1. an American metalcore ba… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least three artists called ZAO:
1. an American metalcore band
2. a French zeuhl band
3. a Congolese zouk singer
1) Zao (pronounced /ˈzeɪ.oʊ/) is a band from Greensburg, Pennsylvania and are considered one of the founding metalcore groups. However they began in 1993 in Parkersburg, West Virginia, playing a style of metalcore similar to bands such as Earth Crisis and Snapcase. Zao has hosted several musicians and endured numerous roster changes to the point where no original members remain, often marked by the departure and readmission of multiple members. The band's catalog is often divided into two distinct eras, marked by a drastic shift in members that led to an equally drastic shift in sound. Most noticeably of these changes was the shift from vocalist Shaun Jonas who later formed Symphony in Peril to current front-man Dan Weyandt. Throughout the years, Zao has hosted many notable musicians such as guitarist Brett Detar of The Juliana Theory fame and current drummer Jeff Gretz who briefly played for From Autumn to Ashes. In the eyes of many fans, the "core" of Zao's sound was best exemplified by drummer Jesse Smith, guitarists Russ Cogdell and Scott Mellinger(formerly of Creation is Crucifixion), and vocalist Dan Weyandt. The current lineup is comprised of Russ, Scott, Dan, Jeff, and bass player and long time friend of the band, Martin Lunn.
To date, Zao has completed ten full-length albums, three EPs, a two-disc DVD documentary and multiple concert tours, garnering a limited but global fanbase and earning critical praise in the process.
2) ZAO was a French Zeuhl band, an early Magma offshoot founded by two ex-members of Magma: Yochk'o Seffer (saxophone, clarinet) and François Cahen (piano). They were active from 1971 to 1994 and released six studio albums. In 1976, Magma violinist Didier Lockwood also joined the band and appeared on their albums Kawana and Live!.
If one regards MAGMA as the central trunk of the Zeuhl tree, ZAO would be equivalent to an early side branch very close to the trunk. ZAO’s music, at least at the beginning of their career, is therefore an extension of MAGMA’s first era, with a light music, at times weird, with hints of jazz, contemporaneous music, Hungarian folk (Yochk’o is a native of Hungary) and obviously of Zeuhl. Nothing in common with the absolute incantatory power of “MDK” and “Kohntarkhosz” to which Yochk’o Seffer and François Cahen didn’t want to contribute.
On the first album, "Z = 7L" (1973), the very complex melodic instrumental layers are enriched with the wonderful voice of Mauricia Platon (with its Kobaïan accents), but unfortunately she was missing on the follow-up "Osiris" released in 1975.
ZAO will then break from its Zeuhl roots and the music will lean towards some jazz-rock fusion more and more debatable and debated.
"Shekina" (1975) augmented by the presence of a string quartet and "Kawana" (1976) remain respected albums of the French jazz-rock fusion scene but "Typhareth" (1976) recorded just after Yochk'o Seffer left the band is regarded as less successful. ZAO will then split but the members will gather anew in 1994 with the release of "Akhenaton" (once more jazz-fusion inflected), the album that saw the band reform but without any follow-up. It seems that the band planned to reform this year (2004) with the return of Yochk'o Seffer. To be continued ?
3) Zao (born as Casimir Zoba on 24 March 1953 in Brazzaville) is a Congolese Zouk singer, whose work is characterized by lyrics concerning taboo subjects in Congolese society with a humorous tone. He is most known for his 1984 song "Ancien combattant". "ZAO" stands for "Zéro-Admis-Omniprésent" (zero, allowed, omnipresent).
Black Coffee
Zao Lyrics
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Imagination turns thoughts, reason can't change
Staring at the walls, think I know what I see
Anger and coffee, feeling mean
Drinking black coffee, black coffee, drinking black coffee, staring at the wall
Black coffee, black coffee, black coffee, staring at the wall
Black coffee, drinking black coffee, drinking black coffee, staring at the...
