this could be my last day

[matthew]

this is actually my favourite song! does anyone know what it is about? my mum burst into tears at it.
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[Ian]

your mum is extreme. i like it.

i don't know what or who it's about but i agree that it's amazing. what duke song isn't though?!

[H]

Sounds to me like it's about having lost someone close to him and thinking through the memories ('Charing Cross' and 'woven hats' and all). It's beautiful.

[thesneakybandit]

i would imagine that it's a memory of someone who has passed away and how that proves to be a stark reminder of how vulnerable and fragile we all are.

[jan]

That's how I felt too Scott.
Lucky are those who have not suffered the loss of someone close and dear.
The song tells of the loss and maybe there is the hint that we should live each day as it comes.
I find many songs on Deep Forest to be very dark in texture but maybe it's just me having just passed an important anniversary.
jan xx

[PD]

A gorgeous song indeed Niamhs, tis very sad but beautiful all the same. :) Scott competely agree with you about it reminding us of how vulnerable and fragile we all are, that's exactly what I got from the song when I first listened to it. It seems to be very dark in texture as Jan said but then I feel most songs seem to end with a positive note too, for e.g. in "Brixton Leaves" the lyrics are, "The sun will rise once more, well it better...." and in "No Cover Up", it ends with the lyrics, "I hope I'm learning some honesty.". I could be wrong but Duke seems to give us some sort of light at the end of a tunnel meaning to all of his songs. Lol, I really hope I'm not the only one analysing the songs this much, that's what happens when you listen to them v. regularly. :wink:

[jan]

In total agreement Ro.
Duke's songs need to be listened to many times to catch all the subtlety of his lyrics. That's why we all love them so much and identify with them .........million light years away from the kind of pap served up elsewhere.
The message of hope and life-affirmation comes over all the time; which, according to my own Presbyterian upbringing, is Christ's message to the world at its most basic.
Please don't anyone draw more from this observation than its face value :)
xx

[rusty66]

The message of hope and life-affirmation comes over all the time; which, according to my own Presbyterian upbringing, is Christ's message to the world at its most basic.
Please don't anyone draw more from this observation than its face value :)
xxWell said, that woman!

Definately. Whether it is conscious or merely subliminal, that message springs across everytime I listen to certain Duke songs. What comes across time and time again for me is that no matter what it is you're faced with, it can be overcome...No matter how much we hurt and the pain we face day to day, there is always a way to work through it.

Sometimes we need to "let go and feel the fall..." just to know we are alive. If we weren't faced with tragedy, pain and differences, how would we know what happiness, freedom and love were? And sometimes it is good to look around and see how fragile the balance between these extremes are. How one event, one meeting, one tiny moment in time can change and tip the balance.

[Ahem, sorry I am on a wee rambling/pensive trip today]

[jan]

Yes indeed Sian, sometimes the places we find ourselves in we wouldn't wish to send our worst enemy (if indeed we had one).
The saying goes that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and it does appear to be the case.
I also suspect that Duke would not be embarrassed that this message comes across in his songs and that we identify with his own experiences of life so far.
The fact that so many people feel empathy with your poetry has to be a huge compliment to him
Jan xx
PS Just watched the Royle Family on BBC One which was brilliant......not so far from this topic.............. :)

[thesneakybandit]

there is often much more of the spiritual/mystic accessible in music not only by duke special but also by artists as diverse as cash, dylan, wainwright, bright eyes etc. than i have ever experienced in any kind of church environment.

[matthew]

k ive found out what it is about and hence y my mum cried!! i stil love this song and i agree that it has an amazing message throughout as with many of his songs!
x
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[Oleta]

Could somebody PLEASE share with me the meaning behind this song?

I sat totally spellbound hearing this song live just a few weeks back as the raw emotion Pete put into the song simply blew me away.

I also loved the additonal lyrics that were added towards the end of the song, from memory it was something along the lines od "everything has to be broken so the light to shine through"? Maybe somebody could elaborate.

I wish the live version from the 2007 tour was availalbe to buy or download, if anyone has a copy I'd love to hear from you.

He is defiantely one of the best live performers I've ever seen.

[drummerbecca]

Bringing up a pretty old thread here, but does anyone know what sort of effects pedals that Paul Pilot uses to get the really eerie sounds when they play this live? I know he uses a bow against the strings but it definitely sounds like there's a lot of effects in it too. Just curious :)

[very_special]

Bringing up a pretty old thread here, but does anyone know what sort of effects pedals that Paul Pilot uses to get the really eerie sounds when they play this live? I know he uses a bow against the strings but it definitely sounds like there's a lot of effects in it too. Just curious :)

Sounds like he's using an e-bow in addition to the cello bow. Effects wise, lots of reverb and sustain.

Now what does a drummer want with such knowledge :rolleyes:

[drummerbecca]

Forgive me for sounding like a total twit here, but what's the difference between an e-bow and a cello bow? I eventually figured out the reverb and delay part, just by listening more carefully to the guitar sound when he just played with a pick. I'm an eejit sometimes.
And to answer your question, I secretly (although not so secretly now) be's a guitarist and bassist too, sort of.

[OzMel]

I agree with what everyone has said on here!

He is talking about being alive and realising there is so much he has to be thankful for as you don't know when it will be over. He's lost somone and it comforts him to know they seem to be around, telling him to continue going and be true.

That it is so easy to have everything taken away from you, no matter how invincible you or other people around you may seem.

Maybe in a way he may think that life is predetermined and that there was nothing that he could have done to save the person he lost. And even though it has been a long time since his lost, it still seems like yesterday and its not getting easier

No matter what we get from this song, it is awesome!!

[Guildford Ghost]

Forgive me for sounding like a total twit here, but what's the difference between an e-bow and a cello bow?

I didn't see this first time round, Becca.

A cello bow (or any other bow, come to that) is what you expect it to be - one of those wooden things strung with horse hair to play string instruments.

An E-Bow is a small handheld piece of electrical equipment for use on electric guitars and basses. They appear to be simple to use but apparently there is a skill to them. If you hear a track and there is a fuzz guitar on it, but the notes just whine on and on without you hearing a strum or a pick - just one long wailing note that never seems to get quieter, that's probably an E-Bow. It vibrates against the string (hence the usual fuzz guitar noise) and causes it to, in effect, play itself. Hope that all helps.

[Sixmonthsin]

Stunning song.