Original Performance: Sonic Youth
Written by: Kim Gordon, Lee Ranaldo, Steve Shelley, Thurston Moore
Written by: Kim Gordon, Lee Ranaldo, Steve Shelley, Thurston Moore
Live Versions:
Lyrics:
The Diamond Sea [Live version (a)]:
[From January 7, 1996 version:]
[tape cuts in]
Time takes its crazy toll
Mirror falling off the wall
You better look out for the looking glass girl
'Cause she's gonna take you for a fall
Look into his eyes and you shall see
Why everything is quiet and nothing's free
I wonder how he's gonna make her smile
When love is running wild on the diamond sea
[From January 7, 1996 version:]
[tape cuts in]
Time takes its crazy toll
Mirror falling off the wall
You better look out for the looking glass girl
'Cause she's gonna take you for a fall
Look into his eyes and you shall see
Why everything is quiet and nothing's free
I wonder how he's gonna make her smile
When love is running wild on the diamond sea
The Song:
"The Diamond Sea" is a 20-minute epic recording by Sonic Youth on their album, Washing Machine.
Beck's been friends with Sonic Youth for awhile, touring and playing with them a few times over the years.
"The Diamond Sea" is a 20-minute epic recording by Sonic Youth on their album, Washing Machine.
Beck's been friends with Sonic Youth for awhile, touring and playing with them a few times over the years.
Live:
Played live 2 times:
Earliest known live version: January 7, 1996
Latest known live version: June 17, 1996
During January of 1996, Beck toured Australia as part of the Summersault Festival. Sonic Youth was another part of the tour. "To segue between the two stages," Beck covered SY's "The Diamond Sea" as a folk song (acoustic guitar and harmonica) at the show on January 7, 1996. I'm not sure who is playing harmonica though...much of Beck's singing is at the same time, so it can't be him! The audience reaction at the singing seems to imply to me that he didn't do much more before when the recording starts.
Then a few months later in June 1996, while appearing on the radio to promote the release of Odelay, Beck and the DJs began talking about Sonic Youth. Beck had also done a short stint touring in Europe with them, opening their shows alone with his guitar. He said that one night, Sonic Youth asked him to join them for their encore on "The Diamond Sea." Beck added harmonica to their amazing 20-minute epic. I'm not sure which date it was when he did this, but Beck toured with them during March of 1996. He also played the riff on his harmonica and guitar for the radio listeners, but it was just for a few seconds.
Played live 2 times:
Earliest known live version: January 7, 1996
Latest known live version: June 17, 1996
During January of 1996, Beck toured Australia as part of the Summersault Festival. Sonic Youth was another part of the tour. "To segue between the two stages," Beck covered SY's "The Diamond Sea" as a folk song (acoustic guitar and harmonica) at the show on January 7, 1996. I'm not sure who is playing harmonica though...much of Beck's singing is at the same time, so it can't be him! The audience reaction at the singing seems to imply to me that he didn't do much more before when the recording starts.
Then a few months later in June 1996, while appearing on the radio to promote the release of Odelay, Beck and the DJs began talking about Sonic Youth. Beck had also done a short stint touring in Europe with them, opening their shows alone with his guitar. He said that one night, Sonic Youth asked him to join them for their encore on "The Diamond Sea." Beck added harmonica to their amazing 20-minute epic. I'm not sure which date it was when he did this, but Beck toured with them during March of 1996. He also played the riff on his harmonica and guitar for the radio listeners, but it was just for a few seconds.
Notes:
- Here's the full lyrics from Sonic Youth's original:
Time takes its crazy toll and how does your mirror grow
You better watch yourself when you jump into it
'Cause the mirror's gonna steal your soul
I wonder how it came to be my friend
That someone just like you has come again
You'll never, never know how close you came
Until you fall in love with the diamond rain
Throw all his trash away, look out he's here to stay
Your mirror's gonna crack when he breaks into it
And you'll never never be the same
Look into his eyes and you can see
Why all the little kids are dressed in dreams
I wonder how he's gonna make it back
When he sees that you just know it's make-believe
Blood crystalized as sand and now I hope you'll understand
You reflected into his looking glass soul
And now the mirror is your only friend
Look into his eyes and you will see
That men are not alone on the diamond sea
Sail into the heart of the lonely storm
And tell her that you'll love her eternally
Time takes its crazy toll, mirror fallin' off the wall
You better look out for the looking glass girl
'Cause she's gonna take you for a fall
Look into his eyes and you shall see
Why everything is quiet and nothing's free
I wonder how he's gonna make her smile
When love is running wild on the diamond sea - Over the years, Beck has been pretty close with Sonic Youth. They are on the same record label. In the early days, Thurston Moore was a big supporter and they appeared on MTV together (search for it on YouTube). In 1996, Beck opened for Sonic Youth on their tour of Europe. Thurston Moore wore an "I'm Not Beck" t-shirt in one of SY's videos. Thurston wrote a piece about Odelay for the liner notes of the deluxe version. SY released a best-of CD with songs chosen by various famous people, and Beck chose "Sugar Kane" for it.
Musically, Thurston and Beck have collaborated a couple of times: once on this track/tape and another time on a radio show doing "Super Christ," "Bedroom Light," and "Super Funky." Over the years, Beck has covered Sonic Youth's "Silver Rocket" and "The Diamond Sea" on stage. In 2009, Beck reportedly covered all of Sonic Youth's album EVOL for a Sonic Youth boxset. In return, Sonic Youth covered "Pay No Mind."