Thievery Corporation is on the Eighteenth Street Lounge record label named after the DC club owned by Eric Hilton, but several of their singles and EP's appear on the 4AD and !K7 labels.
Formed in the summer of 1995 at D.C.’s Eighteenth Street Lounge. Rob Garza and Lounge co-owner Eric Hilton bonded over club life, dub, bossa nova and jazz records, then decided to see what would come of mixing all these in a recording studio. From this, the duo was born and their self started label Eighteenth Street Lounge Music began to emerge on an international level.
The duo caught the ears of underground DJ’s with their first two 12" offerings, Shaolin Satellite and 2001: a Spliff Odyssey. Their 1997 debut LP, Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi began to both define a new genre of electronic music and connect with an international community of like-minded souls. Though the terminology has varied (downtempo, chill out, left field and a myriad of other permutations), they have maintained their unique musical standards for the duration of their popularity.
In 2002, they released The Richest Man in Babylon on their ESL label. This fifteen track album is similar in sound and timbre to their earlier 2000 release, The Mirror Conspiracy, and features performances by vocalists Emiliana Torrini, Pam Bricker, and Loulou.
In 2005 they released The Cosmic Game, which has a darker, more psychedelic sound than The Richest Man in Babylon. The album also featured more high-profile guest singers on it, including Perry Farrell, David Byrne, and Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips.
In 2006, the group released Versions, a selection of remixes done by Thievery Corporation for other artists and toured the United States, playing at Lollapalooza.
The group released their fifth studio album, Radio Retaliation, on 23 September 2008.
The language of the group's lyrics are as diverse as English, Spanish, French, Persian, Portuguese, Romanian and Hindi. This reflects the group's global feel and collaborative structure.
They were the opening act on August 1, 2009 for Sir Paul McCartney at FedExField in Landover, Maryland.
On July 27, 2010, Babylon Central, the cinematic directorial debut of founding member Eric Hilton, was released. Set (and shot) in Washington, D.C., the film follows tripwire events in the interconnected lives of its characters, each influencing power brokers' schemes to manipulate international currencies.
In June 2011, Thievery Corporation released their sixth album, Culture of Fear.
In January 2012, Thievery Corporation launched a remixes contest in conjunction with Dubspot.
Satyam Shivam Sundaram (ft Gun
Thievery Corporation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shiv hi sundar hai
Jaago, uth kar dekho
Jaago, uth kar dekho
Ek soorya hai, ek gagan hai
Ek hi dharti mata
Dayaa karo Prabhu, ek bane sab
Sab ka ek se naata
Satyam Shivam sundaram
Satyam Shivam sundaram
Raam Avdh mein, Kaashi mein
Shiv Kanhaa Vrindaavan mein
Dayaa karo Prabhu, dekho inko
Dayaa karo Prabhu, dekho inko
Har ghar ke aangan mein
Satyam Shivam sundaram
Satyam Shivam sundaram
Jaago, uth kar dekho
Jaago, uth kar dekho
Jaago, uth kar dekho
Jaago, uth kar dekho
Satyam Shivam sundaram
Satyam Shivam sundaram
The lyrics of Thievery Corporation's song "Satyam Shivam Sundaram" express a profound spiritual message about the interconnectedness of all things. The opening lines, "Ishwar satya hai, Shiv hi sundar hai," can be translated to mean "God is truth and beauty." This suggests that the divine is present in all things that are true and good. The next lines, "Ek soorya hai, ek gagan hai, ek hi dharti mata" emphasize the oneness of nature and the universe. This message of unity is further underscored in the lines, "Dayaa karo Prabhu, ek bane sab, sab ka ek se naata," which means "Lord, have mercy and make us one, we are all connected."
The chorus, "Satyam Shivam sundaram," translates to "Truth, goodness, and beauty." These qualities are attributes of the divine and are present in all things. The song then goes on to mention different aspects of the divine, including Raam Avdh, Kaashi, Shiv, Kanhaa, and Vrindaavan. Each of these names represents different manifestations of the divine, but they all point to the same ultimate reality. The call to action in the song is "Jaago, uth kar dekho," which means "Wake up and see." This is a call to recognize the divine presence in all things and to act accordingly.
Line by Line Meaning
Ishwar satya hai
The divine is truth
Shiv hi sundar hai
Shiva is the most beautiful
Jaago, uth kar dekho
Wake up and see for yourself
Ek soorya hai, ek gagan hai
There is one sun, one sky
Ek hi dharti mata
There is only one mother earth
Dayaa karo Prabhu, ek bane sab
Oh God, make us all united
Sab ka ek se naata
We are all connected to each other
Satyam Shivam sundaram
Truth, Godliness, beauty
Raam Avdh mein, Kaashi mein
Lord Rama in Ayodhya, Lord Shiva in Kashi
Shiv Kanhaa Vrindaavan mein
Shiva and Krishna in Vrindavan
Dayaa karo Prabhu, dekho inko
Oh God, have mercy and look upon them
Har ghar ke aangan mein
In every home, every courtyard
Jaago, uth kar dekho
Wake up and see for yourself
Satyam Shivam sundaram
Truth, Godliness, beauty
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ERIC HILTON, ROB GARZA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind