Glass Lyrics
And go about the city
In the streets
Broadways I seek
Him whom my soul loveth
What did I find?
A thousand crystal towers
A hundred emerald cities
And the hand of the watchman
In the night sky
Points to my beloved
A knight in crystal armor
I tried for the creed
I'll make a suit of colors
To stop the blinding mirrors
Sew a cape of red and gold
Stifle up the being
With the perfect armor
With a perfect dream
When two suns are shining
The battle becomes blinding
To be made of glass
But we ride tonight, tonight, tonight, we ride
At two different speeds
Was born a hot, white diamond
Burning through the rainbow
Flames fell into orbit
To hold eternally
Two heavenly spirits
That just wouldn't seem
When two suns are shining
The battle becomes blinding
To be made of glass
But we ride tonight, tonight, tonight, we ride
Hey oh oh oh
Hey, oh
Hey oh oh oh
Hey, oh
Hey oh oh oh

Also at the end of the chorus it's not ride it's 'But we're light and light and light and light and light!'
Another piece of additional information: 'I will rise now and go about the city and the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him but I found him not. The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Say ye him him whom my soul loveth?' Song Of Solomon 3:2,3.

This song in part is chalk filled with references about her move from the UK to NYC to be with her then lover william lemon III. she has stated in many interviews at the time that nyc was like the emerald city, and that she suffered from sever loneliness, isolation, and that she found the crowds and parities of nyc to be very shallow and a fake. "the lost boys who never wanted to grow up." in regards to the album title "two suns" and lyric "when two suns are shining the battle becomes blinding" this refers directly to her relationship with william. he too like her is a very successful artist/musician with his band moon and moon ( i e another song title on her album) and anyone who has been in a relationship where two dominate personalities exist, they know they can be overwhelming and a complete battle for control. ALSO the liner notes of the album read "this album was born of the coming together and journeying apart of two suns, two half hearts, celestial twins, a king and a queen, and is dedicated to w - always connected"

