Verlaine was often considered as one of the most talented performers of the early punk rock era. Verlaine's poetic lyrics, and his accomplished guitar playing technique were highly influential and widely praised in the music media. He, and Television bandmate, Richard Lloyd were one of rock music's most acclaimed and inventive guitar duos.
Verlaine's stage name is a reference to French symbolist poet Paul Verlaine.
Famed for his trailblazing work as the singer and guitarist for the seminal New York punk band Television, Verlaine also carved out an acclaimed and eclectic solo career. Verlaine trained as a classical pianist but gravitated toward rock music after an encounter with Rolling Stones' song"19th Nervous Breakdown." In 1968, he and bassist Richard Meyers (later Richard Hell) moved to New York's Lower East Side, where they and drummer Billy Ficca formed the group The Neon Boys. The Neon Boys quickly disbanded after failing to recruit a second guitarist (despite auditions by Dee Dee Ramone and Chris Stein). They reformed as Television a few months later, finding a guitarist in Richard Lloyd, and began playing at seminal punk clubs like CBGB and Max's Kansas City. In 1975, Verlaine kicked Hell out of the band for his erratic playing and behavior, and, with Fred Smith replacing Hell, they released their first single.
Beginning with their landmark 1975 debut single "Little Johnny Jewel," Television became one of the most renowned groups on the burgeoning New York underground scene; though lumped together with the punk phenomenon, the band's complex songcraft -- powered by Verlaine's strangled vocals, oblique lyrics and finely-honed guitar work -- clearly set them apart from their peers. However, after only two albums, 1977's classic Marquee Moon and the more subdued 1978 follow-up Adventure, Television disbanded, and Verlaine started a solo career.
He resurfaced in 1979 with a self-titled debut which featured the song "Kingdom Come," later covered by avowed fan David Bowie. 1981's dense Dreamtime earned significant acclaim, and even hit the U.S. album charts. Both 1982's diverse Words From the Front and 1984's Cover drew raves from the British press, spurring Verlaine to take up residency in London. After a three-year hiatus, he returned with Flash Light, regarded as one of his best solo efforts.
Following 1990's The Wonder, Television briefly reformed for a self-titled album and tour; the group again broke up.
In 1992 Verlaine issued his first instrumental LP, Warm and Cool. In 1994, he composed the score for the film Love and a .45. Currently, he and his jazz-influenced punk guitar are touring. He is responsible in part for popularizing the Fender Jazzmaster, along with Elvis Costello. In 1997 he was asked by Jeff Buckley to produce his follow-up album to "Grace", "Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk", before Buckley's death by drowning that year.
During the 1990s he collaborated with different artists, including Patti Smith, and composed a film score.
Verlaine was part of The Million Dollar Bashers, a supergroup also featuring Sonic Youth musicians Lee Ranaldo and Steve Shelley, Wilco guitarist Nels Cline, Bob Dylan bassist Tony Garnier, guitarist Smokey Hormel, and keyboardist John Medeski. Their work appears on the original soundtrack to "I'm Not There", a biographical film reflecting on the life of Bob Dylan.
In 2012, Verlaine collaborated with former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha on his second solo album Look to the Sky.
The Revolution
Tom Verlaine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A classic piece of literature,
If I ever heard one.
[Part 1:]
A wicked, bitter pretense,
Stumbling round,
No doubt,
Righteous.
Remember now the year's
1412, or something.
As I searched amongst them
For a valuable gold piece.
Not really,
No, not really.
The Bastard's Tale,
[Part 2:]
Now remember,
The year is 1714,
And we're enjoying our new inventions,
Whatever those were.
Such is The Bastard's life,
Without apology,
A cursed, pathetic boredom
Altered by death alone.
Death, a giant test,
Transpired
July 30th 1914.
You should have seen us then,
Coupled as we were,
A feverish embrace.
Wow.
The lyrics to Tom Verlaine's song The Revolution contain a series of disconnected images and lines that may initially appear to the listener as fragmented and incomprehensible. However, upon closer inspection, the lyrics reveal themselves to be a meditation on the cyclical nature of life and history. The first stanza begins with the phrase "The Bastard's Tale," which may refer to a particular narrative or a metaphorical representation of human existence. The next lines describe a "wicked, bitter pretense" and an individual stumbling around in a state of ennui. The word "blase" suggests a jadedness with life that the person cannot shake off, despite their apparent righteousness. Verlaine then seemingly jumps back in time to the year 1412, or something similar, and describes searching for a valuable gold piece. The line "not really, no not really" casts doubt on the truth of this memory, as if to say that human recollection is fallible and subjective.
The second stanza introduces the phrase "the year is 1714," suggesting another temporal jump. Verlaine mentions new inventions without specifying what they are, which leaves the listener to imagine what they may be. The Bastard's life is described as "a cursed, pathetic boredom/ altered by death alone." Death becomes a test, and the date July 30th, 1914, is given as a reference point. The final lines speak of a "feverish embrace," which may refer to a moment of intense feeling shared by humans across time, regardless of their individual circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
A wicked, bitter pretense, stumbling round, no doubt, blase
The persona observes a deceitful and unpleasant attitude that is nonchalant and careless.
Righteous. Remember now the year's 1412, or something.
The persona tries to exalt morality while reminiscing about a past time period but is uncertain about the date.
As I searched amongst them for a valuable gold piece. Not really, no, not really.
The persona reflects on looking for something of worth among others, but it is doubtful that he found anything of value.
Now remember, the year is 1714, and we're enjoying our new inventions, whatever those were.
The persona points out a year in history, but views it as a vague and uneventful time where new discoveries were made but lacked importance.
Such is The Bastard's life, without apology, a cursed, pathetic boredom altered by death alone.
The persona refers to someone named 'The Bastard' and describes their life as a monotonous and wretched existence changed only by mortality.
Death, a giant test, transpired July 30th 1914.
The persona suggests that the occurrence of a significant death on July 30th, 1914 was a substantial ordeal.
You should have seen us then, coupled as we were, a feverish embrace. Wow.
The persona describes a past moment with excitement, remarking on a passionate and intense physical interaction.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDREW WRIGHT, SIMON SMITH, DELROY POTTINGER, TIMOTHY TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
NETOMAN47
Recuerdo
como se doblaba la oscuridad
rememoro
el rayo golpeándose a sí mismo.
Estaba escuchando
escuchando la lluvia
estaba oyendo
oyendo algo más.
La vida en la colmena hizo que mi noche frunciese los labios,
el beso de la muerte, el abrazo de la vida.
Allí estaba, bajo la Marquesina de la luna esperando,
vacilando...
no estoy esperando
Hablé con un hombre
en las vías.
Le pregunté
cómo no se volvía loco.
Me dijo "Mira, junior, no estés tan feliz.
Y por amor de Dios, no estés tan triste."
Y un Cadillac
salió del cementerio
Se paró a mi lado
todos me dijeron que entrara.
Luego el Cadillac
volvió a meterse en el cementerio
y yo,
salí de nuevo.
pneumati
R.I.P. Tom Verlaine, Absolutely incredible song
the_emmo
RIP 🙏🏽
Wayne Brown
❤️🌹
raay
rip Tom
Sabine Grohmann
❤️
68lemonk karon
Thank you Pfizer!🤨🤐
Bheki Cindi
One of my favourite guitarists ever !!! I got myself a jazzmaster because he made it so cool.
R.I.P Tom Verlaine ❤️
Aero Mac
He used jags in the marquee moon days
Lacy Jags
One of the giant songs in popular music, transcending Punk, like London Calling or Anarchy in the U.K. It only gets more amazing as time goes by.
Mike Bowden
totally agree