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.
Galaxy
The Lilac Time Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To Geraldine I make this pass
Turn off the lights and come to bed
Forget the dreadful things I've said
(I've said them all before, for sure
to other girls no less demure)
Tie my shoelace, help me walk
For there are things I dare not say
Of who I love and in what way
For Geraldine accepts me mute
For silence is a stronger suit
The leaves have fallen, soon will snow
On Geraldine and all those below
The passing years leave vapour trails
Or silver patterns like those of snails
I was quite sure when we passed here
But rain left sky and paving clear
Love is such a fractured thing
It's splinters slither in our skin
We will never feel complete
With time we always will compete
These moments mirrored in your eyes
Will stay with me till this body dies
So stay with me till this body dies
Stay with me till this body dies
This body dies
The Lilac Time's song "Galaxy" talks about the love between the singer and Geraldine. The lyrics suggest that Geraldine is the singer's partner, as he tries to make amends for the things he's said before. The first line is quite interesting, as it compares the singer to Jesus through the looking glass, which may imply that he's seeing himself differently or from a different perspective. The second line is directed towards Geraldine, and the singer is making a pass at her, asking her to come to bed. He then asks her to help him walk, but to not make him talk, as there are things he can't say about who he loves and in what way. The third verse suggests that the singer and Geraldine have been together for a while, with the leaves having fallen, and soon will the snow fall on them.
The lyrics go on to describe the passing years, leaving vapor trails or silver patterns like those of snails. The singer talks about how love is a fractured thing, and how it splinters into their skin. He admits that they will never feel complete and that time will always make them compete. The last line says, "These moments mirrored in your eyes, will stay with me till this body dies," implying that the singer's love for Geraldine will stay with him forever, even if their bodies perish.
Line by Line Meaning
Like Jesus through the looking glass
Comparing himself to Jesus who appears as a reflection in the mirror and has a surreal experience, the singer introduces himself by imagining a similar situation.
To Geraldine I make this pass
The singer is addressing a woman named Geraldine, possibly his significant other, and expressing his emotions.
Turn off the lights and come to bed
Asking Geraldine to turn off the lights and join him on the bed, the singer is creating a romantic and intimate setting.
Forget the dreadful things I've said
Acknowledging his past mistakes, the artist is requesting Geraldine to forget his mistakes and forgive him for his wrongdoings.
(I've said them all before, for sure to other girls no less demure)
The artist admits to having said similar things to other women, who were equally well-behaved as Geraldine, and might have betrayed his trust earlier.
Tie my shoelace, help me walk
Asking Geraldine for assistance, the singer is expressing a vulnerable side to his personality.
But this time please don't make me talk
The singer is requesting Geraldine not to engage in a conversation with him, possibly because he is scared of revealing too much about himself.
For there are things I dare not say
The artist reveals his fear of being completely honest with Geraldine, either because he is scared of her reaction or because he is incapable of expressing himself.
Of who I love and in what way
The artist is probably struggling with his sexual orientation or identity crisis, which he cannot discuss with Geraldine openly.
For Geraldine accepts me mute
The artist is grateful for the fact that Geraldine accepts him despite his inability to speak his mind.
For silence is a stronger suit
The singer implies that silence might be a better alternative to revelation and that Geraldine understands and respects his silence.
The leaves have fallen, soon will snow
The artist is describing the seasonal changes and the onset of winter, possibly to hint at the passage of time.
On Geraldine and all those below
The singer is emphasizing the fact that all living beings, including Geraldine and himself, are subject to the forces of nature and time.
The passing years leave vapour trails
The singer is introducing the theme of time and its impact on human life by describing it as a trail of vapor left behind by a passing aircraft.
Or silver patterns like those of snails
The singer compares the tracks left behind by snails to the trails left by time, implying that everything eventually fades away.
I was quite sure when we passed here
The artist is recalling a past memory of passing through a location with Geraldine and how certain he was at that time.
But rain left sky and paving clear
The artist is using the metaphor of rain washing away the dirt from the sky and the pavement to suggest that the clarity of his memory has faded over time.
Love is such a fractured thing
The singer is emphasizing that love is complicated and often leads to disunity rather than harmony.
It's splinters slither in our skin
The singer is using a metaphor to describe the way love enters our body and causes discomfort and pain like splinters piercing the skin.
We will never feel complete
The artist expresses his opinion that humans are inherently flawed and can never achieve a state of perfect fulfillment.
With time we always will compete
The artist argues that time is a limited commodity, and we always feel like we are running against it, competing to achieve something in life.
These moments mirrored in your eyes
The artist is referring to a specific moment in the past that he shared with Geraldine and how it has left an impression on him.
Will stay with me till this body dies
The singer implies that the memory of that moment will live with him forever, and he will cherish it till he is alive.
So stay with me till this body dies
The artist is probably convincing Geraldine to stay with him through thick and thin because he truly loves her and cannot imagine a life without her.
Stay with me till this body dies
Repeating the same line twice, the singer emphasizes his desire to spend the rest of his life with Geraldine till he passes away.
Contributed by Taylor B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@wildswan66
brilliant!!!
@malegrissusran8847
The song , that makes the album weaker !!!
Take it out - and the Album is better !