‘Illume’ – Talk amongst yourselves!

[greendaze5]

Great track, - very ‘Stevie’. My fave off SYW, and one of my favs in regards to her songs with FM in general.

Musically and lyrically, it effectively conveys an air of mystery and menace (like ‘Sisters of the Moon’). Good bass line, and opening guitar strumming and then the incoming bongos. Nice dramatic splash of guitar right between ‘Like it dances’ and ‘I am a cliff dweller…’ . I love how Stevie enunciates ‘Duuummmme’.

Besides the terrible tragedy it was written about, personally, ‘Illume’ to me is about being in a bad situation, and having to be introspective and drawing strength from yourself to get out of it and to keep surviving.

Incidentally, I was at Stevie’s Sept. 10, 2001 show in Toronto. Had she opted to stay the night and rest instead of flying to New York City that very night (for her Sept. 12 show I believe), she would have been stuck in Canada for God knows how long because of the closing of the borders the next day as we all know.

Back to the song itself - I just love the imagery of it - having a candle by the window and looking out into the night towards the ocean. I just love the open water. Five years ago, when I was on the beach in Santa Barbara at night (and then later at Virginia Beach) looking back at the city, I played ‘Illume’ in my head thinking about the lines: ‘I like the coastal cities, I like the lights, I like the way the city blends into the ocean at night. It’s like living on a working river, the coast line is glittering, like a diamond snake in the black sky.’ Gawd, it was so beautiful. Definitely, ‘a moment’. :)

I also made it point to stop by Point Dume, even for just few minutes, when I was driving from Santa Barbara to Santa Monica. Oh Stevie, the things I do in loving your music. :lol:

Also, when I was in California, I went to look for ‘Illume’ brand candles, can’t seem to find them out east. Did find some, but kinda expensive so I passed. Now I need to look for some ‘Nag Champa’. I think it’s pretty commonly available in shops selling stuff from India, or even in ‘head-shops’.

By the way, having the ‘I like the coastal cities…’ stanza in ‘Destiny Rules’ just doesn’t work for me. It’s so out of context to the rest of the song.

Roland

[Remy]

Now I need to look for some ‘Nag Champa’.


Your post made me look up whatever connection there might be between nag champa and stevie (i guess i didnt listen to illume very attentively..). I didnt know it was mentioned in the lyrics. I've found these incense sticks not long ago after being unsatisfied with numerous other, and stayed loyal, the scent is amazing.

off topic! sorry. :)

[Jondalar]

Great production, but the song invetibly failed because of the lyrics—I am a cliff dweller from the old school! LOL It was like 2 or 3 songs meshed together. And I thought the 9/11 add was in bad taste.

[Kena]

Greendaze5- I enjoyed your post . Illume is not one of my favorite songs but the connection you felt with it is something I can totally relate to in other songs. And adding to the mention of Nag Champa, the gas station near my house sells them, the good ones from India.Kind of interesting considering I live in south Alabama where we are limited on cool stuff. A nice Indian family runs the station and it always smells wonderful in there. Maybe Stevie stopped by the Hop-In and got a couple boxes like I often do... well thanks again for the post.

[StreetAngel95]

Great production, but the song invetibly failed because of the lyrics—I am a cliff dweller from the old school! LOL It was like 2 or 3 songs meshed together. And I thought the 9/11 add was in bad taste.
i must say i agree.....musically, i love this song......but i can't seem to find exactly how it relates to 9/11...maybe i'm not thinking abstractedly enough, but either way i still love the song!

[AgeOldDesire]

Original Illume lyrics:


Illume
Says the candle that I burn
A reflection in the window
All the way to point Dune
A cliff dweller from the old school-

I like the coastal cities
I like the lights
I like the way the ocean blends
Into the city at night
Like living on a working river
The coastline is glittering-
Like a diamond snake-
In a black sky

And I am alone with my thoughts
And how we could make it-
And what we have all been through
And all of the trauma-
With the smell of Nag Champa
Like a kiss- like a stranger-
What we have seen on this journey
Are what legends are made of-

I will not take you for granted
My friend, my dear one, my love-
I wouldn’t trade you for jade…
Or for diamonds~
I need you to be there~
Please~
Remember when I am haunted
That I was just scared-
And when I remember
That day in my life-
I will remember that you-
Were there-

Stevie Nicks
Oct. 11th, 2001

[Jondalar]

She should of called the song, Meditation, then she might of gotten away with it.