I think it's 'Stifle up the beam'. Not certain but it seems to fit a little better.
As for the lyrics of Glass themeselves:
I will rise now And go about the city In the street's Broadways I seek Him whom my soul loveth
A section taken from the Song of Solomon, notibly the most sexual piece from the Bible. But I think Natasha incorportaed it into the song because it fitted her feelings and setting of this song. Obviously from this first part, Natasha presents herself as someone who is looking for their love in an unknown place.
Went over the sea What did I find? A thousand crystal towers A hundred emerald cities And the hand of the watchman In the night sky Points to my beloved A knight in crystal armour
Natasha moved to New York (around?) ten years ago when she left university, as we all know N.Y.C is full of towers and glass and whatnot Here she has cast her imaginative perspective over it. The knight who along with Daniel and the Bear from other songs on this album as being a figure in Natasha's life hidden under another title. In this episode he is shown as being someone brave, beautiful and noble. I also think that there is possibly links with the part from Romeo and Juliet, inwhich Juliet mentions something about adorning the nightsky with Romeo (cannot remember the exact line from the top of my head).
And I tried to hold him I tried for the creed I'll make a suit of colours To stop the blinding mirrors Sew a cape of red and gold Stifle up the being (?) With the perfect armour With a perfect dream
As we know, the knight is in the sky-he is powerful, all known (aswell as those other attributes which I previously mentioned). However, she is not (she's in this unknown land!) she tries to bring him back down, put him on her level. Make him part of her dream. Once again this may be tied to a part of Natasha's reality,I think to control her partner she tried to...go along with it all maybe.
To be made of glass When two suns are shining The battle becomes blinding To be made of glass But we ride tonight, tonight, tonight, we ride
I'm pretty sure (if my memory recalls correctly) that her boyfriend who she moved with was already in a band ( and possibly american too, can't quite remember properly, especially as I can't find the interview which I want to double check this info on). I think 'to be made of glass' is a longing for the kind of repect(?) which he has, she wants to be part of it. The stuff about the two suns is a reference to Pearl I guess.
And with two suns spinning At two different speeds Was born a hot, white diamond Burning through the rainbow Flames fell into orbit To hold eternally Two heavenly spirits That just wouldn't seem (To be made of glass)
Natasha and Pearl are the 'Twon Suns' two creators, two sources of energy. It couldn't work as two moons, though the moon has purpose it doesn't give as much as the sun. Obviously, one suns is enough-hence the battle. I think the 'hot white diamond' is Pearl- something strong, and clear (similar to glass-catch my drift?), the rainbow is weak and can fade, but it is many colours and can still hold an impact (in a way?). The last part is that neither of them may seem to make it to the status that they want.
Natasha 'created' Pearl when she moved to New York. She dressed completely different with a blonde bobbed wig, and stark blue and red make-up (though I think she mainly did it for parties). In a way I think Pearl is two things- firstly a coping mechanism which Natasha used to 'hide' herself, such as when one may create an image to gain more confidence in themself, even though it isn't the real them, they will still play up to it. Secondly I think she may possibly be the part of Natasha that wanted to rebel against what was going on in her life at that point. I think she was rather lonely and lost and this was the only way she could cope with it. As she returned to a smiliar position again, it was only natural that Pearl became apparent again (for this album that is). But I think creating this album was to help shift Pearl and the memories she is associated with off of Natasha's conscience- she doesn't want to be in this position in her life again and if she is she won't sort it out in quite the same way.
And I don't think it could really be dismissed as merely an album narrative, everyone copes with their own issues in a different way I guess.
Sorry to ramble on, but I was listening to it all as I was typing this and really wanted to share my ideas of the song/album! :D
I just found this and it was too lovely not to share:
I just found this and it was too lovely not to share:
"'Every time I get close, his heart vibrates, gets stronger and we get blinded by it,' Khan says. 'So I try and make him a cloak made of rainbow colors to refract the light so we can be close, but every time we do, the suns in our chests set fire to everything. In the end, the two suns burning so hotly creates a third thing, a perfect white diamond that flings into space and we become two planets constantly orbiting, basking in each others light, always separated,...
"'Every time I get close, his heart vibrates, gets stronger and we get blinded by it,' Khan says. 'So I try and make him a cloak made of rainbow colors to refract the light so we can be close, but every time we do, the suns in our chests set fire to everything. In the end, the two suns burning so hotly creates a third thing, a perfect white diamond that flings into space and we become two planets constantly orbiting, basking in each others light, always separated, but there is that diamond that remains.' This cosmic talk is all metaphor of course, cloaking the timeless themes that dominate Two Suns, as well as Khan’s experience making it: journey, love, struggle and resolution."
http://www.thefader.com/features/2009/2/20/fader-60-bat-for-lashes-cover-story
Oooh that was one of the interviews I was looking at, but the other I cannot find anywhere.
Oooh that was one of the interviews I was looking at, but the other I cannot find anywhere.
Interesting this New York background story.. It seems the story is about feeling lonely and not able to find love (good love) and be in peace at the same time. Although she had a boyfriend, they were distant and it seemed that they couldn't feel complete together (like two suns blinding each other every time they come close). She created a "cloak made of rainbow colors" (in my point o view this expresses the idea of creating a mask of denial, since she is struggling to admit the idea they are not right for each other). So she puts bright colors...
Interesting this New York background story.. It seems the story is about feeling lonely and not able to find love (good love) and be in peace at the same time. Although she had a boyfriend, they were distant and it seemed that they couldn't feel complete together (like two suns blinding each other every time they come close). She created a "cloak made of rainbow colors" (in my point o view this expresses the idea of creating a mask of denial, since she is struggling to admit the idea they are not right for each other). So she puts bright colors to hide the fact their relationship is not working (neither her relationship with the NYC) and she creates the alter-ego Pearl. There's a lot of heartbreak energy in this song and hope of finding real love. This song is a lot like "Good love".

This song and all of bat for lashes kinda reminds me of that movie Labyrinth and the Dark Crystal. I bet Jim Henson would love her and use her music in his movies.

This album is gonna be EPIC.
This prediction turned out to be oh! so accurate =)
This prediction turned out to be oh! so accurate =)

It reminds me of Labyrinth too! I love the mystical feeling of this song. It's refreshing for a modern 80's feel that isn't too tacky. :)

I always had a feeling that this song was about some kind of OBE (out-of-body experience).

"'Glass' actually started off with a excerpt of the Song of Solomon, which is a kind of love poem from the Bible and it talks about my mission for the album, I suppose. It's like a actual narrative and you can hear the New York subway, there's this JMZ train from Brooklyn to New York that I recorded. Basically, this song is kind of the fable, the kind of fairy tail version of what's to come. It kinda describes the fact that I go across an ocean and I discover a city made of glass and the watchmen, and the city pointed to my beloved which is a knight made of completely of glass and crystal. His heart is a sun which is too bright for me to see and he blinds me; so it kind of sets the tone for the rest of the record."
Source: http://www.xfm.co.uk/news/interviews/bat-lashes-two-suns/

The coat of colours is also present in the song of solomon. Not 100% certain on it, but I'll check it out.

I thinks it is very possible that this is a metaphor for a woman who is in love with a man who loves a man. It May sound weird but she goes to a strange foreign land (gay culture) to find her beloved who is being pointed at by the watchman. Seeing this the woman attempts to cover up this vulnerable man whose emotions and thoughts are out for all to see from the watchman. She tries to keep the creed by making him unable to be seen because she wants to keep him. In the end it doesn't work out. She can't stop that which is reflected and the two suns (sons) they fall in love but never quite come together.