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.
The Passing Stars
Thievery Corporation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I feel so far from home
The world's dissolving
It's easy to feel alone
Love's gifts remain unopened
And all our faith is broken
Subliminal illumination
The world and stars now pass us by
And lead us on to the divine
Receiving love from everywhere
Our fear dissolving into air
Receiving love from Everywhere
Our fear dissolving into air
Receiving love from Everywhere
Our fear dissolving into air
The song "The Passing Stars" by Thievery Corporation is a metaphysical song that explores the journey of one's soul, its search for meaning, and the fear of isolation. It begins with the question "Are you out there?" - an existential inquiry into one's existence and the feeling of being lost and disconnected from one's true self. The first two lines of the verse suggest that the world is in a state of constant chaos and decay, and it is easy to feel disconnected and alone.
The next two lines - "Love's gifts remain unopened / And all our faith is broken" - explore the idea that despite the abundance of love and faith that surrounds us, we often fail to recognize it and it remains unopened. The line "Subliminal illumination" suggests that these gifts may remain unnoticed due to our own limitations and narrow-mindedness. The line "Our train has left the station" may imply that it is too late to go back and revisit our past, but we need to look forward and move on towards our future.
The chorus - "The world and stars now pass us by / And lead us on to the divine / Receiving love from Everywhere / Our fear dissolving into air" - suggests that once we let go of our fears and open ourselves up to love from the universe, we can transcend the mundane world and meet the divine. It is a message of hope that we are never truly alone, and that love and beauty surround us if we are open to receiving it.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you out there
Questioning if there is someone out there to whom the singer can connect
I feel so far from home
Feeling emotionally distant and disconnected from a sense of belonging
The world's dissolving
The world seems to be breaking apart and losing its coherence and meaning
It's easy to feel alone
Feeling isolated and unsupported in the face of the dissolution of the world
Love's gifts remain unopened
The artist has not been able to fully appreciate or benefit from the gifts of love
And all our faith is broken
All of the singer's belief in the goodness and coherence of the world has been shattered
Subliminal illumination
A hidden or unconscious source of enlightenment or insight
Our train has left the station
We are now committed to a certain path or destiny, with little chance of turning back or changing direction
The world and stars now pass us by
The artist is experiencing a sense of detachment from the world and its movements
And lead us on to the divine
The world and its movements are leading us on a path towards something greater or transcendent
Receiving love from everywhere
The singer is now open to receiving love and connection from all sources, no matter how unexpected or unconventional
Our fear dissolving into air
The artist's fear and anxiety are melting away and becoming less tangible
Receiving love from Everywhere
Continued openness and receptivity to love and connection
Our fear dissolving into air
Continued dissolution of fear and anxiety, with a growing sense of peace and contentment
Receiving love from Everywhere
Final affirmation of the singer's newfound ability to connect with love and overcome fear
Our fear dissolving into air
Final affirmation of the artist's growing sense of peace and contentment in the face of a turbulent world
Writer(s): Richard Eric Hilton, Pam Bricker, Roberto Manuel Garza Copyright: Garza Y Hilton Musica
Contributed by Muhammad V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@rosarossetti6197
Are you out there
I feel so far from home
The world's dissolving
It's easy to feel alone
Love's gifts remain unopened
And all our faith is broken
Subliminal illumination
Our train has left the station
The world and stars now pass us by
And lead us on to the divine
Receiving love from everywhere
Our fear dissolving into air
Receiving love from Everywhere
Our fear dissolving into air
Receiving love from Everywhere
Our fear dissolving into air
@burnthemass10
I absolutely love everything about this track❤ RIP Ms. Bricker
@Alexpc1276
Who's that?
@DollnAbox
@@Alexpc1276 It’s the singer on the track. Pam Bricker. She died by suicide in 2005.
@19RYBEK79
It's the same for me... It is so beautyfull
@djayfunk13
how does this track only have three comments only? One of the most beautiful and haunting tracks on this god for saken earth. Thank you T.C.
@AlecsStan
Wait till you discover the whole album.
@rena4344
Thievery have songs for any mood. Good,bad, for love or a painful missing. Love love love Thievery Corporation 💕
@sandrolinhares6876
Thank you all. It´s superb!! Why the people don´t hear this?? Why it´s so like "secret". I never heard this sound before...
@MazthorilMusic
I'd say that's why it is so special, songs or tracks like this one are very rare and if you got lucky enough to find it out , it's like a secret place where you can be all alone and just enjoy the moment ! :)
@baskunoreppin
Our fear dissolving into air...