The Tear Garden was formed by Edward Ka-Spel of The Legendary Pink Dots and… Read Full Bio ↴The Tear Garden was formed by Edward Ka-Spel of The Legendary Pink Dots and cEvin Key of Skinny Puppy in 1985, after Key served as a sound engineer on tour in Canada for Ka-Spel. Various other "guests" from Skinny Puppy and the Pink Dots appear on future albums The band released EPs in 1985 and 1986, combined on 1987's full length, Tired Eyes Slowly Burning. Their debut was their most electronic and mixed together the psychedelic, experimental, and industrial sounds each band was known for. Later albums veer more into the space rock style of the Pink Dots. Their most recent release from 2002, Eye Spy with my Little Eye, is a collection of out-takes from the mid-80s period.

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/

The Double Spades Effect
The Tear Garden Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Don't try to bluff
I'm wearing these shades
I anticipate the moves that you make
I'm calling you now
I'm watching you sweat
I'm shaking you down
If I were your friend, well, I'd hit you now
I must stay ahead

I'm checking the scores, beginning to end
It's you who shouts more
But me who has led
Yet you're shouting more
We'll come to the end, and I'll lose this war
Oh you've changed the law

Yes you've changed the law
Less is more

Overall Meaning

The Tear Garden's "The Double Spades Effect" is a song that speaks of a situation where two opponents are facing off against each other in a game of strategy. The singer, wearing shades and prepared for their opponent's moves, is confident in their ability to outmaneuver and ultimately defeat their rival. Despite the opponent's shouts and attempts to turn the tables, the singer remains focused and stays ahead in the game. As they near the end, however, the singer realizes that they will ultimately lose the war, as their opponent has successfully changed the rules of the game.

The lyrics of the song offer an interesting commentary on power dynamics in competitive situations. The singer seems to be in a position of power at the beginning of the song, anticipating their opponent’s moves and calling them out on their bluffs. However, as the game progresses, it becomes clear that the singer is no longer in control, and their positions have been reversed. The line "less is more" at the end of the song speaks to the idea that sometimes, less effort can lead to more success.

Line by Line Meaning

Don't try to bluff
Don't attempt to deceive me

I'm wearing these shades
I'm prepared for any situation

I anticipate the moves that you make
I expect your actions and reactions

I'm calling you now
I'm confronting you

I'm watching you sweat
I'm observing how you react under pressure

I'm shaking you down
I'm forcing you to reveal the truth

If I were your friend, well, I'd hit you now
If we were close, I'd be harsher towards you

I must stay ahead
I need to remain in front of you

I'm checking the scores, beginning to end
I'm assessing the situation from start to finish

It's you who shouts more
You're more vocal than me

But me who has led
But I'm the one who's been in control