Initial line-up
The group first featured Fier, singer-guitarist Arto Lindsay, saxophonist John Zorn, bass guitarist Bill Laswell and violinist/guitarist Fred Frith, with appearances by bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma, guitarist Nicky Skopelitis, percussionist David Moss, guitarist/singer Bob Kidney, turntablist M.E. Miller and others. Their self-titled debut album was released on New York's Celluloid Records in 1983. The album is notable for having some of the first recorded turntable scratching outside of rap music, courtesy of Laswell and M.E. Miller. They were heavily influenced by so-called no wave music (Arto Lindsay had played in the seminal no-wave band DNA), but their music also contained elements of funk and of the improvisational jazz stylings that would become Zorn's trademark. This line-up lasted only for the first record, although all of the core members, save for Zorn, would guest on subsequent Palominos recordings.
1985–1989
The Palominos' next album, 1985's Visions of Excess, would sound vastly different, leaning towards songs more in a folk vein, with a sound in some respects pre-dating the emergence of the alt-country genre by a few years; However, in an example of a stylistic jump, one song, "The Animal Speaks", featured a pronounced, punk-like electric guitar part and vocals by The Sex Pistols' John Lydon. This record was also noteworthy as the debut of singer Syd Straw, whose songwriting and vocals would be featured prominently on this record and the groups next album. Cream's Jack Bruce, guitarist Richard Thompson, and R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe also appeared on the record. Of the band members that were on the first record, only Fier and Arto Lindsay had remained.
Blast Of Silence was released in 1986, carrying on in much of the same vein as Visions Of Excess and with appearances by many of the same personnel. It included covers of two songs written by Little Feat's Lowell George, both sung by Syd Straw. The record also featured prominent guest appearances by Matthew Sweet, Don Dixon, Peter Holsapple and T-Bone Burnett.
A Dead Horse (1989) carried on in the sound of its predecessors slightly, but some of the songs also crossed into a darker, more ambient and ethereal sound, a sound which would dominate the Palomino records of the 1990s. Syd Straw had moved on and was no longer in the band, with most of the vocals now handled by Amanda Kramer, formerly of the dance music group Information Society. Fier would later guest on Straw's first solo record, Surprise.
1990–1995
Drunk With Passion marked the first record not on Celluloid Records, with its sound taking from some of the darker cues heard on A Dead Horse and also using more processed and electronic sounds, giving many of its songs an ethereal feel. This album could be argued was more influenced by its guest appearances than any of the others, who included Hüsker Dü's Bob Mould (who would go on to form the band Sugar the following year), Richard Thompson, and Michael Stipe, who would provide (along with a forceful solo by Thompson) one of the band's finer moments, the opening track "Alive And Living Now". Nicky Skopelitis would also became more of a cornerstone of the band, contributing to the bulk of Drunk With Passion's songs along with Fier and Kramer. In 1992, Fier would release his first solo record, Dreamspeed.
This Is How It Feels, released on Restless Records in 1993, continued on in much of the ambient sound of Drunk With Passion, but it also incorporated many elements of club and trance music. It also marked the introduction of new lead vocalist Lori Carson (www.loricarson.com), who co-wrote nine of the CD's tracks with Anton Fier. Bill Laswell also returned to contribute on this record, and his production work on this and on the following record, Pure, would heavily influence Laswell's own remix work of the late 90's, as seen on the CDs Emerald Ather and City Of Light. The album also contains the first cover song since Visions Of Excess, an ethereal, drum-machine laced re-interpretation of Jackson Browne's "These Days". To further highlight the album's dance elements, an EP of remixes of songs from This Is How It Feels , entitled Prison Of The Rhythm, was released shortly after the CD's release.
