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David Sylvian - vocals, guitar
David Torn - guitar, effects
Ryuichi Sakamoto - organ, synths, string arrangement
Danny Thompson - acoustic bass
Steve Jansen - percussion

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 am 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 Kingdom's come
He'll breath a sigh, self-satisfied,
The work is in good hands
He shoots the coins into the air,
And follows where the money lands
"I am 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 am the law and I am the King-
I am the wisdom, listen to me sing"

And my name's on the gun

Work is just begun
The boy with the gun





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[Edited 5/7/09 10:57am]

I've been listening to "Secrets" all week. This song is so eerily beautiful. Sadly timely as well. When Poets Dreamed of Angels is another disturbing one. David certainly is familiar with the dark side.

MoonSongs said:

Unfortunately timely ndeed!...though Sylvian probably wasn't citing specific incidents back in '87, it's sad how commonplace mass shootings and domestic violence have now become.....as well as suicide...I always got the sense that the line, "my name's on the gun" implied that the shooter counts himself among the "sinners" to be dealt with...

On the musical side, I love David Torn's guitar and effects here -- some of his best work, IMO



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- Ingrid Chavez is also on this track.


The Video -

[Edited 5/7/09 23:33pm]
[Edited 5/7/09 23:37pm]

THANK YOU!! I totally forgot about this. I used to love this record.

tricky2 said:

One of my favorite Sylvian/ Sakamoto collaborations!!!




...

Sometimes I'm really slow. You recommended this album...



...to me in August of 2005 and I've YET to pick it up.

RipHer2Shreds said:

Oh, yeah!!

That's my favorite of the Japan albums...it's mostly a Live album, with a few studio tracks thrown in. I always thought the group's material sounded much better live than in the studio....



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David Sylvian, w/Nine Horses - "The Day Earth Stole Heaven"








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