But its all in my mind, mind, mind, mind
Just in my mind, mind, mind, mind
Its just in my mind, yeaaaaaaaaa
My heart is pounding, as stare at the wall
Its my turn to be jealous, now I don't stand for it all
In fact I'm pretty stupid, I'm feeling small
Anger and coffee, feeling mean
Drinking black coffee, black coffee, black coffee, staring at the wall
Black coffee, black coffee, black coffee, staring at the wall
Black coffee, drinking black coffee, drinking black coffee, staring at the...
Stab through my heart, stab through my heart, stab through my heart
But its all in my mind, mind, mind, mind
Just in my mind, mind, mind, mind
Its just in my mind
Yeaaaaaaaa
Drinking black coffee, drinking black coffee, drinking black coffee, staring at the wall
Black coffee, black coffee, black coffee, staring at the wall
Black coffee, drinking black coffee, drinking black coffee, staring at the...
Stab through my heart, stab through my heart, stab through my heart
But its all in my mind, mind, mind, mind
Just in my mind, mind, mind, mind
Its just in my mind, yea
If the night goes on, paranoia adultery
Why should I be so stupid, when I can't really see
The other side of the wall, is eating away at me
Anger and Coffee, feeling mean
Drinking black coffee, black coffee, black coffee, staring at the wall
Black coffee, black coffee, black coffee, staring at the wall
Black coffee, drinking black coffee, drinking black coffee, staring at the...
Stab through my heart, stab through my heart, stab through my heart
But its all in my mind, mind, mind, mind
Its just in my mind, mind, mind, mind
Its just in my mind
The song "Black Coffee" by Zao is indicative of someone's fear and paranoia, their thoughts slowly consuming them as they sit and drink black coffee, staring at the walls. The lyrics are about the frustration and annoyance that comes with being unsure of someone's actions and intentions, resulting in a heightened sense of jealousy and insecurity that is tearing them apart. The singer is struggling with feelings of insignificance, feeling small while the other side of the wall seems to be eating away at them.
The repetition of drinking black coffee and staring at the wall emphasizes the sense of being stuck in a loop and feeling unable to escape one's own mind. The stabbing sensation of pain in the heart, although all in the mind, represents the emotional distress caused by these feelings of jealousy and insecurity. The singer is trying to rationalize their thoughts but, as the lyrics suggest, "imagination turns thoughts" and reason can't always prevail over emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Who are you with, where have you been
Asking someone's whereabouts and with whom they have been spending time.
Imagination turns thoughts, reason can't change
Thoughts can be changed by imagination rather than reason.
Staring at the walls, think I know what I see
Gazing at the walls and interpreting what is being seen.
Anger and coffee, feeling mean
Drinking coffee while feeling angry.
Drinking black coffee, black coffee, drinking black coffee, staring at the wall
Repeatedly drinking black coffee while staring at the wall.
Stab through my heart, stab through my heart, stab through my heart
A metaphorical feeling of being hurt continuously.
But its all in my mind, mind, mind, mind
Understanding that the pain is all in one's thoughts.
Just in my mind, mind, mind, mind
Acknowledging that it's all just in the mind.
My heart is pounding, as stare at the wall
Feeling the heart rate increase while staring at the wall.
Its my turn to be jealous, now I don't stand for it all
Feeling jealous and not tolerating the situation anymore.
In fact I'm pretty stupid, I'm feeling small
Feeling foolish and insignificant.
Yeaaaaaaaa
Expression of emotions.
If the night goes on, paranoia adultery
As the night progresses, thoughts of adultery and paranoia may arise.
Why should I be so stupid, when I can't really see
Questioning one's naivety when they cannot see clearly.
The other side of the wall, is eating away at me
Being bothered by what's on the other side of the wall.
Its just in my mind
Coming to the realization that it's all in the mind.
Lyrics © GUY WEBSTER/WEBSTER MUSIC
Written by: FRANCIS JOSEPH BURKE, PAUL FRANCIS WEBSTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind