While in-between Afghan Whigs albums and amidst a dispute with their record label, Elektra, Dulli recorded demos for the act with friends and collaborators Shawn Smith (Brad, Satchel, Pigeonhed) and Harold "Happy" Chichester (Royal Crescent Mob, Howlin' Maggie) in New Orleans. The demos have an exceptionally dark, tense, and New Orleans-flavored groove and swagger. As a result of The Afghan Whigs' label troubles, it is debated that Elektra leaked the demo tapes as they were widely circulated in the trader circuit.
The Afghan Whigs settled their dispute with Elektra and signed with Sony/Columbia in April 1998. Columbia optioned The Twilight Singers recordings; but preferred to release a new Afghan Whigs album instead. The Afghan Whigs' swan song 1965 was released in October 1998 to wide critical acclaim. The band toured for one year in support of the album but decided to disband in February 2001.
2000 saw Greg Dulli revive The Twilight Singers, reworking the original leaked demos with dance producers and remix auteurs Fila Brazillia. The final product was a mix of southern trumpet, Midwest idealism, and UK big beat, all masking a solemn dirge of life's transformation to death. Columbia released the album as Twilight as Played by the Twilight Singers in September 2000. The band toured with members of Howlin' Maggie and former Afghan Whigs' drummer, Michael Horrigan, on bass.
Dulli took time off following the short tour for Twilight.., investing in a bar in Los Angeles. In 2001, he began working on the follow up for Twilight.. tentatively titled Amber Headlights. The death of Dulli's friend, director Ted Demme in January 2002, forced him to shelve the project, and he took a second leave from writing and recording. After reading the Jack London book Martin Eden, and experiencing an earthquake, Dulli set about writing the concept album that became Blackberry Belle.
Working with a large cast of performers, including former Prince protégé Apollonia and former Screaming Trees singer Mark Lanegan, Blackberry Belle became a rolling expose' of the dark side of love and loss, a familiar topic revisited from former Afghan Whigs albums like Black Love. The critics welcomed Dulli's return and were eager to give his second album, independently financed and released through One Little Indian in October 2003, high marks.
A second touring version of The Twilight Singers including Jon Skibic (guitars), Scott Ford (bass) and Bobby Macintyre (drums), made two legs through the United States and Europe in 2003 and 2004.
August 2004, the band released their third album, She Loves You, a collection of cover songs from artists as varied as Fleetwood Mac, Mary J. Blige, and George Gershwin.
September 2005, Dulli finally released his formerly shelved Amber Headlights on his own Infernal Recordings label through his official website thetwilightsingers.com as his first solo album while working on his fourth Twilight Singers' album titled Powder Burns.
Dulli is also the other member of the duo called The Gutter Twins with Mark Lanegan who released their album entitled Saturnalia.
A third touring version of The Twilight Singers including Dave Rosser (guitars), Scott Ford (bass), singer/songwriter Jeff Klein (keys) and Bobby Macintyre (drums), played at the 2006 SXSW Music Festival in Austin, TX at the venue Friends (208 E 6th St) on March 16th to debut tracks from Powder Burns. Mark Lanegan also currently tours with the group.
The Twilight Singers released Powder Burns on May 16, 2006 supported by United States and European tours.
On January 3, 2007, The Twilight Singers made their television debut on the "Jimmy Kimmel Live" show, performing their song "Forty Dollars" from Powder Burns. The band was joined by friend and musician Joseph Arthur on guitar and vocals.
In 2011 they released the full length album "Dynamite Steps".
www.thetwilightsingers.com/
Beginning of the End
The Twilight Singers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Here's where your life begins
There's something gone
Anesthetized again
I see you run
You're never coming back
You've lost control
So easy to distract
All come alive for the hesitant
The summer sun is blind and inveterate
Some seek a light
Some creep at night
Some run and hide
I do what I want to
I calculate
Forgot you were broken
My mistake
I look in the mirror
Time to pay
And nobody knows me
When I'm awake
I'm so sad
So keep it coming
You're falling down
I'll get your money
Walk in the room
And I see your ass has gone astray
You've lost your way
Come find your way
All come alive in the present tense
The summer sun has died of irrelevance
Some see the light
Some sleep at night
Some take their time
I do what I want to
I calculate
Forgot you were broken
My mistake
The Twilight Singers' song "Beginning of the end" is a haunting, melancholic meditation on the fleeting nature of life and the human tendency to succumb to distraction and anesthesia. The opening lines, "You better shut your eyes, here's where your life begins," imply that the harsh realities of existence are hard to face and that one must close themselves off to the world to survive. The lines "There's something gone, anesthetized again" suggest that the singer is emotionally and spiritually numb, possibly due to trauma or addiction.
The chorus, "I do what I want to, I calculate, forgot you were broken, my mistake," showcases the singer's selfishness and lack of empathy. The line "And nobody knows me when I'm awake" hints at a sense of isolation and disconnection from the people around him. The lines "You've lost control, so easy to distract" reveal how easy it is to lose oneself and succumb to temptation and vices.
The second verse shifts to a more resigned tone, with the lines "I'm so sad, so keep it coming, you're falling down, I'll get your money" suggesting a kind of fatalistic acceptance of one's lot in life. The lines "The summer sun has died of irrelevance" indicate a sense of disillusionment and disappointment with the world at large, while the final lines "You've lost your way, come find your way" offer a glimmer of hope that redemption and clarity may be possible, even in the midst of chaos and confusion.
Overall, "Beginning of the end" is a powerful, raw song that speaks to the human condition and the struggle to find meaning and purpose in an often cruel and senseless world.
Line by Line Meaning
You better shut your eyes
Be prepared for what's to come.
Here's where your life begins
A turning point in your life.
There's something gone
A feeling of emptiness or loss.
Anesthetized again
Numbing the pain with distraction.
I see you run
Escaping reality.
You're never coming back
Succumbing to the temptation of avoidance.
You've lost control
Lack of power over your situation.
So easy to distract
How easy it is to be pulled away from what truly matters.
All come alive for the hesitant
New beginnings and possibilities are waiting for those who are unsure.
The summer sun is blind and inveterate
The warm season can be deafeningly overwhelming with it's numerous distractions.
Some seek a light
Searching for a way out of darkness.
Some creep at night
Fearful of what the darkness holds.
Some run and hide
Avoiding dealing with their problems head-on.
I do what I want to
Making decisions in your own best interest.
I calculate
Thinking things through before acting.
Forgot you were broken
Neglecting to acknowledge one's emotional pain.
My mistake
Recognizing and admitting to one's error in judgment.
I look in the mirror
Self-reflection and introspection.
Time to pay
Recognizing that actions have consequences.
And nobody knows me
Feeling misunderstood or alone.
When I'm awake
Realizing how one's actions affect their life.
I'm so sad
Overwhelming feelings of sorrow.
So keep it coming
Continuing on despite the pain.
You're falling down
Watching someone else's descent into trouble.
I'll get your money
Taking advantage of someone's weakened state.
Walk in the room
Entering a new situation.
And I see your ass has gone astray
Seeing someone who has lost their way.
You've lost your way
Feeling lost or directionless.
Come find your way
A call to action to get back on track.
All come alive in the present tense
Finding life and meaning in the present moment.
The summer sun has died of irrelevance
The once-distracting warmth and light is now no longer overwhelming.
Some see the light
Finding hope and meaning in life.
Some sleep at night
Achieving peace and rest despite life's struggles.
Some take their time
Moving at their own pace and choosing their own path.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: GREGORY E DULLI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind