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/
Romulus and Venus
The Tear Garden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I burned one hundred photographs or more
I fled across the ocean wioth another face, another name
Nothing but my soul remained the same
But still you came with cases I was forced to let you stay
You bought the locks, the box in which I lay
I tried to get away from you
I tried to make a break
I can still remember you with coronets, white horses
I would run behind you'd flash a sign I'd dive
Just to serve you
Night time's turned the lady to a girl again, you'd slip away
You tried to kiss my tears away, pretend there was no day to take me down
Nightshade, blades, Niagra falls - I tried them all six times
You would always run behind me
And you'd find me
Keep me on a leash, on a line
I'm uncomfortably resigned
There's no release till you untie me
Deny me
The Tear Garden's song "Romulus and Venus" is an emotionally-charged account of a tumultuous relationship between the two titular characters. The song's lyrics depict a woman who has tried to escape her past and move on from her past relationship, only to find herself weighed down by the memories and possessions of her former lover. The woman has attempted to burn and hide away items that remind her of her past, but her former lover continues to pursue her, buying her locks and boxes in which to imprison herself. The woman tries to resist her former lover's advances, but ultimately finds herself falling back into his grasp time and time again.
The lyrics of "Romulus and Venus" are rich with imagery and symbolism. The woman's attempts to escape her past are represented by her burning photographs and fleeing across the ocean with a new identity. However, no matter how much she tries to reinvent herself, her former lover is always able to find her. The references to coronets, white horses, and Niagra Falls suggest a regal, romanticized version of the past, while at the same time hinting at the danger and uncertainty present in the relationship. The repetition of the line "there's no escape" emphasizes the feeling of being trapped, which is further reinforced by the image of being kept on a leash like a dog.
Overall, "Romulus and Venus" is a haunting tale of a woman struggling to break free from a toxic relationship. The song's evocative lyrics and vivid imagery paint a powerful picture of a woman caught between her past and present, unable to fully escape from the clutches of her former lover.
Line by Line Meaning
Everything you gave me lies within a trunk, within a drawer
All the things you have given me, I have kept in a safe place that I rarely open.
I burned one hundred photographs or more
I destroyed all the pictures that reminded me of our past.
I fled across the ocean wioth another face, another name
I left and reinvented myself to forget about you.
Nothing but my soul remained the same
Despite the changes, I still felt empty inside.
But still you came with cases I was forced to let you stay
You showed up unexpectedly and I had no choice but to let you stay.
You bought the locks, the box in which I lay
You secured my world and took control of everything around me.
I tried to get away from you
I made numerous attempts to escape from you.
I tried to make a break
I attempted to leave you behind and start anew.
You always see right through me, there's no escape
You know me too well and I can never fully get away.
I can still remember you with coronets, white horses
I still have memories of you with all the glamour and false promises.
I would run behind you'd flash a sign I'd dive
I used to blindly follow you and do whatever you wanted.
Just to serve you
I would do anything to please you.
Night time's turned the lady to a girl again, you'd slip away
At night, I am filled with fear and vulnerabilities, and you would disappear.
You tried to kiss my tears away, pretend there was no day to take me down
You tried to comfort me, but it was all an illusion to keep me from leaving you.
Nightshade, blades, Niagra falls - I tried them all six times
I tried to end my life multiple times to escape your grasp.
You would always run behind me
No matter how far I went, you would always come after me.
And you'd find me
You always found me and brought me back to your control.
Keep me on a leash, on a line
You keep me under your control and limit my freedom.
I'm uncomfortably resigned
I have accepted my fate, even though I am not happy about it.
There's no release till you untie me
I cannot be free until you let me go.
Deny me
Please let me go and never come back.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DWAYNE GOETTEL, EDWARD SHARP, KEVIN CROMPTON, MARTIJN DE KLEER, PHILIP KNIGHT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Flowerwork7Seraphine
I don't think so chap - it is
Incredibly Derivative🙊💜
(& the New Order Drum
Machine sequence &
pseudo OMD keyboards
& Synth Washes are
worse!🥺💜 It's like a
Magpie flew past "Influential
Bands of the early to mid 80s" -
& found all the shiniest bits
& took them to re-use🫣💜
& then there's the pretentious
feedback/pseudo Kraftwerk
Ending (my gosh!🤭💜)
What's with the Fake "Sarf London" accent??😶💜 How very OMD/Julian Cope with heavy hints of Joy Division!🤭💜 Is this another Canadian Copy??🙏🏻💜🇬🇧💜🌏💜
@carmengriffin1932
Everything you gave me lies within a trunk, within a drawer
I burned one hundred photographs or more
I fled across the ocean wioth another face, another name
Nothing but my soul remained the same
But still you came with cases I was forced to let you stay
You bought the locks, the box in which I lay
I tried to get away from you
I tried to make a break
You always see right through me, there's no escape
I can still remember you with coronets, white horses
I would run behind you'd flash a sign I'd dive
Just to serve you
Night time's turned the lady to a girl again, you'd slip away
You tried to kiss my tears away, pretend there was no day to take me down
Nightshade, blades, Niagra falls - I tried them all six times
You would always run behind me
And you'd find me
Keep me on a leash, on a line
I'm uncomfortably resigned
There's no release till you untie me
Deny me
@hylandsharger5687
Dam this song what can I say. It's the best I'm 42 first herd this song when I was 17 and it's still SO GOOD...
@mhoroky
This song conjures up the following fond memories.... CLUB X at the State Theatre, Detroit, D.J. Darren Revell. Summer 1992. I hope someone else visiting this page remembers too.
@dg87fv
I usually get over songs after a bit of time and hearing them 8 million times but I think this will always be the most beautiful song ive ever heard.
@Ari-hi2ur
Same…
@czar2425
Anyone who can't appreciate this tune is lost.
@KatyGroves
This song makes me happy in a way I can't explain.
@davidpearce7330
Same
@SN-cb9xj
Makes me desperately sentimental and sad.
@BradleyMusicOfficial
I can't stop listening to this song! Help!!!
@jovanimaqueda5390
Me pasa lo mismo! D: