Signed to Midnight Music in 1985 after a year of gigging, their début album Purity (1986) was released to great acclaim, preceded by the 12-inch single, 'Endless Lakes', which was especially succesful in Holland and Germany.
1987 saw the release of the follow-up album, A Monument of Trust, plus the single 'A Mirage', a catchy tune that cracked the Top 10 in Spain. It was then that The Essence started to tour Europe extensively, building up a strong and faithful following in amongst others, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
The popularity of the band continued to grow with the release of the third album. Ecstasy (1988). The videos of the singles 'Only For You' (1989) and 'Like Christ' (1990) got regular airplay on MTV. The group recorded their fourth album, Nothing Lasts Forever (1991), a powerful and dark concept album that made its way to an ever growing following around the world, including Japan and the United States.
A 'best of' CD entitled Dancing In The Rain, was released by Cherry Red Records in 1994 and 1995 saw the release of the fifth studio-album, Glow, on CNR. It was originally intended to be called Afterglow, but the band re-recorded the material especially for CNR. 'Glow' became a hard-to-find collector's item when the label offloaded its catalogue and stopped promoting the record altogether, after which The Essence returned to the original recordings, re-recorded most of the album and self-released Afterglow after all.
The Essence never split up. They continued to tour internationally as a three-piece, but they never recorded an album again, in spite of their announcement that a new album was set for release in 2007. The band's complete studio recordings were released in a box-set by Cherry Red Records in 2018, entitled 'The Essence 35: The Collection 1985-2015'.
1985 line-up:
Hans Diener: vocals, guitar
Jeroen 'Jerry' Geertsma: bass
Olaf 'Ol' Willemsen: drums
Most recent line-up:
Hans Diener: vocals, guitar
George Tan: drums
Mark Tan: keyboards, bass
air
The Essence Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Always have to be the one that's waiting for a number in line
We're all sick of, we're all sick of following that direction
And still, with your ??? pulling us around by the ???
Gonna make you realise why we should own our own airlines, gonna make you wave goodbye
We're all tired of, tired of flying in second class, can you feel this my brothers?
Havin' to wait for the process
We're all tired of flying in second class baby, never ever navigating
Gonna make you realise why we should own our own airlines, gonna make you wave goodbye
Gonna make you wave goodbye, now and forever
Gonna make you wave goodbye, cause we'll fly away, fly away
Gonna make you realise why we should own our own airlines, gonna make you wave goodbye
Gonna make you realise why we should fly our own airlines, gonna make you wave
It's ready, it's ready, it's ready, it's ready for you
These lyrics from The Essence's song "Air" express a feeling of frustration and dissatisfaction with the airline industry. The singer claims that they are tired of always flying in second class and waiting in lines, feeling like they are never navigating on their own terms. The repetition of the phrase "we're all sick of" emphasizes the collective dissatisfaction with the status quo.
The singer suggests a solution - owning their own airlines. This would give them control and the ability to fly in their own way, without being subject to the rules and policies of other companies. The repetition of the phrase "gonna make you realize why we should" emphasizes the singer's determination to convince others of the benefits of this idea.
There is a sense of rebellion and empowerment in these lyrics, as the singer rejects the idea of always being a passenger and instead seeks to take control of their own flying experiences. The repetition of the phrase "gonna make you wave goodbye" suggests a final departure from the old way of doing things, affirming the idea that change is possible.
Overall, these lyrics express a desire for more autonomy and control in the realm of air travel, calling on others to join in this quest for change.
Line by Line Meaning
We're all tired of flying in second class baby, never ever navigating
We're exhausted from always being treated as second-class citizens and never being able to make our own decisions.
Always have to be the one that's waiting for a number in line
We're always forced to wait for our turn and stand in line to receive basic necessities.
We're all sick of, we're all sick of following that direction
We're fed up with always following society's predetermined path and never being able to break away from its expectations.
And still, with your ??? pulling us around by the ???
Despite our exhaustion and frustration, we are still being controlled and manipulated by an unknown force.
Gonna make you realise why we should own our own airlines, gonna make you wave goodbye
Through our actions, we'll show you the value of having autonomy and control over our own lives and you will be forced to say goodbye to your old ways.
We're all tired of, tired of flying in second class, can you feel this my brothers?
We're all sick of being treated as inferior, and we're asking our fellow oppressed individuals if they can identify with our struggles.
Havin' to wait for the process
We're forced to wait for a bureaucratic process that doesn't seem to be designed with our well-being in mind.
Gonna make you wave goodbye, now and forever
We'll make you say goodbye to your old ways permanently.
Gonna make you wave goodbye, cause we'll fly away, fly away
We'll soar away and be free from the constraints that previously held us back.
Gonna make you realise why we should own our own airlines, gonna make you wave goodbye
Our actions will demonstrate why it's crucial for us to have complete control over our lives and will force you to acknowledge this truth.
Gonna make you realise why we should fly our own airlines, gonna make you wave
We'll show you why it's important for us to chart our own courses, and this will force you to acknowledge the value of independence.
It's ready, it's ready, it's ready, it's ready for you
We're prepared to take control of our lives, and we're inviting you to join us on this journey.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: HANS DIENER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lucas Sigurdsson
This night
I never thought it would end
I lie here
Alone
And think of you
Somehow you screamed
You managed to once say to me
How much you really cared
I don't know if you know what that means to me
Just to hear these words
You said you would never run away
You told me that was yesterday
But tonight you have gone away
Don't you know how I cried for this
I'm so hurt, this feeling
I'll never get used to somehow
Today
I woke up with this tear
I looked beside me
There was nothing but fear
Somehow you said
For always you wanted to be with me
Now you are no longer with me
I never cried softly
But hard all the time
Just to cover up
You told me that was yesterday
Tomorrow's another day
Why do I just care so much
It hurts deep inside
And there is no one here to help me
Just to help me
Run away from it all
So fast...
I never could love
I never could leave
I never could feel
Could feel
TwinkieHeart
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