.
Misirlou
The Devil's Anvil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Natives kneel in prayer by their caravans.
There, silhouetted under and eastern star,
I see my long lost blossom of shalimar
You, Misirlou, Are the moon and the sun, fairest one.
We'll find our Kismet, answering love's command.
You, Misirlou, are a dream of delight in the night.
To an oasis, sprinkled by stars above,
Heaven will guide us, Allah will bless our love.
The Devil's Anvil's song Misirlou is a romantic and poetic ode to love in the desert. The song begins with an image of the creeping desert shadows, giving the listener a sense of the vastness and mystery of the setting. The sight of the natives kneeling in prayer by their caravans adds to the ambiance of the exotic location. The lyrics then describe a vision of a lost love, who appears under an eastern star in a silhouette form. This long lost and beloved figure is referred to as the "blossom of shalimar", adding a sense of poetic beauty to the imagery of the desert.
The chorus of the song describes the beloved Misirlou as the "moon and the sun", encapsulating the idea that she is everything to the singer. The old temple bells calling across the sand signify the start of a new journey, where love's command will lead the couple towards their destined meeting. The last verse of the song speaks of an oasis sprinkled with stars, which will guide the couple towards their destined love. The singer believes that heaven will guide them and bless their love as they journey towards Kismet (destiny).
Overall, the lyrics of Misirlou paint a romantic picture in the midst of a desert, with the singer searching for his beloved. The song's dreamy and poetic lyrics imbue a sense of romance and passion, which is further complemented by the exotic and mysterious melody of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Desert shadows creep across purple sands.
The darkness of the desert spreads over the purple sand.
Natives kneel in prayer by their caravans.
The people who live in the desert are praying while they are by their caravans.
There, silhouetted under an eastern star,
At that place, the person is in the shadow of an eastern star,
I see my long lost blossom of shalimar
The person sees their long lost love, the blossom of shalimar.
You, Misirlou, Are the moon and the sun, fairest one.
Misirlou, you are the fairest one, like both the moon and the sun in the sky.
Old temple bells are calling across the sand.
The sound of the old temple bells is spreading across the sand.
We'll find our Kismet, answering love's command.
We will discover our fate, in response to the call of love.
You, Misirlou, are a dream of delight in the night.
Misirlou, you are a delightful dream in the night.
To an oasis, sprinkled by stars above,
To a place that is like an oasis, with stars sprinkled above,
Heaven will guide us, Allah will bless our love.
Our love will be blessed by Allah, and Heaven will show us the way.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: MILTON LEEDS, N ROUBANIS, BOB RUSSELL, FRED WISE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind