B i o g r a p h y (by Official Press)
Espers started appearing around the Philadelphia area in 2002 and quickly established themselves as one of the beautiful new bands in the world these days. Since Espers self-titled (and acclaimed) first album was released in early 2004, a lot has gone down. Addressing “today” directly, the band collated the ups and downs that formed their lives over the last two years and infused their new songs with a light and darkness that proved transformative when the time to make music came again. And so we thank the gods for the light and darkness.From the beginning, Espers has been a living growing thing. II finds the group at sextet size, with greater powers and capabilities than before. Still, the original spirit of the band — the American ideal of the democracy (that is in no way reflected in its current goverment) — rules Espers in everything they do, gives them true freedoms to reach for the spiritual and the fun at once, and to make their music from it. The sound of ESPERS II was achieved using a mad variety of instruments, from your standard everyday Martin 6-string acoustics, Fender jazzbass and drumkit to more exotic implements such as doumbek, dholak and male & female larynx (which we assume are swung around in the air to produce a recorder-like sound). Espers at play tap into their shared spaces with joy and a sense of humor (and wonder, naturally). The musical outcome is a friendly new sensation — as the record plays, it warms the room and dims the lights with dense yet agile atmospherics, allowing you the listener to relax, despite and yet still in communion with the realities of our present day.
Espers
Flowery Noontide Fits well, a flowery noontide And tell a tale of springtime Someone will call, hungry to spite me Absent from luck and blame so slightly In sight, the tale goes hiding Reveal a bite, skin tightening Soon gone the thought, am I distracted Please cover up, our lies are abandoned So sad, the tide so rightly We took the tale so lightly Snows are so far, and lost stars lightening To enter scorned and tempers tightening
*** Thanx a lot to Koe who tried to decipher this one ***
Meadow
The sun inside your eyes sends me impossibly Through seasons spilling fluid time like arteries of gold Beside this tree of oak and moss most innocently The sedentary song describes our willingness to lie Between your red and golden skin most innocently Together like two meadows one, too soon our course is run In softness as in stone we find regretably The solitary song describes our willingness to die
Riding We've been riding all night and the skies that diminish are right to be known We've been finding insight in what we knew to be right from the day we were born Every day is the last, only further in time from the will of the past So we circle and strive and reverse when we drive so we'll never arrive We were silent before, but we're not anymore, now we'll even the score We'll describe and dissect every secret effect that lay hid behind doors There was time in the past to describe or outlast all that cluttered and cast A dispiriting light through our shallowing nights soon will never be right
Hearts & Daggers When darkness scatters Draining moonlight The souls in tatters Some will rise again When daylight strikes them They will be reborn Their graves will shatter And their voice return Fires will gather Golden flash will rise For hearts and daggers For silence to return
*** Thanx a lot to koldd0 & The_Better_End for this one ***
Voices These voices in my head Find me a single fare Transform my way back From white to a crimson red They guide me to Esper Where every tantra Where light defies tuatara And killed our step stair paths Within an hour's flow My liquid lifters go And to the gates I So kill all those dirty lies And sent to where bodies lay Small creatures make their way With knife and a gnaw-tooth They set upon my youth So listen now to me Voices that guide you shall From whence did their's flow Soon death will find you
*** Thanx a lot to Benoit for this one ***
Byss and Abyss Sleepless and struggling to pry Apart the memories you try So hard to hide from the light Over this long, lonely night Thoughts linger on like a rash Like a slow motion car crash They clutter like moths to a flame Singeing your angular frame Like clouds under stars hid from sight Feeling adventurous you might Float free at dizzying heights Nothing can reach you at night
Daughter
Run, run Through the woods Talking branches will protect you Father, come and see I'm old enough to fight to my own death I'm not afraid, i've grown I'm not your girl no more Lie beneath a floor A winding sheet for warms and comfort Father, come and see I'm old enough to lift the gravity I'm not your frayed-haired girl I'm not your golden boy
The Weed Tree
