An excerpt from a Nettwerk Records press release, July 1996:
The roots of The Tear Garden extend back to 1983 when Cevin Key, on the verge of forming Skinny Puppy, struck up a trans-Atlantic correspondence with Edward Ka-Spel, the lead vocalist and driving force behind The Legendary Pink Dots. Three years later, Ka-Spel visited Vancouver for a series of three live performances with Key as sound technician, and during his visit, they recorded The Tear Garden's self-titled debut EP.
In 1987, Ka-Spel returned to open for Skinny Puppy on their North American tour, after which the duo retreated to the studio for two weeks to produce the now classic electronic-psychedelic album, Tired Eyes Slowly Burning. It was during these sessions that the project's ranks began to expand, with guest appearances by Key's fellow Puppies Dwayne Goettel and Nivek Ogre.
Four years later, the Garden bloomed again, this time growing well beyond the Key/Ka-Spel partnership to include not only Goettel, but a wide assortment of friends, including most of the Pink Dots. This fruitful month-long collaboration spawned two releases: an album called The Last Man To Fly, and a (very long) EP called Sheila Liked The Rodeo.
Another four years passed. Four years that saw literal and figurative deaths (the departure of both Skinny Puppy and LPD from their long-time labels; the subsequent break-up of SP; the tragic passing of Dwayne Goettel) and births (Edward's son, Calyxx; Download; Key's return to Nettwerk).
In late December, 1995, in the midst of this turbulence, The Tear Garden gathered once more, perhaps to attempt to trigger the dawn of a tranquil new era. The result was To Be An Angel Blind, The Crippled Soul Divide, an album of fragile and powerful beauty that digs even deeper into the psychedelic underground than its predecessors, adding a range of influences from dub bass to country slide guitar, all the while retaining the dark electronic melancholy that has become the project's signature.
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Four more years passed. Tear Garden got back together in 1999 and in 2000, Crystal Mass was released. In 2001, a "best of" collection was issued by the Russian label Brudenia, Для Тех, Ҡто Прогулялся Бьі С Богами (which translates to "For Those Who Would Walk with the Gods") as well as an "outtakes" collection released by Cevin Key's Subconscious Communications label, Eye Spy with My Little Eye.
2007 saw the release of The Secret Experiment, once again on Subconscious Communications. This is from the "Vault 2" series but features new music.
Currently, Edward and cEvin wrapped up their sessions of 13 tracks, compiled into a brand new upcoming TG release, available through Subcon.
Discography
* Tired Eyes Slowly Burning (1987)
* Last Man to Fly (1992)
* Sheila Liked The Rodeo (1993)
* Bouquet of Black Orchids (1993)
* To Be an Angel Blind, The Crippled Soul Divide (1996)
* Crystal Mass (2000)
* Eye Spy With My Little Eye (2002)
* The Secret Experiment (2007)
http://brainwashed.com/teargarden/
Her Majesty's Trusted Food Taster
The Tear Garden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Laughing loudly on my tongue
I think but sadly
Sadly it's me who gets the crumbs
I shall nibble with respect, ma'am
I shall pass on all the rest, ma'am
Lick your fingers, I shall crawl, ma'am
Crawl up to you on my knees
A lovely service, but confess
Now did you cheat while playing chess?
Rattling sabers on your breast, ma'am
This job's okay, but has no prospects, ma'am
I get the peas, I get the peel, I get the pips, I pass the rest
In Her Majesty's Trusted Food Taster by The Tear Garden, the persona of the lyrics appears as a servant, possibly the trusted food taster for the Queen. The persona's tone is full of sarcasm, as the lyrics refer to the "lovely service" that they provide but questions the honesty of the Queen - "Now did you cheat while playing chess?/ Rattling sabers on your breast, ma'am." The servant is aware that their position has no prospects and that they are at the mercy of the Queen's whims, hence why they crawl up to her on their knees - "Lick your fingers, I shall crawl, ma'am/ Crawl up to you on my knees."
Despite the lively, almost playful melody, the lyrics hint at the darker side of royalty, where one can never be sure of their position and where the servants are expected to be loyal above all else. The final lines, "I get the peas, I get the peel, I get the pips, I pass the rest," reiterate the themes of subservience and being content with the bare minimum.
Line by Line Meaning
This one's frivolous, it's laughing
The food is frivolous and tastes amusing, making me chuckle with every bite.
Laughing loudly on my tongue
The flavors of the food are strong and pronounced.
I think but sadly
Although the food seems enjoyable, there is a sense of sadness or disappointment.
Sadly it's me who gets the crumbs
I am left with the undesirable or leftover parts of the meal.
I shall nibble with respect, ma'am
I will eat the food respectfully as to not offend the Queen.
I shall pass on all the rest, ma'am
I will leave the remaining portions of the meal for others.
Lick your fingers, I shall crawl, ma'am
I am willing to do whatever it takes to please the Queen, including figuratively crawling on my knees.
Crawl up to you on my knees
I am willing to humble myself in order to serve the Queen.
I get the peas, I get the peel, I get the pips, I pass the rest
I only take what is necessary or expected of my role as food taster to the Queen, leaving the rest for others.
A lovely service, but confess
Although I enjoy serving the Queen, there is a sense of guilt or remorse.
Now did you cheat while playing chess?
An inquiry is made to see if the Queen has cheated in a past game of chess.
Rattling sabers on your breast, ma'am
The Queen is prepared for battle and willing to defend her kingdom.
This job's okay, but has no prospects, ma'am
Although being a food taster to the Queen is a decent job, there are no opportunities for advancement.
Contributed by Grace R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.