Pure,released a year later, is seen by many as the band's most focused work, due much to the strong contributions once again of Carson, Laswell, and Skopelitis. Tracks such as "No Skin" and "Pure" continue in the dance/ambient style of the previous album. The CD would also stir a minor controversy over the bare female breast on its cover, with some stores only carrying a version of the CD with a booklet where the cover had been replaced by simple, text-based artwork. Another remix EP (No Thought, No Breath, No Eyes, No Heart) accompanied Pure's release.
Pure would also be the last Palominos record for Lori Carson; However, interestingly, the song "Little Suicides", from Pure showed much of same sparse sound, production, and strong yet quiet vocals (albeit less electronic) that would influence Carson's solo work. Anton Fier would produce Carson's 1995 solo record, Where It Goes.
1994 also saw the release of Fier's second solo recording, blindlight, which used outtakes from Pure for much of its framework.
1995–2000
Dead Inside (1996) was another stylistic turnaround for the Palominos, and their last proper album. This time, the record had a deathly, industrial sound, with the line-up consisting only of Fier, multi-instrumentalist Knox Chandler (who before joining the Palominos, was also in a band with Lori Carson, and went on to join Siouxsie and The Banshees), Nicky Skopelitis, and poet Nicole Blackman. Blackman's dark and deliberate lyrics (tellingly, Blackman had also recently worked with the industrial German band KMFDM) made Dead Inside a challenging record; its sound and tone stand out decidedly as unlike any of the others. The album's opener is the brutal, spoken-word track, "Victim".
In 1997, The Palominos released another EP, named Dead Outside, composed of five remixes of tracks from Dead Inside. However, this EP was released as free MP3s on the Internet, made available for a limited time through Nicole Blackman's website and also through a fan-created band website (since decommissioned).
"Dead Outside" consisted of these five remixes, which were available for download for one month only, as per Fier's instructions. 'Victim: The Last Thing' by Sean Beavan (whose credits include 8MM/Nine Inch Nails/Marilyn Manson) with John Van Eaton (a frequent Blackman collaborator who has worked with NIN for 10 years) 'Ride: Pragmatic Spasmatic' by Raymond Watts (of KMFDM/Pig) "Belfast: Empty As Wire" by Scanner (another Blackman collaborator) "Ride" by Mark Walk (of Ruby) "Victim: Interference" by John Van Eaton.
Post-Palominos careers and reunion
Both Syd Straw and Lori Carson have gone on to moderately successful and critically acclaimed solo careers, with Carson a frequent contributor to television shows and movies. A compilation of some of Carson's contributed songs, called Stolen Beauty, was released by Rykodisc in 2003, and a new Carson solo record, The Finest Thing, was then released in 2004.
The Golden Palominos reunited for two shows in New York City in 2010; A May 7th show at Le Poisson Rouge; and a May 11th show at The Living Room. The personnel on May 7th was Syd Straw, Jody Harris, Jim Campilongo, Tony Maimone and Anton Fier with Special guest Robert Kidney on vocals and guitar. Both shows were an unqualified success and have led to considerable speculation and likelihood of additional show dates through the fall of 2010 and beyond. There was a 3rd show on September 10th.
Drown
The Golden Palominos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
His scent swims around me
Like a perfume too heavy for summer
Me lost thing
Intoxicated
Curled within him
Drowning over and over
Charmed disarmed
He comes when least expected
Sits too close
Lingers too long
Stares too deeply
And claims me with something I cannot name
Lightheaded and clean
This is a gift
Biting tongue until blood
I am sick with him
Talk goes no deeper than tonight
Words are tickets to spend time
Skin is talking to skin
Loud
I know not to go too deep
But when his hands stop
Tremble, temptation
I thrill back
Open up
Crawl walls
This woman is no man's
This man is no one's
This one is mine
In a full room, alone on a couch
He is throned
Doesn't move
Knows I will come
Smitten
It vibrates
Makes drinks tremble
Food wastes time
Cigarettes are for curling smoke
And drawing me in
This is bloody business
Guilt makes for poor postcards
So he comes in for a while
What do we know of this?
