Damien Rice Storyteller

[cuuliem]

Does Anyone know what are Damo's inspirations on his songs?
I've found it concerning I remember : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzfkYRpT-as

We all (mostly everyone) know the story on cheers darlin

On the gigs I've attended, I've just found out about The professor and la fille danse (I tried to translate it) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnFZJQXBGRo ;
a sniplet on Rootless tree : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkuncTRWGJI ;
a nice story about Amie in french (should I translate it?) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqF7-gBdeY4

but does anyone else have any videos (or just tell the stories If you have intented a gig where he was in a chitchat mood) about how/why he wrote all those other songs : 9crimes, accidental babies, sleep don't weep, blower's daughter (i think i've heard this one, but i can't remember) etc...

[dboyd]

i've heard the i remember, cheers, who hasn't... lol but woww.. rofl the professor is a pretty damn funny story when he tells it like that :P never heard that either..

translate the amie one please!!!

[Mort]

I've heard stories behind Cheers darlin, I remember, Cold Water (which was the most confusing story about a song I've ever heard) & Professor

Thanks for writing the story about Professor in english, he said it quite differently when I saw him.

[Calum]

Ah, i have a good one, he told a story about Sleep Don't Weep last night in Brighton (which was an awesome gig by the way). He said that he thought people were like grass, and that there was "a lot of grass" where he lived and most of it was surrounded by walls (or something like that i think... can't remember if he said completely enclosed...) and across this grass were pathways that adults had made for everyone to walk across. However, as a child he just saw where he wanted to go and picked the quickest route to get there and so did other kids and some adults, and after some time the grass died where everyone had taken the short cut through it. And that's what Sleep Don't Weep is about, that you can tread on a person so much that you kill them (not literally kill if you know what i mean).

So yeah, thought that was pretty great story. Oh, he told the story for I Remember about wanting orange juice but getting milk (don't know if you've heard that one), and also the "Mr. Penis" story! But he described his problem as "back pain" and that he'd "vomit" and "sometimes violently"!

If you haven't heard the orange juice one i can go into it in more detail if you like.

[mariaoran]

I've heard a couple of stories about Grey room but when i went to his gig he told quite a funny one...

He said that the song was written after coming out of a situation in which he felt trapped and didn't want to be in ever again, sort of like when you go to a girls house and you have to take a crap, but as you get to the bathroom and sit in the toilet .... well it doesn't come out! ... (this are not his exact words but its the gist of it)

very funny indeed! ... also, thanks for translating the professor's story i was having a hard time understanding it because of the audience's noice... very funny too!
cheers!

[Emelie]

Oh man how I die a little everytime he speaks in french

But to the point.. ehm.
I've though for a while that maybe it would be a nice idea to have a sticky topic where everyone could submit the stories they've heard him tell and we could order it in a nice organized manner.. Of course there's also something to be said for having everyone form their own opinions on song instead of coming here and read what it's about, so this is just a suggestion that I'm putting out there...

[SilentNight]

Originally Posted by Calum

Ah, i have a good one, he told a story about Sleep Don't Weep last night in Brighton (which was an awesome gig by the way). He said that he thought people were like grass, and that there was "a lot of grass" where he lived and most of it was surrounded by walls (or something like that i think... can't remember if he said completely enclosed...) and across this grass were pathways that adults had made for everyone to walk across. However, as a child he just saw where he wanted to go and picked the quickest route to get there and so did other kids and some adults, and after some time the grass died where everyone had taken the short cut through it. And that's what Sleep Don't Weep is about, that you can tread on a person so much that you kill them (not literally kill if you know what i mean).

So yeah, thought that was pretty great story. Oh, he told the story for I Remember about wanting orange juice but getting milk (don't know if you've heard that one), and also the "Mr. Penis" story! But he described his problem as "back pain" and that he'd "vomit" and "sometimes violently"!

If you haven't heard the orange juice one i can go into it in more detail if you like.

i remember he used to telling the grass treading story about some other song. but i think it's fit better with 'sleep don't weep'. When i listened to that song it seemed to me that he was singing at a death bed of someone. death captured that song, especially when he called the tibetan singing bowl sound at the end. it feels like the spirit which is connected to the that sound coming closer and closer to take over the matter, to collect the dying soul, to take it to a place unknown, not a paradise or heaven as i felt, cos i imagine the soul that is melt into that sound would be excruciating as that sound gives me headache. a dark requiem.

[golnazv86]

hey guys!

i have several more to add to the list:
here is the story for Cross-Eyed Bear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C6HKsBY2gw


and here's amie in english
http://youtube.com/watch?v=TsuPT-9gJsU



and of course there's Eskimo where he had writer's block
http://youtube.com/watch?v=VMyUtok4fGg

and I have an old video of him where he explains 9 crimes, but i can't seem to find it online. it's from a private performance he did at kfog radio a few years back. never the less i have the video and i can send it to anyone who wants it...

that was the funniest story about the professor by the way!!! he told a different story about it when i saw him live. he explained how women have their own problems during the month...you know with PMS and such, and guys have their problems with their penis, and how it gets them in trouble. but i think i like this one better...so funny haha
cheers!

