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.
Love Becomes A Savage
The Lilac Time Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For sleepy she
The day unwraps the night ties
And we can see
The sunbeam blinds the moonbeam
And morning disagrees
And with panic before dream-time
Your body lies before me
Goose pimplean
That shivers to my fingers
As I touch
The hairs below your stomach
And slowly in between
Oh, how slowly can I stay here?
And never yet too much
And if you get married
You'll find out that it's true
Love becomes a savage
Who's going to savage you
I want a farm of kisses
On your lips
Planted with best wishes
A mouthful of sips
I know every crevice
And I know every kiss
And what tastes have been before me
And which ones you will miss
The Lilac Time's song "Love Becomes A Savage" is a beautiful representation of the intimacy of love and the longing for physical closeness. The lyrics paint an imagery of the dichotomy between light and darkness, night and day, and how the illumination of the world unravels the secrets of the night. The opening lines "The light dissolves the darkness for sleepy she, the day unwraps the night ties, and we can see" suggests that the barriers between two people in love can be dissolved through intimacy and affection.
The song dives deeper into the physical aspects of love with lines such as "Your body lies before me, goose-pimpled, that shivers to my fingers as I touch, the hairs below your stomach, and slowly in between." The lyrics, though explicit, are also tender and affectionate. The artist wants to take their time exploring the body of their lover and wishes to never leave that intimate moment.
In the last lines of the song, the artist warns about the savage nature of love. The lines "And if you get married, you'll find out that it's true, love becomes a savage, who's going to savage you" suggests that love can become possessive and intense, which is something to be aware of in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
The light dissolves the darkness
The arrival of light indicates the end of the night.
For sleepy she
She is tired, almost asleep.
The day unwraps the night ties
The day replaces and replaces the darkness, represented as a package wrapped with ties.
And we can see
Now there is light, we can see what is in front of us.
The sunbeam blinds the moonbeam
The brightness of the sun makes it impossible to see the moon.
And morning disagrees
The morning does not align with the night.
And with panic before dream-time
The sudden arrival of light creates a sense of panic before falling asleep.
Overcome
The feeling of being overwhelmed by the situation.
Your body lies before me
Your naked body is visible, lying in front of me.
Goose pimplean
The body displays involuntary shivering due to fear or cold.
That shivers to my fingers
The sensation is conveyed from my fingers to my brain.
As I touch
My fingers physically come into contact with your skin.
The hairs below your stomach
Refers to the pubic hair of the person.
And slowly in between
Refers to the space between the legs where the pubic area is located.
Oh, how slowly can I stay here?
I wish to remain here and take my time exploring your body.
And never yet too much
I can never get enough of exploring your body.
And if you get married
If you decide to get married.
You'll find out that it's true
You will come to realize the following statement is true.
Love becomes a savage
Being in love can drive people to act madly and recklessly.
Who's going to savage you
The singer is implying that he could make you fall madly in love with him.
I want a farm of kisses
I desire to kiss you over and over again.
On your lips
Specifically on your mouth, where I can kiss you repeatedly.
Planted with best wishes
My kisses come with the best of intentions.
A mouthful of sips
The kisses will be short and can be described as sips.
I know every crevice
I am familiar with every part of your body.
And I know every kiss
I have kissed you in every possible way.
And what tastes have been before me
I am aware of your previous sexual experiences.
And which ones you will miss
I know which of your past experiences you will long for.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: THE LILAC DUFFY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
PenumbraDei
Ah memories! Exeter Univesity - 1991 - Lafrowda Flats - Good friends & good times... Nathan, Steve, Jane et al... A sad, haunting song, but somehow has beauty despite the "plinky-plonk" guitar refrain. I guess it's all in the lyrics... anyone who can include the word "crevice" 02:20 in a song without ruining the entrancing moment, definitely gets my vote. And whilst it's undoubtably a sad song, it always makes me smile. Jon
steve hewitt
So many great songs by this band & Stephen.
John Lambert
I adore this song. Thanks for uploading.
wildsmiley
So there I was, looking on eBay for XTC records, and along with a few nice copies of Mummer and Skylarking, I kept seeing LPs by a band named The Lilac Time. Curious, I looked for a bit of their music on Youtube. I heard 'The Lost Girl in the Midnight Sun', and it was really good. I love discovering bands. Neat to find out they were headed by Stephen Duffy, former Barenaked Lady Steven Page's writing partner AND he also did the great song 'She Loves Me' for the film Some Kind of Wonderful. Wow!
Linda Carroll
Love this - So chilled. Cheers for sharing. ;) x
LolaH
Beautiful.
bauernmaxi123
hi fery! Is there a song of stephen duffy called "a day in the night"? If yes i am sure you can tell me where to get it. thanks, markus
JL YT
Poetry.
maximoplf
Good times. Good times.
Patrick Noth
Go gentle :D