The best Damien Rice songs of all time and why

There is no doubt that Damien Rice is one of the best and most interesting singer-songwriters of all time. His music has influenced countless musicians, both freelance and mainstream, including pop sensation Ed Sheeran and 2014 emerging artist Hozier. Damien Rice has been a huge influence on my life and my music, and his sudden return to the music scene this year has inspired me to go back and listen to his catalog to find “The Best Damien Rice Songs of All Time.”

This was not easy and you may not agree, but here it goes.

5. Song: Trusty and True (Album: My Favorite Faded Fantasy)

Trusty and True was the track that caught my eye the most on Damien’s most recent release as something different, it has a very traditional sound and its message of uniting with the worst of enemies is noble. Seeing Damien perform this live at his Chicago show was an incredible experience. Damien explained the premise of the song before the beginning and started it with this statement: “It is a song about the Irish and the English, it is a song about men and women, it is a song about the person inside you that you like and the person inside you that you hate. “

He then ended up placing his guitar on the stage as he backed away in the fog as the crowd chanted the lyrics “Come, make a mistake, come, it’s already started” that stuck with me and is part of the reason I added it to this list. . Call me optimistic, but the idea of ​​people coming together regardless of differences is always a lovely concept.

4. Song: The Professor (Album: B-Sides)

It seems strange that one of the best songs by an artist is a B-side, but for an artist like Damien Rice it may not be that strange. The lyrics to this song are some of the most beautiful words I’ve ever heard. Relationships as a theme have to be one of the most used in music, which, while it makes perfect sense, can seem a bit boring. Every artist has songs about a breakup, a connection, or … well, you get the idea, but this one is different. This song usually says the things we all think about on the subject of relationships, but we don’t actually say them out loud. My favorite line on this track is “Loving is okay if you have a lot of time, stilt walking on the edge of your mind” that line alone can sum up about half of the adult relationships I’ve had. The lyrics and the lovely inclusion of the French song “La Fille Danse” (translation “Dancing Girl”) at the end are part of what makes this number four on my list of the best Damien Rice songs of all time.

3. Song: The Box (Album: My Favorite Faded Fantasy)

Speaking of songs that sum up about half of the adult relationships I’ve had, jump into another track from Damien’s latest release, “The Box.” This track is the perfect example of Damien’s writing style and his ability to build a song that leads to a blast point. The lyrics on this track are perfect again, so it’s hard to pick a favorite line, but mine would have to be “So don’t give me love with an old rulebook. That kind of love is only for fools, and me about him “that’s just perfect.

The strings on this track are also the perfect setting, evoking visions of an old black and white scene from countless movies, just brilliant.

2. Song: Volcano (Album: O)

Volcano was one of the first songs I heard from Damien and it remains one of my favorites. The alternating vocal parts, perfectly placed cello line, and haunting backing vocals from Lisa Hannigan make this song perfect. This was one of Damien’s most popular songs and often sounds familiar to people who have no idea who Damien Rice is. Favorite lyrics “Don’t throw yourself like that, in front of me. I kissed your mouth and back, is that all you need?”

1. Song: The Blowers Daughter (Album: O)

Well, we’ve made it to number one on the list of the greatest Damien Rice songs of all time and if you’re still reading this, I appreciate it.

The Blower’s Daughter, I first heard this song when I found the video. I had no idea what it was, I only saw Natalie Portman with pink hair swinging around a stripper pole, so I stopped and took a look. Quickly, the sight of Portman prancing around in her lingerie quickly turned secondary as the sound of this repetitive, painful line said “I can’t take my eyes off you, I can’t stop thinking about you.”

There was so much love, obsession and pain in those lines that I was instantly drawn to them. This song took me to Damien and countless hours of listening to O over and over again wondering how anyone could write music like this. My favorite line from this song is actually the final words that are said at the end, the statement that changed how I felt the song was about. “Until I find someone new” After the lyric “I can’t stop thinking about you” is sung over and over again, that phrase comes out and completely changes how I feel about the song.

Well, whether you agree with my picks for the best Damien Rice songs of all time or not, there is no denying Damien’s songwriting and his unique ability to draw listeners into his world by making them feel a part of him. .