Sylvian emotion

The Boy with the Gun

He knows well his wicked ways
A course of bitterness
A grudge held from his childhood days
As if life had loved him less
Reading down his list of names
He ticks them one by one
He points the barrel at the sky
Firing shots off at the sun

”I’m the law and I am the king, I am the wisdom, listen to me sing”

He carves out the victim’s names
In the wooden butt of the gun
He leans well back against the tree
He knows his kingdome’s come
He’ll breathe a sigh self satisfied
The work is in good hands
He shoots the coins into the air
And follows where the money lands

”I’m the law and I am the king, I am the wisdom, listen to me sing``

He pauses at the city’s edge
Of hellfire and of stone
He summons up the devil there
To give him courage of his own
He’ll free the sinners of deceit
They’ll hear his name and run
His justice is his own reward
Measured out beneath the sun

”I’m the law and I am the king, I am the wisdom, listen to me sing”

And my name’s on the gun
The work is just began
By the boy with the gun

Forbidden Colours

The wounds on your hand never seem to heal
I thought all I needed was to believe

Here am I, a lifetime away from you ?
The blood of Christ or the beat of my heart
My love wears forbidden colours
My life believes

Senseless years thunder by
Millions are willing to give their lives for you
Does nothing live on ?

Learning to cope with feelings aroused in me
My hands in the soil, buried inside myself
My love wears forbidden colours
My life believes in you once again

I’ll go walking in circles
While doubting the very ground beneath me
Trying to show unquestioning faith in everything
Here am I, a lifetime away from you ?
The blood of Christ, or a change of heart

My love wears forbidden colours
My life believes
My love wears forbidden colours
My life believes in you once again

Orpheus

Standing firm on this stoney ground
The wind blows hard
Pulls these clothes around
I harbour all the same worries as most
The temptations to leave or to give up the ghost
I wrestle with an outlook on life
That shifts between darkness and shadowy light
I struggle with words for fear that they’ll hear
But Orpheus sleeps on his back still dead to the world

Sunlight falls, my wings open wide
There’s a beauty here I cannot deny
And bottles that tumble and crash on the stairs
Are just so many people I knew never cared
Down below on the wreck on the ship
Are a stronghold of pleasures I couldn’t regret
But the baggage is swallowed up by the tide
As Orpheus keeps to his promise and stays by my side

Tell me, I’ve still a lot to learn
Understand, these fires never stop
Believe me, when this joker is tired of laughing
I will hear the promise of my Orpheus sing

Sleepers sleep as we row the boat
Just you the weather and I gave up hope
But all of the hurdles that fell in our laps
Were fuel for the fire and straw for our backs
Still the voices have stories to tell
Of the power struggles in heaven and hell
But we feel secure against such mighty dreams
As Orpheus sings of the promise tomorrow may bring

Tell me, I’ve still a lot to learn
Understand, these fires never stop
Please believe me, when this joker is tired of laughing
I will hear the promise of my Orpheus sing...


3 songs from David Sylvian (Japan) and his most hauntingly beautiful solo album `Secrets of the Beehive`. I have had this cd for many years and these songs have always evoked strong emotions for me, hence the annotation.

S x