A registered Communist starts a band called The United States of America and lands a major label record deal before playing a single live gig? Only in the Sixties. After studying with avant-garde legend John Cage in New York City, composer Joseph Byrd moved to Los Angeles in 1967 and decided to form a psychedelic rock band. His first recruit was ex-girlfriend Dorothy Moskowitz, whose icy vocals formed the perfect complement for the trippy sonic experiments Byrd had in mind.
The band recorded only one self-titled album before dissolving, but it was a memorable one."The American Metaphysical Circus" begins the album with a lilting calliope tune upon which Byrd heaps one patriotic marching band tune after another. Just when the whole insane cacaphony is on the verge of collapse, in comes Moskowitz - transmitting from a sinking submarine. "Cloud Song" features delicate plucked bass and an ever-haunting melody. Like an LSD flashback, the final minutes of closing track "The American Way of Love" features snippets of all the preceding songs flowing in and out of consciousness. "The United States of America" sold poorly upon release, thanks to Columbia's near total lack of faith. As Byrd puts it, "There was scant enthusiasm from the executives for a band whose name they hated, whose music they didn't understand, and whose politics they thought treasonous." But over the years, the group has developed a devoted cult following and influenced numerous modern bands, most notably Broadcast.
Despite releasing only one album, The United States of America was among the most revolutionary bands of the late '60s -- grounded equally in psychedelia and the avant-garde, their music eschewed guitars in favor of strings, keyboards and haunting electronics, predating the ambient pop of the modern era by several decades. Leader Joseph Byrd had studied with contemporary classical composers including John Cage (together with Yoko Ono); after the USA's single record he went on to form the equally short-lived Joe Byrd and the Field Hippies.
The Garden of Earthly Delights
The United States of America Lyrics
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Venomous blossoms
Choleric fruit, deadly to eat.
Violet nightshades, innocent bloom,
Omnivourous orchids
Cautiously wait, hungrily loom
You will find them in her eyes,
In her eyes, in her eyes.
Carrion swallows
Wait in the wet darkening room
Withering shadows, quietly grow
Potently breeding
Into a spectacular glow.
You will find them in her eyes,
In her eyes, in her eyes.
Lemonous petals, dissident play,
Tasting of ergot,
Dancing by night, dying by day.
Blackening mushrooms drink in the rain,
Sinister nightblooms
Wilt with the dawn's welcoming pain.
You will find them in her eyes,
In her eyes, in her eyes.
The lyrics to The United States of America's song The Garden of Earthly Delights suggest a sinister and deadly garden filled with poisonous and lethal plants. The opening lines describe the garden as both sweet and deadly, with venomous blossoms and choleric fruit that are deadly to eat. The imagery then shifts to include innocent-looking violet nightshades and omnivorous orchids that cautiously wait but hungrily loom, suggesting that danger could strike at any time. The chorus repeats the phrase "you will find them in her eyes" to suggest that the danger is personified in a woman.
The next verse introduces petrified willows and carrion swallows that wait in the wet darkening room, with withering shadows that quietly grow, breeding into a spectacular glow. This juxtaposition of death and beauty is echoed in the final verse with lemonous petals that taste of ergot and dance by night but die by day, as well as sinister nightblooms that wilt with the dawn's welcoming pain.
Overall, the lyrics suggest that the garden represents the darker aspects of life, with danger lurking in every corner and beauty hiding a deadly truth. It is a warning against being tempted by what may appear attractive on the surface, and the consequences of indulging without caution.
Line by Line Meaning
Poisonous gardens, lethal and sweet,
The world is full of things that seem wonderful but can be dangerous or harmful.
Venomous blossoms
Even beautiful things like flowers can be poisonous.
Choleric fruit, deadly to eat.
Fruit that is sour or bitter can still be deadly if consumed.
Violet nightshades, innocent bloom,
Some plants, like nightshades, look harmless but are actually dangerous.
Omnivourous orchids
Even plants that are not traditionally harmful, like orchids, can be dangerous if consumed.
Cautiously wait, hungrily loom
Plants can wait patiently for their prey or target to come within reach before consuming them.
You will find them in her eyes,
These dangers can be found in the eyes of someone who seems innocent but may be hiding something dangerous.
In her eyes, in her eyes.
This is repeated to emphasize the hidden danger lurking behind a seemingly innocuous facade.
Petrified willows, twisted and brown
Even trees, which are usually a symbol of strength and stability, can become twisted and lifeless.
Carrion swallows
Birds that feed on dead animals can also be seen as a symbol of death and decay.
Wait in the wet darkening room
These symbols of death and decay can linger in dark, damp places.
Withering shadows, quietly grow
Darkness and shadows can obscure danger and allow it to grow unnoticed.
Potently breeding
Danger can reproduce and spread rapidly, much like a disease.
Into a spectacular glow.
The danger, once it has spread, can become an all-consuming fire that threatens to destroy everything in its path.
Lemonous petals, dissident play,
Just like the dangers of the world, beauty can also be fleeting and ultimately unsatisfying.
Tasting of ergot,
Even things that seem harmless and pleasant, like the taste of certain flowers or foods, can be dangerous or harmful.
Dancing by night, dying by day.
Just like the beauty of nature, life can be fleeting and ultimately come to an end.
Blackening mushrooms drink in the rain,
Even things that grow from the earth, like mushrooms, can absorb danger and harm from their environment.
Sinister nightblooms
There are some plants that only grow in the darkness and are associated with danger and death.
Wilt with the dawn's welcoming pain.
The light of day can expose the true danger and harm lurking in the world.
You will find them in her eyes,
Once again, we are reminded that danger and harm can be hidden behind a pleasant or innocent exterior.
In her eyes, in her eyes.
The repetition emphasizes the importance of recognizing and acknowledging the potential danger and harm in the world.
Contributed by Sophia I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.