[David]

I don't connect with it lyrically, but I love the music. It's very sexy.

[Jondalar]

Yeah, the production is awesome.

[Nikolaj]

I'm glad some of you like it, I really wanted to. For me, it misses. Meandering melody and the lyrics don't do much for me, though I did like the 2 same exact lines she used in both this song and in 'Destiny Rules'- I seem to recall a segment in the documentary where she's asking (Mick, I think) if 'Illume' needs something more- I think her instinct was correct, the track does need something more. To me, it has the feel of one of her demos, and not one of her better demos. I also don't like her vocal on it, too flat. Sorry.

[Jondalar]

I'm glad some of you like it, I really wanted to. For me, it misses. Meandering melody and the lyrics don't do much for me, though I did like the 2 same exact lines she used in both this song and in 'Destiny Rules'- I seem to recall a segment in the documentary where she's asking (Mick, I think) if 'Illume' needs something more- I think her instinct was correct, the track does need something more. To me, it has the feel of one of her demos, and not one of her better demos. I also don't like her vocal on it, too flat. Sorry.

I only like the production. I noticed the same exact lines, too. I think when Stevie feels a song has great production, she just does what she pleases. She doesn't care about actual words. Look what she did to Thrown Down. She turned it into gibberesh. Lindsey produced the hell out of that song.

[Nikolaj]

Oh no! I think I'm disagreeing, again, with Jon, and I don't mean to! But, my opinion is that she just really liked those two lines so much that she wrote that she used them in both songs. 'I like the cities, I like the lights, I like these lines so much, I'll use them twice!' (on one cd!) I don't think it's a reflection of her not caring about her lyrics, I think she most definitely does care. The production of 'Illume' has a good enough sound, but to my ear, its the same throughout, no beginning, middle and end to it and it just makes the song a bit tedious, to me- Oh and Jons other comment--- I think her lyrics in 'Thrown Down' are among the best of her later material, so I have to disagree about that, too! I think I'll just agree that he and I hear things differently, and maybe not comment, further. With the 'Cry Wolf' mention, that's 3 things I felt the need to reply to in less than 10 minutes!

[Ghost_Tracker]

Great track, - very ‘Stevie’. My fave off SYW, and one of my favs in regards to her songs with FM in general. . . . .

By the way, having the ‘I like the coastal cities…’ stanza in ‘Destiny Rules’ just doesn’t work for me. It’s so out of context to the rest of the song.

Roland

I love Illume. I love how "mystical" it is, and how it gets me thinking in a spiritual way. It *almost* inspires a feeling of . . .
deja VU!

:angel:

[michelej1]

I like the apology in the words, "Just remember when I am haunted, that I was just scared."

Michele

[APerfectLie]

When SYW first came out, I could never really see the connection to 9/11 in that song, but after about a year it hit me.

I am alone now
With my thoughts
Of how we could make it
Of how we could get out
What we've been through
All of the trauma
The smell of Nag Champra
Shadow of a stranger

What I saw on this journey
Is what legends are made of
I cannot pretend
That the heartache falls away
It's just like a river
Oooh, it's never-ending
No, I cannot pretend
That the heartache falls away

To me that just screams 9/11. And if I remember correctly, didn't Stevie's band stay in Toronto and she went to NYC early because she didn't want to stay? And she got in at like 2 in the morning on Sept 11? I just see Stevie sitting in her room with a candle and nag champa burning and thinking about how we are going to make it and get out and all the trauma that happened because of this "shadow of a stranger." I love this song, both lyrically and soundwise.