Doesn't know if he'll be allowed to stay
But he looks a while too long
And stirs the close air
Dragging me to the bottom of the lake
Couches are for excuses
And temptation
Crushed in too deep to breathe
Swoon again skin you do not know
With hands that know too much
Of what you must never say
Flesh to curl to grind
To feign sleep to balance wishes
On tongues and wait for the time
Now
Cozy he calls me
Says I smell like sweet cream
Closed eyes bring on a luscious film
Of time and silence
He tastes like stars
He feels like thunder
Regret makes you bitter
He says
Come in and swim
We disappear into a dusk
We'll never own
And never quite shake
A luscious slice
Of water
Lack of sleep makes me drift
Lake of sleep makes me wonder
He will exist
He will evaporate
I am sick with him, gone
In regret dreams he is low and sweet
Dark like a drift storm
Holding me down under the waves
Telling me not to talk
Not to move
This will only take an hour
Or two
The Golden Palominos's song "Drown" describes a toxic and addictive relationship. The singer is deeply infatuated with her lover, who she describes as "charmed disarmed." She is aware that the relationship is unhealthy, but she can't help but feel drawn to him. She describes the experience of being drowned and overwhelmed by him, saying that he claims her with something she cannot name. Despite knowing that the relationship is not good for her, she is unable to resist him.
The singer acknowledges that the relationship is shallow and temporary, saying that "talk goes no deeper than tonight" and that "words are tickets to spend time." Their relationship is mostly based on physical attraction, with "skin talking to skin" and "flesh to curl to grind." The singer admits that the relationship will ultimately end badly, but she can't resist the temptation of being with him.
The song's final lines express the singer's regret and longing for the past. She dreams of her lover, who she describes as "low and sweet" and "dark like a drift storm," and wishes that she could be with him again. The song's haunting melody and intimate lyrics capture the intensity of a doomed relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I am sick with this
I am consumed by this feeling
His scent swims around me
Like a perfume too heavy for summer
I am overwhelmed by his smell
Me lost thing
Intoxicated
Curled within him
Drowning over and over
I am lost and intoxicated, drowning in his presence
Charmed disarmed
He comes when least expected
Sits too close
Lingers too long
Stares too deeply
And claims me with something I cannot name
He disarms me with his charm, showing up unexpectedly, being too close, lingering, staring, and making me feel things I cannot describe
Lightheaded and clean
This is a gift
Biting tongue until blood
I am sick with him
I feel light and clean, like this is a gift, but I am also struggling to hold back my overwhelming feelings for him
Talk goes no deeper than tonight
Words are tickets to spend time
Skin is talking to skin
Loud
Our conversations are shallow, only for passing the time, as we communicate mainly through physical touch
I know not to go too deep
But when his hands stop
Tremble, temptation
I thrill back
Open up
Crawl walls
I know I shouldn't let myself get too attached, but when he touches me in a certain way, I can't help but open up to him
This woman is no man's
This man is no one's
This one is mine
We do not belong to anyone else but each other
In a full room, alone on a couch
He is throned
Doesn't move
Knows I will come
Despite being in a crowded room, he is the only one that matters to me and he knows it
Smitten
It vibrates
Makes drinks tremble
Food wastes time
Cigarettes are for curling smoke
And drawing me in
I am enamored with him, everything around me shakes and fades away as I am drawn to him
This is bloody business
This is serious business, it is not to be taken lightly
Guilt makes for poor postcards
So he comes in for a while
What do we know of this?