[neil]

^ can you please upload it on youtube? or you can send it to me and ill upload it . thanks for sharing all these videos! its so moving to learn the story behind his songs...beautiful

[lalla32]

He told many stories in Milan this March... and I especially liked the one for Coconut Skins...

It's here on youTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOVy8L2pB4k

[dboyd]

Originally Posted by lalla32

He told many stories in Milan this March... and I especially liked the one for Coconut Skins...

It's here on youTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOVy8L2pB4k

"i'm diging my f*cking hole"

lol!! never heard it described like that.. thanks .. here's the one (of coconut skins) similar to the one i heard him explain in vancouver...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTqiRZFC5qU

there is also this one... short but sweet...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCalN6fjP5c



ok this one isn't realyl a story.. it's just funny as hell!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y-oyd2E4Ww

Damien is solo in toronto because the band is elsewhere, and he's kinda talking with the audience a bit and a guy yells out "I want you!" and he blurs out a fake phone number quickly as if he's interested.. i found it to be priceless!

[elephantintheroom]

This is my favorite thread yet. I love the storytelling - I feel like it puts a whole new spin on the music. I've seen him live 3 times now and heard a different "I remember" story each time--not conflicting stories, just different parts of each story.

I particularly appreciate how Damien describes such detail to the stories, the way a curtain is blowing in the open window and such. For a man with such enigmatic and inaccessible lyrics, he sure can say exactly what he wants when he wants to. Love that. (love the inaccessible lyrics, too. keeps you wondering.)

I'd say the stories are one of the greatest elements of the live performance. Damien does so well to start his sets with straight music for a bit before introducing the band and telling stories - as if he's getting to know you before developing that intimate relationship.

What are your favorite stories? I particularly like when he does the crazy Irish accent before "I remember."

[LaurenM]

in the first story i heard of I Remember he said she "metaphorically dushed me in the balls"

come to find out in a later story he just found out a girl whom he admired already had a boyfriend. haha i love how he can be dramatic about things though, i suppose thats where a lot of the music comes from. his personal suffering

[dboyd]

what i'd like to know is.. how do u feel once u hear the song is about u? some girl that rejected him in the past must be like.. holy ****? he wrong this amazing song because of me? wow! or what would they think? i always seem to think about that when i hear someone explain a song about someone they met in their life...

[dboyd]

not sure if this was posted or not.. but this is from the rome concert.. him explaining i remember... (ya i know, again :P)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKPqcLX1H5s

gotta listen to older chests firsts, but that's not a problem :P

same with this.. the grey room video.. london...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wMUnp2nB3Y

[lalla32]

not sure if this was posted or not.. but this is from the rome concert.. him explaining i remember... (ya i know, again :P)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKPqcLX1H5s

WOW! That video from the Rome gig is totally awesome! (YAY for another Italian show I missed.... )

He really seemed in a lovely mood and the story before I Remember was priceless! And that beautiful Older Chest wasn't surely a problem. Must have been an amazing show! Thank you for sharing it! <3

[LaurenM]

Originally Posted by dboyd

what i'd like to know is.. how do u feel once u hear the song is about u? some girl that rejected him in the past must be like.. holy ****? he wrong this amazing song because of me? wow! or what would they think? i always seem to think about that when i hear someone explain a song about someone they met in their life...

i was a complete idiot and treated a guy really badly and he's writing an album that is supposedly all about me. you may think, that girl is probably wishing she didnt turn him down, but that is not it at all. at least for me, it doesnt change my feelings for him.

[neil]

Originally Posted by lalla32

WOW! That video from the Rome gig is totally awesome! (YAY for another Italian show I missed.... )

He really seemed in a lovely mood and the story before I Remember was priceless! And that beautiful Older Chest wasn't surely a problem. Must have been an amazing show! Thank you for sharing it! <3

indeed...its an amazing video of him...i've never heard the story behind "I Remember"...nothing short of beautiful!

[lady grace]

Where is the translation of The intro in French for The Professor?? The one linked to youtube in the first post?

