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 Richest Man in Babylon
Thievery Corporation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your wicked walk in Babylon
There is no wisdom to your freedom
The richest man in Babylon
Your beggars sleep outside your doorway
Your prophets leave to wonder on
You fall asleep at night with worry
The wicked stench of exploitation
Hangs in the air and fingers on
Beneath the praise and admiration
The weakest man in Babylon
There is no hope left in your kingdom
Your servants have burned all their songs
Nobody here remembers freedom
The richest man in Babylon
The song "The Richest Man in Babylon" by Thievery Corporation conveys a powerful message about the corrupt and exploitative nature of power and wealth. The lyrics suggest that the wealthiest man in Babylon is also the saddest and most miserable, as he has no guidance, wisdom, or hope left in his kingdom. Instead, he relies on the exploitation of the weakest and the suppression of the prophets and the beggars to maintain his power.
The song's chorus highlights the emptiness of the rich man's existence, as he falls asleep at night with worry, surrounded by the stench of exploitation that hangs in the air. The lyrics paint a picture of a society that has lost sight of its values and has become consumed by greed and corruption. The impoverished and marginalized are forgotten, and the rich have no purpose beyond accumulating more wealth at their expense.
Line by Line Meaning
There is no guidance in your kingdom
You rule without any moral principles
Your wicked walk in Babylon
You've chosen the path of evil in this city
There is no wisdom to your freedom
You're not truly free because you lack good judgment
The richest man in Babylon
You have wealth beyond measure, but it doesn't bring you true happiness
Your beggars sleep outside your doorway
Your wealth hasn't been shared with those in need
Your prophets leave to wonder on
The wise ones have left because they see through your facade
You fall asleep at night with worry
Your guilty conscience keeps you from peaceful slumber
The saddest man in Babylon
Your riches have brought you nothing but sorrow
The wicked stench of exploitation
Your actions reek of taking advantage of others
Hangs in the air and fingers on
Your deeds have consequences that linger
Beneath the praise and admiration
Others may flatter you, but they don't truly respect you
The weakest man in Babylon
Despite your wealth and power, you are morally and spiritually weak
There is no hope left in your kingdom
Your reign is one of despair and pessimism
Your servants have burned all their songs
Even those who serve you have lost hope in a better future
Nobody here remembers freedom
Your people have been so oppressed that they don't know what true freedom feels like
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: NORMAN HOWELL, RICHARD ERIC HILTON, ROBERTO MANUEL GARZA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
icanhasurvideos
00:00:00 Heaven's Gonna Burn Your Eyes
00:04:10 Facing East
00:07:54 The Outernationalist
00:11:24 Interlude
00:12:45 Omid (Hope)
00:16:33 All That We Perceive
00:20:19 Un Simple Histoire (A Simple Story)
00:24:04 Meu Destino (My Destiny)
00:27:34 Exilio (Exile)
00:30:37 From Creation
00:34:57 The Richest Man In Babylon
00:38:47 Liberation Front
00:43:51 The State Of The Union
00:48:20 Until The Morning
00:52:17 Resolution
david alonso
1. "Heaven's Gonna Burn Your Eyes" 00:00
2. "Facing East" 04:09
3. "The Outernationalist" 07:55
4. "Interlude" 11:24
5. "Omid (Hope)" 12:45
6. "All That We Perceive" 16:33
7. "Un Simple Histoire (A Simple Story)" 20:20
8. "Meu Destino (My Destiny)" 24:04
9. "Exilio (Exile)" 27:34
10. "From Creation" 30:37
11. "The Richest Man in Babylon" 34:58
12. "Liberation Front" 38:50
13. "The State of the Union" 43:51
14. "Until the Morning" 48:20
15. "Resolution" 52:18
Nicolas Olivet
1. "Heaven's Gonna Burn Your Eyes" 00:00
2. "Facing East" 04:09
3. "The Outernationalist" 07:55
4. "Interlude" 11:24
5. "Omid (Hope)" 12:45
6. "All That We Perceive" 16:33
7. "Un Simple Histoire (A Simple Story)" 20:20
8. "Meu Destino (My Destiny)" 24:04
9. "Exilio (Exile)" 27:34
10. "From Creation" 30:37
11. "The Richest Man in Babylon" 34:58
12. "Liberation Front" 38:50
13. "The State of the Union" 43:51
14. "Until the Morning" 48:20
15. "Resolution" 52:18
bhagavan vagabond
As Portuguese natif who's a Spanish speaker and a French and English fluent, I can only say that this masterpiece is mind-blowing
icanhasurvideos
00:00:00 Heaven's Gonna Burn Your Eyes
00:04:10 Facing East
00:07:54 The Outernationalist
00:11:24 Interlude
00:12:45 Omid (Hope)
00:16:33 All That We Perceive
00:20:19 Un Simple Histoire (A Simple Story)
00:24:04 Meu Destino (My Destiny)
00:27:34 Exilio (Exile)
00:30:37 From Creation
00:34:57 The Richest Man In Babylon
00:38:47 Liberation Front
00:43:51 The State Of The Union
00:48:20 Until The Morning
00:52:17 Resolution
Elle
YAS.
Callie Miller
This album was spinning at literally every social gathering in the SF Bay Area in the early 2000s, and is still being played! It is a timeless classic!
ANC
My go-to lifetime album. Words aren't enough to translate the range of feelings these sounds evoque
Magnolia Moon
Yasssss🙌🏽💯🔥🔥🔥
I Amilius am that i am
They are my musical saviors
I Amilius am that i am
Same here
Illuminated Skeletons
These guys are pure class
Andrea Tronchin
Timeless epic music surrounding every moment of my experience. Thanks, Thievery Corporation