[Jondalar]

When SYW first came out, I could never really see the connection to 9/11 in that song, but after about a year it hit me.

I am alone now
With my thoughts
Of how we could make it
Of how we could get out
What we've been through
All of the trauma
The smell of Nag Champra
Shadow of a stranger

What I saw on this journey
Is what legends are made of
I cannot pretend
That the heartache falls away
It's just like a river
Oooh, it's never-ending
No, I cannot pretend
That the heartache falls away

To me that just screams 9/11. And if I remember correctly, didn't Stevie's band stay in Toronto and she went to NYC early because she didn't want to stay? And she got in at like 2 in the morning on Sept 11? I just see Stevie sitting in her room with a candle and nag champa burning and thinking about how we are going to make it and get out and all the trauma that happened because of this "shadow of a stranger." I love this song, both lyrically and soundwise.

How does the first part of song—I am a cliff dweller from the old school, the lyrics you didn't mention, go with the second part of the song

[APerfectLie]

How does the first part of song—I am a cliff dweller from the old school, the lyrics you didn't mention, go with the second part of the song

The reason I didn't mention those is because they don't scream 9/11 without reading further into them. She is talking about New York and referring to herself as a "cliff dweller from the old school" is another way of her saying she's the "lady from the mountains" from the "old school" meaning she has dwelled on a cliff before and this feeling in New York is different, but very much the same as it has always been. At least thats what I believe Stevie was trying to say in her elusive ways. She once said this:

"The ocean is dramatic – when you live on a mountain by the sea, the ocean is so loud that it seems like it’s own person – like a spirit. It is very different from living on the sand – Where the ocean just goes straight out away from you – and it sounds more like constant percussion. When you are high above the ocean, you hear the whole ocean come from past Manhattan Beach right by you – and all the way to point Dune – and then it is silent- for a few seconds, and then – it sounds like the Shanghai Express is passing right under you – So, I will always find a cliff to dwell on, somewhere in this world – It almost seems like, sitting here, watching the cars go up the coast – that I never left~ Nothing has changed~ and yet, everything has changed."

[louielouie2000]

If I'm really honest with myself, and totally objective... I'd say Illume is Stevie's best modern recording. Why? It's the only song of hers in the past 15 years I can see that truly broke some new ground... at least for her. The song is downright avant garde... yet still textbook Stevie/Mac. That's a hard balance to strike, and I think it was achieved here. The whole song is sort of a classic Mac sound... in a deconstructed sort of way (to use a cooking term). John's bass is totally brought into the forefront with Stevie's vocal, percussion and guitar is relegated to the background. It all lends sort of a tribal primative sound... which is appropriate, seeing she's kinda going back to the basics of humanity with her words.

The goes even for the lyrics... they're sort of deconstructed too... and interesting pieces of info landed in very interesting places. I personally love that non-linear nature... it's evocative of the way the human mind actually thinks. She's starting out singing about her candle dancing in the window with the sea in the background... and the smell of nag champa seems to transport her back in time when she was burning nag champa to cover up the smell of the Twin Towers burning. I think it's absolutely fantastic imagery. Then the song transitions into the lessons she's learned from 9/11... that she "got" why she was there. She needed to stop taking people and certain things for granted, and she needed to realize where true value in life lay.

I truly think it's a fantastic song in all regards... every bit as artistically successful as Gold Dust Woman and Sisters Of The Moon.

[Livia]

LOVE this song - for all the reasons already mentioned.

My neighborhood convenience store sells Nag Champa incense - World Market (formerly Cost Plus) also carries it. I think they have Illume candles there as well, or try Whole Foods.

[vivfox]

She's starting out singing about her candle dancing in the window with the sea in the background... and the smell of nag champa seems to transport her back in time when she was burning nag champa to cover up the smell of the Twin Towers burning. I think it's absolutely fantastic imagery.

She was close in her view of the twin towers but far enough away not to smell the burning wreckage. She burns nag champa to cover up the smell of the marijuana smoke. She has asthma and both the smoke from the incense and the weed are bad for her health. When I used to smoke pot, nag champa was the ONLY type of incense that could mask the smell.

