Northern Lights

I love to see you free and dancing
You are my angel and my plaything
You move in ways that set my heart ablaze
It's you who puts my soul in ecstasy

You are my angel and my plaything
Your motion I find so entrancing
Shall I stand next to your fire ?
Smoke rings raise higher and higher
You are my angel and my plaything

If I'm your rose you are my sun and rain
And the northern lights will shine again and again
If I'm your rose you are my sun and rain

In the heat of the night in the light of the day as is given can also be taken away
In the heat of the night in the light of the day I remove anything that can stand in our way
I'll be your rose that sets your heart ablaze

If I'm your rose, you are my sun and rain
And the northern lights will shine again and again
If I'm your rose, you are my sun and rain
And the northern lights will shine again and again
If I'm your rose, you are my sun and rain

Lyrics by:
Brown / McCracken / Colquhoun

Available on:
Music Of The Spheres (4.13)

Details:
The intro of Northern Lights is a polished version of 'Teardrop' by Massive Attack.

Aurora Borealis means 'Northern Lights'. A definition of Aurora is:

High-altitude luminosity occurring most frequently above 60° north or south latitude, but also in other parts of the world. It is named specifically, according to its location, aurora borealis (northern lights) or aurora australis (southern lights). The aurora consists of rapidly shifting patches and dancing columns of light of various hues.

From this, we see the origin of lines such as "I love to see you free and dancing....You move in ways that set my heart ablaze". The line "Shall I stand next to your fire ?" is undoubtedly referring to Jimi Hendrix's 'Fire' ("Let me stand next to your fire").

Northern Lights is thematically comparable to Madonna's 'Lucky Star', in which she expresses her affection for someone by comparing them to a celestial body:

You must be my lucky star
Cause you shine on me wherever you are
....
Come on, shine your heavenly body tonight
'Cause I know you're gonna make everything alright

The guitar solo that kicks in at 2.58 is very much in the style of Pink Floyd. Ian recorded Music Of The Spheres in studios owned by a member of Pink Floyd to the best of my knowledge.

The intro samples the flickering light in Leon's bathroom (approximately 20 minutes into the film) from 'Blade Runner' (1982).

(Incidentally, Deckard in this particular scene is not played by Harrison Ford. The shot was done after principal photography had ended, when Ford had ended his work on the film. This is why you only see his silhouette; Deckard is played by Vic Armstrong, who had worked as a stunt double for Ford in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'). The front cover of Music Of The Spheres is perhaps influenced by the opening frames of this film, where we see a close-up of an eye. This characteristic shot was also the opening feature of Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo in 1958.

In terms of production, 'Northern Lights' by Lux, from 'Cafe Del Mar Ibiza Volume 7' appears to be an influence on this track.

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