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/
Turn Me On Dead Man
The Tear Garden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I trapped you on a wire
I amplified you magnified you
1500 times
You strode across the ocean
And you smiled to careful drivers
Swooping low
You'd just say no
I know you're still alive
Turn me on, my dead man
Give me a little sign
Turn me on dead man
Give me another line
I still watch all your videos
My bedroom is your shrine
On friday all the guys will get toghther
In the ghettos, in the pits
Howling elipso fits
I swing my hips
I mime
Yes I can feel your kick inside
When you feel the time is right
Will you rejoin me as a king
With medallions of rings
And stairway things
That lead from heaven
Will you give me back my innocence
And paint the black sky blue
Just like your shoes
I'll keep my distance, my respect
You choose the hour, I'll be there
The Tear Garden's song "Turn Me On Dead Man" is a hauntingly beautiful song filled with melancholic nostalgia and an unsettling obsession with an unknown person who may or may not be dead. The opening lines "I snared you in a photograph, I trapped you on a wire, I amplified you magnified you, 1500 times" indicate that the singer has captured an image and sound of this person and is now obsessing over them. The following lines "You strode across the ocean, and you smiled to careful drivers, swooping low, you'd just say no" further adds to the mystery of this person, who seems to be a larger than life figure, capable of incredible feats but also held themselves back from certain things.
The chorus "Turn me on, my dead man, give me a little sign, turn me on dead man, give me another line" is where the obsessive nature of the song becomes clear. The singer pleads for this person to give them a sign, to reach out to them, and to provide a new line, possibly indicating new material or something deeper. The following lines "I still watch all your videos, my bedroom is your shrine" further indicates the extent of this obsession, where the singer watches and idolizes this person to the point of having a shrine built for them.
The bridge of the song "When you feel the time is right, will you rejoin me as a king, with medallions of rings, and stairway things, that lead from heaven" adds to the overall surreal nature of the song. It suggests that this person has the ability and power to return to earth as a king with heavenly things. The lines "Will you give me back my innocence, and paint the black sky blue, just like your shoes" seems to be a plea for this person to ease the sense of loss and melancholy that the singer feels. The song ends with a sense of respect and admiration "I'll keep my distance, my respect, you choose the hour, I'll be there."
Overall, "Turn Me On Dead Man" is a complex song that captures the feeling of obsession, loss, and the desire to connect with something larger than oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
I snared you in a photograph
I captured your essence in a still image
I trapped you on a wire
I imprisoned your being in a recording
I amplified you magnified you, 1500 times
I enhanced your vibrations to 1500 times their natural frequency
You strode across the ocean
You bravely traversed vast distances
And you smiled to careful drivers, Swooping low, You'd just say no
You confidently navigated treacherous roads, refusing to conform to societal pressures
And though you never showed, I know you're still alive
Despite your absence, I believe your spirit endures
Turn me on, my dead man, Give me a little sign, Turn me on dead man, Give me another line
Please communicate with me from beyond the veil, provide me with guidance and inspiration
I still watch all your videos, My bedroom is your shrine
I continue to study your audio-visual media, venerating your legacy
On friday all the guys will get toghther, In the ghettos, in the pits, Howling elipso fits, I swing my hips, I mime
My community will congregate to celebrate your music, gyrating to its hypnotic rhythms
Yes I can feel your kick inside, When you feel the time is right, Will you rejoin me as a king
Your powerful rhythm resonates within me, I hope you will return triumphant
With medallions of rings
Sporting symbols of your glory
And stairway things, That lead from heaven
Ascending towards the divine
Will you give me back my innocence, And paint the black sky blue, Just like your shoes
Can you restore my purity and hope, illuminating the bleakness of existence as you did with your vibrant footwear?
I'll keep my distance, my respect, You choose the hour, I'll be there
I will honor your legacy while remaining at an appropriate distance, but I will always make myself available when called upon
Contributed by Colin J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
sex6cult9revolution
For all our past heroes!
pigGRAY
I wonder if this says #9 when played backwards.
bdazzled08
delicious!