[Ghost_Tracker]

How does the first part of song—I am a cliff dweller from the old school, the lyrics you didn't mention, go with the second part of the song

As mentioned above, it's a reference to how she literally lived near a cliff in California, the whole "lady from the mountains" thing, etc. - but I think there may be more to it. She's saying that (as everyone knows) she did a lot of living on the edge back when Fleetwood Mac first really hit it big with the White Album and Rumours - dangerous living with all the coke, fast-paced parties, etc. But that was "old school" stuff - let's face it, ultimately, she was "just having fun." But to her, this is now a new, TRULY dangerous world; and she felt that she didn't know how to get her feet down and stand up straight - she felt that she (and the entire world) had literally come to "the edge of a cliff" in this suddenly-changed world - and although she (clearly) has a certain amount of innate courage, this was "a whole new ball game." Don't forget, Stevie (and others) felt that this was literally the beginning of World War Three. (And I sometimes wonder if, when the historians look back, it might be remembered as such - don't forget World War One took a LONG time to actually break out; people "in the know" saw it coming right up fifth avenue as of 1870 or so.) So Stevie maybe felt that though she was used to "living dangerously," this was a whole different thing, an unfamiliar world - and she felt scared. And I think she was trying to convey a feeling of, "I know you're scared - Jesus, *I'M* scared!!!"

On Edit: After thinking about it a little more, I'd like to add this: I think maybe it's also a reference to living in California - thousands of miles away from New York - where she felt safe - but there was this feeling of this being an attack on her home, just the same - it didn't matter WHERE she lived, she was an American citizen who happened to be from California who was in New York when the attacks happened. It's as if she's saying, "I HAPPEN to live in California, but..."

[LukeA]

My neighborhood convenience store sells Nag Champa incense - World Market (formerly Cost Plus) also carries it. I think they have Illume candles there as well, or try Whole Foods.

Yeah.. its pretty much everywhere.

When I lived in Chicago, the El train station by my house always had Nag Champa burning in the station house on weeknights- always hit me right as I stepped off the train. A nice, soothing way to begin my evenings.

[petep9000]

I think it's a very effective and dramatic song. She builds a lot of sympathy for the weird story she tells. I enjoy how it pulses and thumps, there is something very desperate and sinister about it; similar to 'I Call You Missing' or 'Joan of Arc'. It was a good use of her modern vocals, I don't think it would have had the same punch with her 1977, 1982 or 1986 vocals.
I especially like the last chorus of "I'm alone now...", the one right before the "what I saw on this journey...", she sounds so pleading and almost pathetic.

There was some video footage, I think in the SYW CD itself (maybe it was a deluxe edition) where we see Stevie sitting cross-legged on a sofa while Lindsey plays acoustic guitar and she is bleating out the lyrics "how we could make it, how we could get out..." and I remember thinking that had the makings of a good song. And it was.

[louielouie2000]

She was close in her view of the twin towers but far enough away not to smell the burning wreckage. She burns nag champa to cover up the smell of the marijuana smoke. She has asthma and both the smoke from the incense and the weed are bad for her health. When I used to smoke pot, nag champa was the ONLY type of incense that could mask the smell.

I remember specifically reading that she had to put wet blankets over her windows to keep the smoke out... and she had to burn the candles and such to counteract the smell. I know she was staying at the Waldorf in Midtown... and that the Trade towers were a good 70 blocks south... but I've seen plenty of footage from 9/11 where most all of Manhattan was shrouded in smoke. I think the wind changed later in the day though... and most of the smoke started going out into the harbor.

