The basic idea behind Durutti Column’s music is to break with whatever structure supports the foundations of musical formalism, in order to try and create a kind of music which really can belong to everyone.
The Durutti Column partly derives its name from the struggle of revolutionary anarchist Buenaventura Durruti to liberate Spain during the bloody civil war of the 1930s. A legendary anarchist, he fueled a libertarian communist movement with lofty ideals and eventually led a formidable column of 6,000 men towards Zaragoza during the summer of 1936. His aim was to liberate the city, defeat Fascism and declare a free commune but his plan failed when the column became entrenched just outside the city. Later he was persuaded to go to Madrid with his men and take on Franco's Moroccan militia. During this escapade he was shot in the back.
The second source for the title comes from the activities of the Situationists Internationale in Strasbourg in 1966. In a grand gesture of anarchism they papered the walls of the city with a comic strip titled "The Return of the Durutti Column". (Note the change of spelling of Durruti's name). Vini Reilly explains: "I was always interested in the Situationists Internationale -- an anarchist group in Europe who published a book with a sandpaper cover so that it would destroy all the other books on the shelves. In the Sixties they were very radical and through their slogans, criticisms and ideas, wanted to change something. They used the title 'the Return of the Durutti Column' many times in their manifestos. So you can see that I saw the production of a very tranquil music in 1979 as an anarchic gesture!"
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The Durutti Column Lyrics
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Into the grass where we lie
A lark spirals upwards in perfect pitch
Soaring into exquisite tension
[chorus]
In the dawn
In the dawn
In the dawn
By the first cigarette of the day
Instincts move us into
The rhythms of love
Soaring into
Exquisite tension
Making gentle pornography together
[chorus]
A brightness falling through the air
Into the grass where we lie
A lark spirals upwards in perfect pitch
Soaring into
Exquisite tension
[chorus]
The Durutti Column's song "Sketch For Dawn" is a poetic and insightful description of a moment of love and vitality at the break of dawn. The song opens with the image of a "brightness falling through the air" and landing on the grass, where the singer and his lover are lying. The beauty of the dawn is further highlighted by the sight of a lark rising "upwards in perfect pitch". The singer and his lover are moved by the exquisite tension of this moment and their instincts lead them to the "rhythms of love".
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "In the dawn" and emphasizes the significance of this moment. The lyrics suggest that all dreams and worries are burnt away by the first cigarette of the day, leaving only the instinctual desire for connection and intimacy. The feeling of being in love is described as a kind of "gentle pornography", suggesting that the intensity of the moment is both private and transcendent.
Line by Line Meaning
A brightness falling through the air
The feeling of something uplifting that beams directly and straight to the ground.
Into the grass where we lie
Landing softly and gradually onto the green and cushiony lawn.
A lark spirals upwards in perfect pitch
A bird elegantly flaps its wings and soars high in the sky with melodic and harmonious vocalizations.
Soaring into exquisite tension
The feeling of an increasingly powerful buildup of excitement and intensity as the bird ascends.
[chorus]
This stanza is repeated throughout the song, signifying the cyclical patterns of life and the cyclical nature of the music.
Dreams burnt away
The awakening from a picturesque state of mind, leaving behind the fanciful and unrealistic thoughts.
By the first cigarette of the day
The reliance on a stimulant to start the day and ignite one's senses.
Instincts move us into
The natural impulses within us guide us to act in response to stimuli.
The rhythms of love
The cyclical patterns of emotion and connection between individuals.
Soaring into exquisite tension
As emotions increase, so does the intensity and thrill of the experience.
Making gentle pornography together
Describing the process of making love in delicate and intimate terms.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Michael Dewar
takes me back to my student days. Still sounds great, mesmeric with the lights off.
Andrew
Glad a major label is uploading the album in its entirety like this on YouTube, it’s a nice treat <3
Jim Donegan
This is a real blast from the past for me. I wore out my tape with this track on it plus other Durutti Column stuff from back in the day. Non-stop playing over and over when I had a Walkman!
PizzaDinosaur
I like so much that the beat is a heartbeat. Very comforting and easy listening.
Holly
Whhhaaaat? This sounds so fresh still. Taking this into summer with me 💖💖💖🌞🌞🌞
Javier Martínez
I love you princess
Christopher West
Utterly beautiful,still sounds fresh as a daisy.😀😀😀
Alpa
well, well, well This guys are the blueprint for todays indie music scene.
Dan Tay 🌻
Vinny was my neighbour when i was like 6/7 years old. Used to have a go at me for playing footy kicking a ball against his wall told me time and time again 'i need my rest' appatently Tony Wilson even had a go at me for it at which point my mum told him to piss off. Vinny, if you see this, i'm sorry i was a kid i'm 40 now and appreciate what you were making in that flat.
Francisca
Love it!