Babylon
BACKGROUND
‘Babylon’ was the last track to make it on the album and was a bit of a first for Tea Party listeners, incorporating a more electronic, drum and bass, sound. Stuart Chatwood described them as “some of the most distorted sounds” the band ever made with Jeff Burrows playing a sped-up version of drums sampled from ‘Psychopomp’ and “most guitar sounds are in fact keyboards in disguise”.
At the risk of hitting you over the head with the obvious, “Babylon” is a reference to the Mesopotamian city of the same name. This city was legendary for both it´s magnificence and it´s decadence.
SPECIAL FACTS:
- The video for Babylon was unique at the time of its release, having been created with one continuous shot, with a single camera.
- The Tea Party stuck a hidden bonus track, an instrumental named ‘Embryo’, at the end of the track. The song lasts about two minutes.
LYRICS
Now that the thrill of the massacre is over
Isn’t it sweet when she sucks on your veins
I’ve waited so long
I roll back the stone
just to see what I’m missing
Glimpses of grandeur
now faced with defeat
I’ve waited so long
Now that your kingdom of babylon’s fading
Where will you turn when you can’t find your soul
I’ve waited so long
Salvation’s at hand,
it’s a matter of taste dear
Lost in ideals that you found in the trash
I’ve waited so long
BACKGROUND
‘Babylon’ was the last track to make it on the album and was a bit of a first for Tea Party listeners, incorporating a more electronic, drum and bass, sound. Stuart Chatwood described them as “some of the most distorted sounds” the band ever made with Jeff Burrows playing a sped-up version of drums sampled from ‘Psychopomp’ and “most guitar sounds are in fact keyboards in disguise”.
At the risk of hitting you over the head with the obvious, “Babylon” is a reference to the Mesopotamian city of the same name. This city was legendary for both it´s magnificence and it´s decadence.
SPECIAL FACTS:
- The video for Babylon was unique at the time of its release, having been created with one continuous shot, with a single camera.
- The Tea Party stuck a hidden bonus track, an instrumental named ‘Embryo’, at the end of the track. The song lasts about two minutes.
LYRICS
Now that the thrill of the massacre is over
Isn’t it sweet when she sucks on your veins
I’ve waited so long
I roll back the stone
just to see what I’m missing
Glimpses of grandeur
now faced with defeat
I’ve waited so long
Now that your kingdom of babylon’s fading
Where will you turn when you can’t find your soul
I’ve waited so long
Salvation’s at hand,
it’s a matter of taste dear
Lost in ideals that you found in the trash
I’ve waited so long
Babylon
VIDEO
The rather untypical song “Babylon” was done justice with an equally atypical video. The clip is done without any cutting, which captures the restlessness so characteristic of the song.
Director: Tyran George
Year: 1997
Location: Toronto
Babylon
CD PROMO SINGLE, CANADA
Description:
The Tea Party
Babylon
Commercial CD Single
CDPRO 1611
Canada
Front & Back Picture Sleeve
[ Jewel Box – standard ]
Tracks:
Disc 1:
Babylon – radio mix ( 2:58 )
Babylon
Description:
The Tea Party
Babylon + 3
Promo CD Single
PRCD 8224-2
United States
Tracks:
Disc 1:
Babylon ( 2:52 ),
Gyroscope ( 2:58 ),
Temptation – edit ( 2:36 ),
Temptation ( 3:25 )