[Riven]

Its in the comment posted by the person who uploaded the video (you have to click "more" to see it) But for your convenience:

Once upon a time there was a little penis who had a normal life. He was young and... Life was quite simple : pee, sleep, keep himself dangling (he mimes it), pee, sleep and so on. It was very simple.
One day, this little penis had a ... how do you say (in french) "an heart attack" ***laughs*** (the audience shout "crise cardiaque)(he tries to repeat) "Chris Carsdiak" (laughs & applause)
But it wasn't funny because .... hhhuuuuhhhh..... something happened and it was very difficult for this little penis because he didn't know what was the problem and a few time later, this little penis... umh... umh... My french is bad because there's a lot of fault (applause)
A few months later with this ... umh... "disease" he found out (damien played with the audience on how to conjugate decouvrir : he said decouvré) that it was possible to live with this problem umh... but the only trouble with it, was that other people, mostly umh... girls, had problems with this new "way of life".
So the penis went on journey umh... to my place and knocked on my door and asked me :
-"what should i do, what should i do?"
-"I don't know, what's the problem"
-"Life was so simple I was like that (dangling)and then "pssshhh", I want to do this and this. Maybe the others are right, maybe I'm insane or something like that"
and I Said :
-"well I don't know, I'm a musician, I'm not a doctor but I can write you a song"
-"Oh, thanks a lot"
And I wrote a song....

[dboyd]

huh.. i didn't know lisa was the reason why he put cannonball on the "O" album... i don't think she was the inspiration of the song, but she said it was her favorite and damien took off a different song to put it on.

http://www.fabchannel.com/embed/play...l.damienrice.a

Love it..

[cuuliem]

Originally Posted by dboyd

translate the amie one please!!!

It's slightly the same story


http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=qqF7-gBdeY4

This is how he introduces Amie :
Wow! It's hot in here (the audience shouts ***take off your jacket***) (he plays some chords)
Once upon a time, when I was home... alone... and, I don't know why, but I had a headache. I called my girlfriend, I asked :
-"can I come visit you?"
-"why, yes!"
then I left, took the bus and when I arrived at her place, we took a bite. I felt better immediatly.
She said :
-"you can stay home tonight"
I said
-"why, yes"
-"absolutely, my sister isn't here tonight, you can stay in her bedroom"
-"great (quite frustated)"
She said :
-"When you have a headache, it's very important connecting with, umh..., mmtth...(choosing carefully his words) with yourself : stay in the room, open the windows wide , umh... and... spend time with yourself
I said :
-"oh-kay (frowning at her)"
She said :
-"there is a lot of stars in the sky, you could look at them, around them, ask them a question, ask them for a sign"
-"Ok , good night, good night (trying to shorten the talk with her)"
***clearing his voice***
I was in the bed, I stare at the stars for... 30seconds (laughs). after that I spend some time with myself (laughs). And I felt better (laughs) for a few minutes but it wasn't great.
After that I looked at the stars again, I said : "give me a sign" (he whistles, nothing happened) (laughs). I hadn't drink a lot, but I don't know what happened exactly, but something happened. It's hard to explain right now. the next morning, I wrote this song....

[dboyd]

thanks!

[golnazv86]

Here is the story behind 9 crimes that i mentioned earlier. i couldn't find it on youtube before, but here it is now. thanks to srahman24 who posted it in the 9 crimes single thread.

it's my favorite version of this song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjiWeyrKdSo

[glo32]

here's the story (well, it's not really a stoy, but it's interesting i think) he told before coconut skins three days ago in bollate (milan)...
http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=UE2T1QNIClM

[Bristlecone]

The Damien show my brother and I saw in Philly was actually a lot more interesting for my brother because of his stories - he said he didn't like the music (except I Remember) as much as the stories he had to tell behind them. And he smirked at the one line about looking for souls in Coconut Skins, so I guess there's something for everyone.

[Mort]

Originally Posted by dboyd

not sure if this was posted or not.. but this is from the rome concert.. him explaining i remember... (ya i know, again :P)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKPqcLX1H5s

gotta listen to older chests firsts, but that's not a problem :P[/url]

Thanks for posting this one, dboyd. IMHO that's the sweetest way he's ever explained 'I remember'

[borneoman]

I know he's told the Cheers Darlin story hundreds of times, but my favourite is the one from Saratoga in 06, he played at the Winery and for once I think he was a bit drunk for real:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja8zXvoMJws

Later in the show, when he introduced I Remember, he said the song was also 'about the blower's daughter'!!!!

And I agree, it would be great if we could compile all the stories!!! don't know how though...

[dboyd]

Originally Posted by borneoman

I know he's told the Cheers Darlin story hundreds of times, but my favourite is the one from Saratoga in 06, he played at the Winery and for once I think he was a bit drunk for real:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja8zXvoMJws

Later in the show, when he introduced I Remember, he said the song was also 'about the blower's daughter'!!!!

And I agree, it would be great if we could compile all the stories!!! don't know how though...

lol ya that one is pretty good, seen that before, great video.

and yw mort

btw, he does mention he's not a very good drinker and after a couple of drinks he starts getting drunk.... so i think most of the time when he does play live he might be a lil tipsy... lol

here's party 2 the song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O38uanxQOic

[borneoman]

just remembered that my fav story is the 'Measuring story'... he explains how he used to measure 'himself' and kept all the data... gonna try and find it!!!!!!!!!!!! I think it was before Groovin....