*** Thanx a lot to Michel for trying to decipher these lyrics ***
Rosemary Lane When I was in service in the rosemary lane I won the good will of my master amberdine 'Til a sailor came there one night to lay And that was the beginning of my misery He called for a candle to light him to bed Likewise a silk hankerchief to tie up his hair To tie up his hair as sailors will do And third my pretty polly won't you come too This may be young and foolish she thought it no harm To lie into bed why to keep herself warm And what was done there I will never disclose But I wish that short night had been seven long years Next morning this sailor so early arose And into my bra 3 guineas did throw Saying this I will give and more I will do If you’ll be my pretty polly wherever I go And if it’s a boy he will fight for the king And if it’s a girl she will wear a gold ring Wear a gold ring and a dress all of light And remember my service in the rosemary lane When I was in service in the rosemary lane I won the good will of my master amberdine 'Til a sailor came there one night to lay And that was the beginning of my misery Tomorrow ( Durutti Column Cover ) All I wanted was your time All you ever gave me was tomorrow All I wanted was your time All you ever gave me was tomorrow And tomorrow never comes Tomorrow never comes Tomorrow never comes Tomorrow never comes People stood in a line with flowers They were only waiting for the moment People stood in a line with flowers They were only waiting for the moment And tomorrow never comes Tomorrow never comes Tomorrow never comes Tomorrow never comes And I know the feeling so well I've been waiting for you for so long And I know the feeling so well I've been waiting for you for so long And tomorrow never comes Tomorrow never comes Tomorrow never comes Tomorrow never comes Black is the color ( Traditional ) Black is the color of my true love’s hair His face is like some wondrous fair With the prettiest face and the neatest hands I love the ground whereon he stands I love my love And well he knows I love the ground whereon he goes If you know mark on earth I see I counciled you as you have me I go to the clyde for to mourn and weep But satisfied I never can sleep I write him a letter just a few short lines I suffer death one thousand times black is the color of my true love's hair His face is like some wondrous fair With the prettiest face and the neatest hands I love the ground whereon he stands Afraid ( Nico Cover ) Cease to know or to tell Or to see or to be your own Cease to know or to tell Or to see or to be your own Have someone else's will as your own Have someone else's will as your own You are beautiful and you are alone You are beautiful and you are alone Often the adolescent plague Reward your grace Often the adolescent plague Reward your grace Confuse your hunger capture the fake Confuse your hunger capture the fake Banish the faceless reward your grace Banish the faceless reward your grace
Blue Mountain
( Michael Hurley cover ) Yonder stands blue mountain Oh, yonder stands blue mountain Oh, yonder stands my home Oh, yonder stands my home Where the blueberries are a-bloomin' Where the blueberries are a-bloomin' I'm gonna make some blueberry wine I'm gonna make some blueberry wine If I ever ride again If I ever ride again I'm riding back to my blueberry land Well, I'm riding back to my blueberry land
Flaming Telepaths ( Blue Öyster Cult Cover ) Well I've opened up my veins too many times And the poison's in my heart and in my mind Poison's in my bloodstream, poison's in my pride I'm after rebellion, I'll settle for lies Is it any wonder that my mind's on fire Imprisoned by the thoughts of what to do Is it any wonder that the joke's an iron And the jokes on you Experiments that failed too many times Transformations that were too hard to find Poison's in my bloodstream, poison's in my pride I'm after rebellion, I'll settle for lies Yes I know the secrets of the iron and mind They're trinity acts a mineral fire Yes I know the secrets of the circuitry mind It's a flaming wonder telepath Well I've opened up my veins too many times And the poison's in my heart and in my mind Poison's in my bloodstream, poison's in my pride I'm after rebellion, I'll settle for lies Is it any wonder that my mind's on fire Imprisoned by the thoughts of what to do Is it any wonder that the joke's an iron And the jokes on you And the joke's on you...
Dead King Take this scarred body Annoint his heirs Take a dollar for the crossing From coins in his meal Souls slight of coin Slight of name Then I'll meet you at the back gate And greet you just the same Take to my side And we'll walk on To where the frost of the dead king Weigh heavy on the vine Long it's been said That the worlds Of a man be his woman And his lands have retainers
Espers II
*** Thanx a lot to Suite_organics for these official lyrics ! ***
Dead Queen Lullabies as the spires Silently rise Spines piercing the sun Darkness where there was none The dead queen and one Who has yet to die Crimson tithes flowing fluid and wild Draw the steel skin near to the blade Blood will flow Green the grass still grow Worry not Your time here was well
Widow's Weed Seed, widow, seed 'Neath bended reed Burning as one Beneath the sun Flee, widow, seed Not one would see Fluidity Binds you to me
Cruel Storm Oh, cruel storm, cruel sailor, cruel plans That take what they'd sooner sell to some foreign land. From my highest tower, I see distance, storms and swells Whisper to my love "there is a happy land further away" Oh, splendid lady, steels stars at your heels I've watched your eyes fill with delight As your hounds take the wild fox down Your wicked of kin finds a place at your side The blackthorns might pierce my heart, But then I'd be free Light darkness once more Guide lost sailor's home again Whether they be cruel or kind As last light bleeds from the sky I'll watch over the dawn Coil moonbeams 'neath my tongue Cast true love's spell once more And it will be spring again...
