Thee Silver Mt. Zion

[Brett]

I have listened to that recording, yes. I don't really download many live shows, but I did that one, and even burned it to a couple of CDs. I'd say it was one of the crucial elements that led to TSMZ eventually becoming my favorite band.

[stderr]

I have listened to that recording, yes. I don't really download many live shows, but I did that one, and even burned it to a couple of CDs. I'd say it was one of the crucial elements that led to TSMZ eventually becoming my favorite band.

Same here.

[Brett]

Enjoy it! I've seen them once, two years ago, and it was great. I wish I could catch them when they swing through the states this year, but it doesn't look promising.

I did attempt to parse out some lyrics from "All the Kings are Dead," and I probably did an atrocious job of it, but I'll paste 'em down below. There's lot of parts where I couldn't make out anything, so those are just ellipses (...), but the rest of it is varying states between "I'm almost certain this is what they're saying" and "it sound vaguely like these words, but could be almost anything." Efrim's faux-cockney accent doesn't help, either.

(…)
Are you a worker or are you a boss?
(…)
Are you the problem or are you with us?
(…)
The shadows of your eyes and your white bride/pride
You got dreams that murder dreams
Not a penny and you make/milk the game honestly
And the skull behind your smile's no longer/always grinning
Your day is done and like anyone you got to fall
(…)
All the trumpets play,
'Cause all the kings are dead!
All the kings are dead,
All the trumpets play!
(…)
The kings are bright and the kings are bright
They burn up the fiery sky
The kings are bright and the kings are bright
But not half as bright as you and I

The hills got kings
The black ship prowls(?)
The trees are torn
The black ship's borne by clouds(?)
Of light and fire

The devil's got a golden cup
Driving angels from the ?
The devil's got a golden cup
(something about gates and pissing, I think)

We're peasants here
We're all peasants here
(repeat)

Tonight we'll fucking do it
We'll fucking tear it down!

We're peasants here
We're all peasants here

[stderr]

I did attempt to parse out some lyrics from "All the Kings are Dead,"

Such a nice gift, and just in time. Thank you!

Efrim introduced the song by saying it's All The Kings Are Dead but also All The Kings Are Death, because we are living in the kingdom of death and have to find our way out yet. It was amazing, they're getting a better handle on it with every performance...

Darling I never been so 'fraid
Slept all day, I'm still not right

Today I had to ask the boss
[varies:]
Are you a worker, are you a boss /
Are you a worker, are you with us /
Are you a king, are you with us /
Are you the problem, are you with us /
The boss he didn't say a word
Didn't say a word but murder
Didn't matter much but now it does
Outside the castle's shivering plains ?
...

The gallows of your eyes and your white pride?
You got dreams that murder dreams
Not a penny in your mitt that came honestly
And the skull behind your smile is always grinning
The day is done and like anyone you got to fall

The shadows of your eyes and your white pride?
You got dreams that murder dreams
Not a penny in your mitt that came honestly
And the skull behind your smile's no longer grinning
Your day is done and like anyone you got to fall

...

Let's cry the high ... / I heard the high ... (siren? salute?)
Cause all their kings are dead
All the kings are dead
All the trumpets play
Cause all their kings are dead
All the kings are dead
All the kings are death

Darling I never been so 'fraid
Slept all day, I'm still not right

The kings shine bright and the kings shine bright
They burn up the very sky
The kings shine bright and the kings shine bright
But not half as bright as you and I

Over and and over
The hills got kings
The black ship roams the trees torn
The black ship's borne by clouds
Of mud/blood and fire

The devil's got a golden cup
Dragging from a chain
The devil's got a golden cup
Dull rear the gates
He's pissing blood

The kings shine bright and the kings shine bright
They burn up the very sky
The kings shine bright and the kings shine bright
But not half as bright as you and I

We're peasants here
We're all peasants here

Oh we gots to be afraid
We all get torn and maimed
While fools decide our fate
Man we gots to be afraid
Yeah we gots to be afraid

Over and and over
The hills got kings
And the black ship prowls the trees torn
The black ship borne by clouds
Of mud/blood and fire

We never did get over
Our dreams were never found / A peace was never found
The oceans came and washed away our scene without a sound
But tonight we'll fucking do it
We'll fucking tear it down

The kings are bright and the kings are bright
They burn up the very sky
The kings are bright and the kings are bright
But not half as bright as you and I

We're peasants here
We're all peasants here

[Brett]

Update on the "remix" EP: http://cstrecords.com/cst105/

And here's Side B, "Birds Toss Precious Flowers":

Pretty neat, if not still a bit odd to think about.

[Brett]

A documentary is out in the US via iTunes today, called Come Worry with Us!. It's basically about Efrim and Jessica having a kid, and then deciding to keep going in a touring band and taking him on tour with them. It's really a very sweet film, even if you're not really into the band's music.

Trailer's here, and there's also a lot of neat little shorts on the Vimeo page that are like supplements to the film itself:

[Simple Torture]

Oh, I just got the "Horses In The Sky" LP and it sounds great!

[stderr]

Did you know that there's three recordings of Thee Silver Mountain Elegies play War Radio? The second (chronologically = 2005-10-17) sounds best after a while, but there's interesting banter on the third.

The more I get into SMZ, the more I'm wondering about all the undocumented, and hard to make out, parts of their lyrics. Like the soft part after the ecstatic part of Austerity Blues: ...(?) touched by it, we starve to death(?) ...(?)