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.
-------
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/
Room With a View
The Tear Garden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I see. I see from my room. I see from my room with a view.
My room's nothing special. All the furniture is old. They smashed up all my windows, so it's cold. I told city hall to build a wall to stop the outside coming inside but they've stalled...I'm lord of this manor but it's 30 feet across and falling fast; I sprawl in plaster, bricks and garbage - through the ceiling I see blue - I see you!
The Tear Garden's song Room With a View portrays two different perspectives within the same song, one of luxury and privilege, and the other of abject poverty and isolation. The song uses contrasting images and metaphors to highlight the disparities between the hunter's opulent lifestyle and the singer's dilapidated abode. The hunter collects animals and other exotic items as trophies, displaying them proudly in his space, whereas the singer complains about the broken furniture and smashed windows in his room. The imagery of halos around bugs accentuates the creepiness of the hunter's behavior, whereas the cracks in the singer's ceiling serve as a window to the sky, offering a glimpse of hope and connection.
The song's structure reflects the contrasting themes and emotions that it expresses. The verses describing the hunter's life are slow and melancholic, imbued with a sense of ennui and alienation. The chorus, on the other hand, is faster and more emphatic, reflecting the sense of urgency and desperation felt by the singer. The repetition of the phrase "I see from my room. I see from my room with a view" underscores the importance of perspective and perception in shaping our experiences of the world.
Overall, Room With a View is a poignant and powerful song that explores themes of class, privilege, and isolation. Its contrasting imagery and haunting melody create a deeply affecting portrait of two very different lives.
Line by Line Meaning
The hunter lines his trophies up across his wall, beneath his bed...
The hunter displays his collection of animal trophies on his wall and under his bed, which includes a tiger's head, a snakeskin rug, slugs in a jug, and insects hovering around his phone.
He'd call his friends to come around - they'd all get stoned when he pulled old Medusa moaning from a sack.
He invites his friends over to get high and witness him bringing out his captive Medusa, who moans in distress, from a bag.
She poses then she cracks their mirror shades. It's just her way.
Medusa poses and shatters the mirror shades belonging to the guests. This is a normal occurrence for her.
He let's her play a while then throws her back, then they all go fishing in the reservoir...
After displaying Medusa to his guests, he returns her to her captivity and they all go fishing in the nearby reservoir.
My room's nothing special. All the furniture is old.
The artist describes their room as lacking any particular noteworthy features and filled with outdated furniture.
They smashed up all my windows, so it's cold.
Someone has destroyed the windows of the singer's room, causing it to become cold and uncomfortable.
I told city hall to build a wall to stop the outside coming inside but they've stalled...
The singer has requested that the government construct a barrier to prevent outside elements from entering their room, but the process has been delayed or halted.
I'm lord of this manor but it's 30 feet across and falling fast; I sprawl in plaster, bricks and garbage - through the ceiling I see blue - I see you!
Despite being the owner of this living space, it's rapidly deteriorating and is currently filled with debris and rubble. Looking up through the ceiling, the artist can see the sky, and possibly someone they know.
I see. I see from my room. I see from my room with a view.
The artist observes their surroundings from their room which, although lacking in amenities, still provides a glimpse of the outside world.
Contributed by Violet N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
AHyde12194
This song is just so awesome. Remember listening to this many years ago and falling in love with the music of The Tear Garden.
SweetSweetWaldo
Song reminds me of a time I was trying to get home in a bad snowstorm. I had this tape playing while the whirling snow glared in my headlights and made kaleidoscopic patterns. I was sober, mind you, but between the music and the adrenalin brought on by the dangerous road conditions, I had a mild psychedelic experience!
Jeff Reep
I met Edward at a Pink Dots Show and had him sign this CD. THIS IS TEAR GARDEN AT IT’S BEST!!!
BEAKER6868
i love this song and album. to me it's a skinny puppy album with Edward Ka-spel singing.
Shifty Eddie
Hung out with the band back stage after their concert in Detroit Mi i think in 88. Good times