VNV Nation's inspiration was originally the clash of the modern and classical European cultures, where mythology and technology live in an uneasy fusion, but this has since broadened to encompass a world view. The music ranges from electronic dance music to ballads and classically inspired music. Inspirations are taken from a wide range of styles including contemporary underground club culture, industrial, trance and classical music. The lyrics draw on philosophy, religion, literature, art, politics and different forms of symbolism, although VNV Nation does not advocate any ideology. It is a metaphor for expression. The letters VNV stand for "Victory Not Vengeance". The meaning behind this stylised motto is that one should strive to achieve, not sit in bitter regret.
VNV Nation's first releases were in 1990 with two self produced vinyl releases, "Body Pulse" and "Strength of Youth" (which are now long deleted with Ronan Harris himself not having a copy). After working on some VNV Nation tracks and supporting Nitzer Ebb on tour whilst living in Toronto, Canada, Ronan returned to London and released some tracks on sampler CDs. This caught the interest of German label Discordia and in July 1995, "Advance and Follow" was released. At around about the same time, Mark Jackson joined the band.
In January 1998, VNV Nation signed with the German label, Off Beat Records, releasing their second album "Praise the Fallen" in June 1998 and the EP "Solitary EP" in September 1998. With VNV Nation increasing in popularity, they began their first headline tour in Germany in September 1998.
In 1999, the Off Beat label collapsed, leading to VNV Nation (along with other artists such as Covenant, Suicide Commando and Velvet Acid Christ) collaborating with Stefan Herwig (a former A&R manager with Off Beat) to create Dependent Records. In late 1999, the album "Empires" was released, staying at number 1 in the German Alternative Chart (DAC) for seven weeks, and winning the award for DAC Album of the Year.
From "Empires" two singles were released "Darkangel", which tops the DAC for 5 weeks in mid 1999 and "Standing", which stays at no.1 in the DAC for 8 weeks in early 2000 (the maximum a single can remain in the DAC) winning a German Alternative Music Award for most successful single of 2000 and sharing the place for most successful single in the DAC's history with the Chemical Brothers. A limited edition of the "Standing" single was also released entitled "Standing / Burning Empires" which contained alternate versions and remixes by VNV Nation of tracks from "Empires". This remains one of the most sought after VNV rarities, fetching large sums on auction sites, although it has recently been released on iTunes to allow casual listeners to purchase it.
In March 2001, "Advance and Follow v2" was released as a limited edition, which was a remastered and partially re-recorded version of the original 1995 album "Advance and Follow". The band were never particularly happy with the first album due to it being recorded in less than a week, so the release was seen by the band as a way to put that right.
In October 2001, VNV Nation embarked on their "Futureperfect" tour of Europe and North America, promoting the album "Futureperfect" which was released in January 2002. It reached number 25 in the full German Album Charts, with the single "Beloved" reaching number 60 in the full German Singles Chart. Following the release of "Beloved", VNV Nation part ways with Dependant and create their own label "Anachron Records".
In June 2003, the Honour 2003 EP is released, promoting the "Pastperfect" live DVD, which following many delays and problems was finally released in May 2004. Following this the rest of 2004 and beginning of 2005 was spent producing the album "Matter and Form", which was released in April 2005. Preceeding the album release, one of the tracks "Chrome" was sold in March 2005 as a download on the VNV Nation website, as well as iTunes.
In April 2007, the album "Judgement" was released, and an extensive world tour in support of the album followed. In January 2009, VNV Nation published their plans for 2009 on their website, indicating that the long delayed "Reformation" EP would be available, but now as a full "CD Pack". Also due for release in 2009 is the new album entitled "Of Faith, Power and Glory".
In November 2017 Mark Jackson left the band to "pursue other paths in life".
To read more about Ronan Harris and his motivations behind the band and 2009's "Of Faith, Power and Glory," please visit http://www.dieselpunks.org/profiles/blogs/interview-ronan-harris-of-vnv
In Defiance
VNV Nation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I knew you to be
Righting the wrongs in the name
Of all you believed
The one who brought the fight
Who never said die
Never letting fate decide
Be all you hope for
You were the best you could be
All that in tribute
All that you had achieved
No time for words
From those with nothing to say
Never letting fate decide
Until the end and back again
Defiant to the last man
?Til there's nothing left
To fight against
No surrender
Unto the corners of the Earth
Defiant to the last breath
Until there's none left standing
No surrender
Conjured the ground upon which
You've only stood
Buried the conflicts that had
Preyed on your mind
Found strengths in actions
That only courage achieves
Never letting fate decide
Until the end and back again
Defiant to the last man
?Til there's nothing left
To fight against
No surrender
Unto the corners of the Earth
Defiant to the last breath
Until there's none left standing
No surrender
Until the end and back again
Defiant to the last man
?Til there's nothing left
To fight against
No surrender
Unto the corners of the Earth
Defiant to the last breath
Until there's none left standing
No surrender
No surrender
No surrender
The lyrics of VNV Nation's "In Defiance" are a passionate tribute to someone who has overcome great adversity and stood firm in their beliefs, refusing to surrender or give up. The song reflects on memories of this person, recalling their determination to right wrongs and fight for what they believed in. The person being honored is described as someone who never let fate decide their fate for them, who was always the best they could be, achieving all that they set out to achieve.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "defiant to the last man, 'til there's nothing left to fight against, no surrender." This stirring call to action emphasizes the importance of standing up for what you believe in, even when faced with insurmountable obstacles. The lyrics conjure an image of someone who is unyielding in the face of adversity, who refuses to give up until they have achieved their goals, and who inspires others to do the same.
Overall, VNV Nation's "In Defiance" is a powerful and uplifting ode to perseverance and the human spirit. It celebrates the bravery and determination of those who refuse to surrender, even in the face of overwhelming odds, and encourages listeners to embrace their inner strength and fight for what they believe in.
Line by Line Meaning
I think back upon the person
Reflecting on the past and remembering the person
I knew you to be
The remembrance of the person I knew
Righting the wrongs in the name
Correcting mistakes and injustices with determination
Of all you believed
In alignment with your strong beliefs
The one who brought the fight
The person who initiated conflict and never backed down
Who never said die
The one who never surrendered or gave up fighting
Never letting fate decide
Choosing to be in control of one's own destiny
Be all you hope for
Striving to achieve all of one's aspirations
You were the best you could be
Giving one's all and being the best version of oneself
All that in tribute
All that is done to honor one's efforts
All that you had achieved
The accomplishments made by the person being remembered
No time for words
No patience for meaningless talk
From those with nothing to say
Those without substantial contributions to the conversation
Until the end and back again
Persisting through hardship and challenges, and emerging victorious
Defiant to the last man
Bravely standing one's ground until the very end
?Til there's nothing left
Continuing to fight without respite
To fight against
Standing in opposition to injustice and oppression
Unto the corners of the Earth
Across the entire globe
Defiant to the last breath
Continuing to fight relentlessly, even in the face of death
Until there's none left standing
Victory over any and all opposition
No surrender
Never giving up or giving in
Conjured the ground upon which
Creating the foundation on which to stand and fight
You've only stood
The place where the person had been standing their ground
Buried the conflicts that had
Resolving conflicts and putting them behind
Preyed on your mind
Continuing to weigh heavy in one's thoughts
Found strengths in actions
Drawing on one's own achievements and inner strength
That only courage achieves
The bravery needed to achieve great things
No surrender
Never giving up or giving in
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: RONAN HARRIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@InluxBDX
Amazing song!
@fulbertneant8429
awesome
headbanging on this
@gregorw4517
👌🏼
@SamM-sn9nq
🦎😎🦎