4.23.2012

damien rice

A friend of mine last week shared some of the music that had been very influential in her formative years (Sisters of Mercy, if anyone's interested), and then asked what song or artist had defined me in some way.

The answer is, of course, Damien Rice, he of the lilting harmonies and cellos and shadowy lyrics. The song I played for her was "Amie," off his first album.



(and because lyrics are important, I will save you the trouble of Googling)

Nothing unusual, nothing strange
Close to nothing at all
The same old scenario, the same old rain
And there's no explosions here
Then something unusual, something strange
Comes from nothing at all
I saw a spaceship fly by your window
Did you see it disappear?

Amie come sit on my wall

And read me the story of O
And tell it like you still believe
That the end of the century
Brings a change for you and me
Nothing unusual, nothing's changed
Just a little older that's all
You know when you've found it,
There's something I've learned
'Cause you feel it when they take it away

Something unusual, something strange

Comes from nothing at all
But I'm not a miracle
And you're not a saint
Just another soldier
On the road to nowhere

Amie come sit on my wall

And read me the story of O
And tell it like you still believe
That the end of the century
Brings a change for you and me


The next one, "The Professor and La Fille Danse," is one of my favorites. I think he released it on an LP, but it was never on an album. This version happens to be the one I like, and it conveniently has the lyrics built into the video:




The french at the end translates to something like:

The girl dances 
when she plays with me 
and I think that I love her sometimes 
the silence does not dare
when we are together
put the words to sleep 

And here's something off his sophomore release.



Woke up and for the first time the animals were gone
It's left this house empty now, not sure if I belong
Yesterday you asked me to write you a pleasant song
I'll do my best now, but you've been gone for so long

The window's open now and the winter settles in
We'll call it Christmas when the adverts begin
I love your depression and I love your double chin
I love almost everything that you bring to this offering

Oh I know that I left you in places of despair
Oh I know that I love you, so please throw down your hair
At night I trip without you, and hope I don't wake up
'Cause waking up without you is like drinking from an empty cup

Woke up and for the first time the animals were gone
Our clocks are ticking now so before our time is gone
We could get a house and some boxes on the lawn
We could make babies and accidental songs

I know I've been a liar and I know I've been a fool
I hope we didn't break yet, but I'm glad we broke the rules
My cave is deep now, yet your light is shining through
I cover my eyes, still all I see is you

Oh I know that I left you in places of despair
Oh I know that I love you, so please throw down your hair
At night I trip without you, and hope I don't wake up
'Cause waking up without you is like drinking from an empty cup


I have found him appropriate for all times and seasons, but especially so, of late.

2 comments:

  1. Midnight walks through the snow in south campus and surprise visits by foxes. This is the soundtrack of the winter of 2005.

    ReplyDelete

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