The Lilac Time is a band from Birmingham, UK (though based in Malvern, Engl… Read Full Bio ↴The Lilac Time is a band from Birmingham, UK (though based in Malvern, England), formed by Stephen Duffy and his brother Nick Duffy in 1987. The name is taken from a line in the Nick Drake song River Man: "Gonna see the River Man/Gonna tell him all I can/About the plan/For Lilac Time".

The initial line-up for the debut album, entitled The Lilac Time, released in November 1987 was the two Duffys and keyboardist Michael Weston. Subsequent line-ups have revolved around the two brothers and included drummer Michael Giri, bassist Micky Harris, multi-instrumentalist Caroline Radcliffe, pianist Cara Tivey. Nick Duffy briefly left in 1990 and was replaced by guitarist Sagat Guirey. Later members post '91 split include backing vocalist & keyboardist Claire Worrall and pedal steel guitarist Melvin Duffy (no relation!).

The band's activity is intertwined with Stephen's solo career, waxing and waning as his time and attention permit. The longest gap between Lilac Time records was 8 years - 1991's Astronauts to 1999's Looking for a Day in the Night.

Now, Stephen Duffy is perhaps best known as the co-songwriter and producer for Robbie Williams, and after many years of obscurity, a series of reissues now means that the entire Lilac Time back catalogue is available to buy in the UK for the first time ever. His three later solo albums (1993's Music in Colors, 1995's Duffy & 1998's I Love My Friends) have also been reissued with extra tracks.

From 2003 to 2009 the band released records as Stephen Duffy & The Lilac Time and has stabilised with the permanent line-up of Stephen Duffy, Nick Duffy and Claire Worrall (who married Stephen Duffy in 2008). Michael Giri, Micky Harris and Melvin Duffy supplement the line-up on rare occasions they play live.

April 2015 sees the return of The Lilac Time name in the form of a new album, entitled No Sad Songs.

Black Velvet
The Lilac Time Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hide your feelings
Hide from the postman
Or the night spent falling down
In the night
In Butcher town
The night spent crawling like a snail
On Black Velvet.

Found me a language
That talks without blackmail
Without words
I called for you
Without words
I called for you
And you answered like a kiss
On Black Velvet.

Bring me the sunshine
Bring me the ocean
To its knees
The ocean fell to its knees
And we walked softly

Like snow so silent under foot
Or Black Velvet

Overall Meaning

The Lilac Time's song Black Velvet depicts the singer's desire to hide from reality and escape into the night. The lyrics suggest that the singer is hiding their feelings from the people around them, even the postman. The imagery of Butcher town conveys a sense of danger and darkness to the scene. The singer spent a night falling down and crawling like a snail, showcasing their vulnerability and perhaps their struggle with inner demons. However, their escape from reality is like being wrapped in Black Velvet, which suggests a certain level of comfort and safety in the darkness.

The second verse of the song introduces the idea of language as a form of communication without the use of words. The singer claims to have found this form of communication and called out for their lover without any verbal communication, to which their lover responded like a kiss. The use of Black Velvet as a metaphor for escape continues here, suggesting that this form of communication is a way to escape from the constraints of language.

The final verse of the song continues the idea of escape, this time to a place where the sunshine brings the ocean to its knees. The imagery here is powerful, suggesting a level of control over nature. The act of walking softly, like snow so silent under foot or Black Velvet, adds a final layer of comfort and safety to the singer's escape.

Line by Line Meaning

Hide your feelings
Conceal your emotions

Hide from the postman
Avoid the mail carrier

Or the night spent falling down
Or the evening spent collapsing

In the night
During the nighttime

In Butcher town
In the district of Butcher

The night spent crawling like a snail
The night passed slowly

On Black Velvet.
On a dark, velvety surface.

Found me a language
Discovered a means of communication

That talks without blackmail
That doesn't resort to manipulation tactics

Without words
Unspoken

I called for you
I summoned you