Children of stone Alchemical devotions of the night Bring endless labyrinths of vines to light Your silent spell won't bring you home tonight You couldn't open up your veins to light All that blossoms all that blooms lies fallow in the night Waits for the golden sunlight All that blossoms all that blooms lies fallow in the night Waits for the golden sunlight Alchemical devotions of the night Desanguinate limbs veined with valleys of ice Children of stone your crystal cages alike Crown of creation bring me into the light
Mansfield and Cyclops Marching towards Fenario At Captain's call to meet the dawn And tear her roses down Ribbons, rings and amber-o Won't fell the thorn She'll tease your dreams tonight Marching through Fenario Our Captain fell To meet the dawn to tear her roses down
Dead King Take this gold body, annoint his heirs Take a dollar for the crossing From coins in his name Souls slight of coin, slight of name Then I'll meet you at the back gate And greet you just the same Tarry to my side and we'll walk over To where the frosts of the dead king Weigh heavy on the vine Long it's been said that the worth of a man Be his woman and his lands how he tends
Moon Occults The Sun Moon occults the sun All will be one in time When the darkness comes Oblivion for all On and endlessly Astronomy, The stars Clear enough to be Liquidity, entry
Espers III
I can't See Clear Oh how the reds grow white The faraway has escaped And nothing draws nearer And I can't see clear And I can't be here I won't say the word That's shouting out of my heart I'll try to get it out And it's not the word And it's not the shape I know they bathed him I know they blamed him I'm never fading 'Cause I'm not the stars And I'm not the sun The sun it turned all to rain The rain it washed nothing clean Wipes off all the open sea And that's not the way That's not the way Throw me in wooden arms Blow all the thunder out I'm nothing without today And I can't make it stay I'm nothing without today The quarters they gather round The quarters they say his name The quarters come home again The path is so clear But I can't see clear The Road Of Golden Dust Ever on the rust Never down the road of golden dust The summer heat disfiguring The lake beyond the killing ring The simulations come and gone Clear now from the rain Apparitions littering the plains Another sunrise withering Another dawn left lingering The hand descends to brush the fog
Caroline We stay way all in time When the Caroline bids you Too say will end her kind Will mean anything We love you're Caroline Didn’t you hear this tale Through them And longer than my bed But never to cover your sins Come back and smash a crown To hell before your head, anyway And to where you came Remember hunger again Free them and say their names As loud as they will let, you think The songs you hear but just can't sing out today Don't you cry, go lie down in your day Freedom has come to burn You've come to say my name, and it's over I'm frightened and I'm right Your candles are burning again
The Pearl I'll meet you round the middle A soft and tender line I need you round the middle I'm not a broken boy I come from nothing Another golden brother Another hopeless son Go sailing towards the sine wave And sailing towards the pearl That told you how And serve it on high And say it won't go I'll leave my lights on My lights on I'm growing round the middle We'll grow up with the tide I'll come apart in pieces Return with twice this life And shape you
That Which Darkly Thrives In the reign unseen In limp and liquid dreams Write me back an e From the fluid in-between Breathing deeply Breathing endlessly Not those who hapless try To seep the wretched tide The universal slide Into that which darkly cries Breathing deeply Breathing endlessly Sightings Go on, father, please Then the sailing, the seas Get us out to there, my love Oh, no, fend for me How it never should be Tear me, Saturday Under starboard light dives Under fair light, it's It's under goodbye Oh, simple life Like holidays Amber showing its night Cumbersome, so long it's wrong Oh, no, I'm on fire Oh, somber lie Meridian Say that you are, that you are That you are not the one Say let the walls cover all Let them block out the sun Seize in the darkness Of palmers children prepare The axe and the urn Let the lamb and the lion beware Say that you are A voice from afar The moon and the stars To all light us Pray to the star from afar Help deliver the sun Deliver from shadow And coldness on meridian Time has swayed Made us betray The graves where we lay The other side
Another Moon Song You shine, so pretty through your window How I'd hold you Halo, false-hearted sunshine God I'm lonely Like dawn, we'll take it down lightly Count all your sorrows Blue light, get up before morning That's how love is
Colony Slumbering under a lumbering sun Blistering bodies resolve into one Soon buried, soon tall The bells buzz the bees Drift all, we'll soon see the new colony One upon one, unbeknownst to the sea Waves crash, the colony shore ceased to be Hair braided, rod braided, root binds a tree Riverview, not thou hast guided to me Trollslända Under his dream again Hooded in blankets and trim butler Legends in trouble again All the old mystery taint Oh my dear All of my days Calling out to here and there All the same mother All of the same mother No one is left under there No one can feel everywhere All is the same All is plain All of the same mother All of the same mother Never a day can I waste Never a day will I waste All of my days And all of my days