[Jondalar]

As mentioned above, it's a reference to how she literally lived near a cliff in California, the whole "lady from the mountains" thing, etc. - but I think there may be more to it. She's saying that (as everyone knows) she did a lot of living on the edge back when Fleetwood Mac first really hit it big with the White Album and Rumours - dangerous living with all the coke, fast-paced parties, etc. But that was "old school" stuff - let's face it, ultimately, she was "just having fun." But to her, this is now a new, TRULY dangerous world; and she felt that she didn't know how to get her feet down and stand up straight - she felt that she (and the entire world) had literally come to "the edge of a cliff" in this suddenly-changed world - and although she (clearly) has a certain amount of innate courage, this was "a whole new ball game." Don't forget, Stevie (and others) felt that this was literally the beginning of World War Three. (And I sometimes wonder if, when the historians look back, it might be remembered as such - don't forget World War One took a LONG time to actually break out; people "in the know" saw it coming right up fifth avenue as of 1870 or so.) So Stevie maybe felt that though she was used to "living dangerously," this was a whole different thing, an unfamiliar world - and she felt scared. And I think she was trying to convey a feeling of, "I know you're scared - Jesus, *I'M* scared!!!"

On Edit: After thinking about it a little more, I'd like to add this: I think maybe it's also a reference to living in California - thousands of miles away from New York - where she felt safe - but there was this feeling of this being an attack on her home, just the same - it didn't matter WHERE she lived, she was an American citizen who happened to be from California who was in New York when the attacks happened. It's as if she's saying, "I HAPPEN to live in California, but..."


You got all of that out of that song?

[gypsy4life]

I love this song, and I can read the 9/11 messages pretty clearly. I love the way Stevie makes a lyric cryptic enough to relate to many situations. This song can fit things in my own life, just as much as the 9/11 tragedy. I love this aspect of Stevie's writing.

[wheart]

It's one of my fav tracks on SYW. I do like what Lindsey did with it, which I cannot say for most of her songs on the record. My problem, once again, is her vocal. It's missing something. Illume is an intense song about an intense, devestating sitituation. I'm sorry, but I don't hear much passion at all in Stevie's voice. And those "la la la la's" at the end are just way too bland. Come on, that song needs some serious wailing or layered vocals or screaming or something at the end. It needs a climax. I understand and actually like the understated but I think it goes just a bit too far at times. It hardly matches the intensity of the subject matter. But overall, I do like it for the most part! :woohoo:

[Jondalar]

The song from SYW that I really think was perfect from Stevie was Smile At You. I don't care if people like the piano versions or not. The way Lindsey produced that song made Stevie sound great. Her lyrics also made sense. It was a perfect track.

[Remy]

When I lived in Chicago, the El train station by my house always had Nag Champa burning in the station house on weeknights- always hit me right as I stepped off the train. A nice, soothing way to begin my evenings.

it apparently has some spiritual, mood-altering properties... according to what i read. seems true. everytime the scent fills the room, i feel somewhat cheered up... and warmer..?

[Christopher]

In my humble opinion, Illume is one of SYW finest tracks. All 4 of them shine on this...John has one of the funkiest and infectious bass lines in recent FM memory (EFO is a close second), Mick gets to pull all out all his percussion toys, Linsdey fills up the space with some mesmerizing guitar licks and layers, and finally Stevie delivers an impassioned vocal esp. the final chorus when she wails the lines (gave me goose bumps in a way she hasn't since she last wailed like a banshee in the mid-8o's). My only complaint are those la la la la's at the end...she should have kept that vocal intensity into the fade.....but if you listen carefully she starts moaning right at the fade....that should have been louder!

Along with the song TISL, I agree with someone else who said this is Stevie's best 21st century modern recording.

[GypsySorcerer]

Illume is hit and miss for me. I like some of the lyrics and imagery (the diamond snake part), but as a whole, I think it rambles a bit and doesn't go anywhere.

[gypsy4life]

it apparently has some spiritual, mood-altering properties... according to what i read. seems true. everytime the scent fills the room, i feel somewhat cheered up... and warmer..?

This is true...I burn it quite frequently, and it makes me feel happy.

[ragrsrocalot]

^^ Light it up!:thumbsup:

[Remy]

^^ Light it up!:thumbsup:

:D it's also kind of addictive...