We try to ignore our guilt and enjoy each other's company, not knowing where it will lead
Doesn't know if he'll be allowed to stay
But he looks a while too long
And stirs the close air
Dragging me to the bottom of the lake
He's not sure if this will last, but his gaze lingers too long, causing palpable tension between us
Couches are for excuses
And temptation
Crushed in too deep to breathe
Swoon again skin you do not know
With hands that know too much
Of what you must never say
We use the couch as an excuse to be together, while we are consumed by the temptation to be closer; We are overwhelmed, consumed by feelings we cannot describe, and he knows too much about what we cannot say
Flesh to curl to grind
To feign sleep to balance wishes
On tongues and wait for the time
Now
Our bodies come together, pretending to sleep as we try to balance our desires and wait for the right moment to act
Cozy he calls me
Says I smell like sweet cream
Closed eyes bring on a luscious film
Of time and silence
He calls me cozy and compliments my scent, while we bask in the silence and lapse into fantasy
He tastes like stars
He feels like thunder
He tastes heavenly and feels powerful, making me weak and shaking me to my core
Regret makes you bitter
He says
Come in and swim
He urges me to forget about regrets because they will only make me bitter, and to jump into the attraction between us
We disappear into a dusk
We'll never own
And never quite shake
A luscious slice
Of water
Lack of sleep makes me drift
Lake of sleep makes me wonder
We get lost in our passion, never knowing what will come of it as we try to navigate the waters of our emotions; The lack of sleep makes me dreamy, pondering the depth of our connection
He will exist
He will evaporate
I am sick with him, gone
Our relationship will come and go, but my feelings for him will remain, and I am sick with longing when he is gone
In regret dreams he is low and sweet
Dark like a drift storm
Holding me down under the waves
Telling me not to talk
Not to move
This will only take an hour
Or two
In my dreams, I am overwhelmed and lost without him; He is strong and restraining, forbidding me to speak or act, as we become one in those brief moments
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ANTON FIER, NICOLE BLACKMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@angieormiston8028
I’m impressed 5 other people have heard this!!
@Arnaud_Wolff
beautiful song, everything is perfect here
@DanielKolbeStrange
Reminds me of Patripassian by Current 93. I like this - a lot! =D
@bellydanza85
This resonates. It is so beautiful and dreamlike.
@ogami1972
"cozy" he calls me." this album has no equal.
@fleshofdanny
"cozy he calls me...."
@Ayelis
I am sick with this
His scent swims around me
Like a perfume too heavy for summer
Me lost thing
Intoxicated
Curled within him
Drowning over and over
Charmed disarmed
He comes when least expected
Sits too close
Lingers too long
Stares too deeply
And claims me with something I cannot name
Lightheaded and clean
This is a gift
Biting tongue until blood
I am sick with him
Talk goes no deeper than tonight
Words are tickets to spend time
Skin is talking to skin
Loud
I know not to go too deep
But when his hands stop
Tremble, temptation
I thrill back
Open up
Crawl walls
This woman is no man's
This man is no one's
This one is mine
In a full room, alone on a couch
He is throned
Doesn't move
Knows I will come
Smitten
It vibrates
Makes drinks tremble
Food wastes time
Cigarettes are for curling smoke
And drawing me in
This is bloody business
Guilt makes for poor postcards
So he comes in for a while
What do we know of this?
Doesn't know if he'll be allowed to stay
But he looks a while too long
And stirs the close air
Dragging me to the bottom of the lake
Couches are for excuses
And temptation
Crushed in too deep to breathe
Swoon again skin you do not know
With hands that know too much
Of what you must never say
Flesh to curl to grind
To feign sleep to balance wishes
On tongues and wait for the time
Now
Cozy he calls me
Says I smell like sweet cream
Closed eyes bring on a luscious film
Of time and silence
He tastes like stars
He feels like thunder
Regret makes you bitter
He says
Come in and swim
We disappear into a dusk
We'll never own
And never quite shake
A luscious slice
Of water
Lack of sleep makes me drift
Lake of sleep makes me wonder
He will exist
He will evaporate
I am sick with him, gone
In regret dreams he is low and sweet
Dark like a drift storm
Holding me down under the waves
Telling me not to talk
Not to move
This will only take an hour
Or two