~* DAMIEN RICE'S "O" *~

In view of my current obsession over Damien Rice's music, I have changed this blog's background music. It may be too sappy for your taste but oh well, I like it ;P

The song you're hearing is his single entitled Cannonball. I hear a different version over the radio (Monster RX 93.1)... it's a much "fuller" and, if I recall right, non-acoustic version. However, my kazaa download and the track from the album itself is a "quieter" acoustic version.

there's still a little bit of your taste in my mouth
there's still a little bit of you laced with my doubt
it's still a little hard to say what's going on

there's still a little bit of your ghost your witness
there's still a little bit of your face i haven't kissed
you step a little closer each day
that i can't say what's going on

stones taught me to fly
love taught me to lie
life, it taught me to die
so it's not hard to fall
when you float like a cannonball

there's still a little bit of your song in my ear
there's still a little bit of your words i long to hear
you step a little closer to me
so close that i can't see what's going on

stones taught me to fly
love, it taught me to lie
life taught me to die
so it's not hard to fall
when you float like a cannon...

stones taught me to fly
love taught me to cry
so come on courage
teach me to be shy
'cause it's not hard to fall
and i don't wanna scare her
it's not hard to fall
and i don't wanna lose
it's not hard to grow
when you know that you just don't know.

~oO0Oo~

The album inlay is quite artsy -- laden with paintings and sketches, handwritten lyrics overlay on the artworks.

Damien Rice's singing style is the weepy, breathy, screaming kind. It's the melancholic type of vocals. Female vocals is by Lisa Hannigan who kinda sounds like Tori Amos -- haunting, angelic, slightly raspy and somewhat breathy. There's a bit of Gregorian Chant-ish kind of creepy sound at the latter part of one of the songs (Cold Water) and a slightly comic-sounding diva-esque opera touch at the conclusion of Eskimo. There are some cello, piano and violin used in the album.

Damien Rice writes such poetic artsy lyrics which draws you into the darkness and/or sadness of his themes. Cannonball is a poignant poem as it is... Hearing the song itself is another level of beauty. Here are some lines off my other fave tracks:

and so it is
just like you said it would be
life goes easy on me
most of the time
and so it is
the shorter story
no love no glory

~ the blower's daughter





cold cold water surrounds me now
and all i've got is your hand
lord can you hear me now?
or am i lost?

~ cold water

cheers darlin'
you give me three cigarettes to smoke my tears away
and i die when you mention his name
and i lie i should have kissed you
when we were running in the rain
what am i darlin'?
a whisper in your ear?
a piece of your cake?
what am i darlin?
the boy you can fear?
or your biggest mistake?

~ cheers darlin'

More lyrics here.