He approached his music with a new found freshness and decided to put some songs down on record. His grandmother told him he had a distant cousin in London in the music business. Borrowing money from those that would lend it, he recorded his demo and sent it off to his cousin, renowned producer and film composer, David Arnold (Bjork, James Bond). Arnold liked what he heard and provided enough money for Damien to buy his own mobile studio.
Damien Rice formerly sang with Lisa Hannigan and released his debut solo album, O, in Ireland in early 2002. In July 2002 O was released in the UK and it received widespread critical acclaim. In June 2003 O was released in the USA and Europe, with Rice appearing on The Letterman Show and receiving more acclaim from publications such as Rolling Stone, Newsweek and The Boston Globe. Arnold joined him on stage in New York to perform a version of the Björk/Arnold track Play Dead.
He gained further popularity after some of his most famous songs were included in the media. An example of this is 9 Crimes used in the soundtrack of the summer blockbuster Shrek Three and The Blower's Daughter was featured in the movie Closer. Delicate was also featured in the hit T.V. show Lost.
Damien Rice is an intense live act - with emphasis laid on emotional intensity and experiments, rather than technical perfection. At a 2005 concert, for instance, he threw out big cheeses to the audience. This can sometimes be more demanding for the listener than the radio hit edit of the song Cannonball suggests. 'Cannonball' was re-mixed in 2004, for UK radio, to make it more radio-friendly. Rice later was reported to be very unhappy with it, saying to Tom Dunne on PetSounds (Today FM) that he did not "...really like it". He stated that he had allowed the remix to go through only if he signed a contract that would forbid anyone from ever remixing one of his songs ever again.
Damien spent 2004 and 2005 recording the follow-up to O. The album, 9, was released in Ireland on November 3, 2006, on November 6 in the rest of Europe, and in North America on November 14, 2006. Even though the new album maintained Rice's sense of "emotionality," some argued that it did so through volume and intensity rather than with the reflection and lyrical commentary that characterized his first release, O.
Rice has also developed a reputation as a live performer, selling out at venues across Europe and the United States. He is a performer who gives a lot of himself to the audience.
As of March 25th, 2007, this was posted on the Damien Rice official website: After much thought and discussion Damien has decided that his professional relationship with Lisa Hannigan has run its creative course. As a result Lisa will not be appearing at any of the upcoming live shows. Lisa is embarking on her own artistic endeavours and there are no plans for them to work together in the foreseeable future. The current band on tour at the moment are - Damien Rice, Joel Shearer, Shane Fitzsimons, Tom Osander, and Vyvienne Long.
Rumors that Damien Rice is currently dating Mélanie Laurent, a French actress, has not been verified. However, there have been reports that he is working with the actress to record her debut album.
The Blower's Daughter
Damien Rice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Life goes easy on me
Most of the time
And so it is the shorter story
No love, no glory
No hero in her sky
I can't take my eyes off of you
I can't take my eyes off you
I can't take my eyes off of you
I can't take my eyes off you
I can't take my eyes off you
I can't take my eyes
And so it is just like you said it should be
We'll both forget the breeze
Most of the time
And so it is the colder water
The Blower's daughter
The pupil in denial
I can't take my eyes off of you
I can't take my eyes off of you
I can't take my eyes off you
I can't take my eyes off you
I can't take my eyes off of you
I can't take my eyes
Did I say that I loathe you?
Did I say that I want to leave it all behind?
I can't take my mind off of you
I can't take my mind off of you
I can't take my mind off of you
I can't take my mind off of you
I can't take my mind off of you
I can't take my mind
My mind, my mind
'Til I find somebody new
The Blower's Daughter by Damien Rice is a heart-wrenching song, brimming with intense emotions and vivid imagery. The song portrays the agony of unrequited love and the bitter aftermath of rejection. The opening lines "And so it is just like you said it would be, life goes easy on me most of the time" suggests that life isn't always easy, but sometimes it is, and one should cherish these moments. The singer is grappling with a tough situation- he loves someone who doesn't love him back, and he feels as if he is losing everything that he ever fought for. The line "No love, no glory, no hero in her sky" highlights his love's apathy towards him.
The chorus "I can't take my eyes off of you" reveals the singer's obsession with his beloved. The repetition of the line emphasizes his inability to move on from her, even though it is causing him immense suffering. He is adamant that he can't take his eyes, or his mind off of her. In the next stanza, the song switches to a more melancholic tone- "And so it is just like you said it should be, we'll both forget the breeze most of the time." Here, the singer is trying to come to terms with the harsh reality of his situation, accepting that his love is unlikely to be reciprocated. The "colder water" and "pupil in denial" can be interpreted as metaphors for his lover's coldness towards him, and her refusal to accept his love for her.
Line by Line Meaning
And so it is just like you said it would be
Life has turned out exactly as you predicted
Life goes easy on me
Most of the time, life is simple and uncomplicated
And so it is the shorter story
This is a brief and uncomplicated tale
No love, no glory
This story lacks romantic love and heroic deeds
No hero in her sky
There is no savior or protector in her world
I can't take my eyes off of you
I cannot look away from you
And so it is just like you said it should be
Again, life has turned out exactly as you predicted
We'll both forget the breeze
We will both forget the passing of time
The Blower's daughter
Referring to the artist's love interest, who is likely the daughter of a blacksmith or bellows operator
The pupil in denial
The artist's love interest is in denial of their feelings
Did I say that I loathe you?
The singer may have said or thought that they despised their love interest
Did I say that I want to leave it all behind?
The artist may have expressed a desire to walk away and start anew
I can't take my mind off of you
I cannot stop thinking about you
My mind, my mind
The singer's thoughts are preoccupied with their love interest
'Til I find somebody new
The singer is searching for someone else to distract them from their love interest
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Damien George Rice
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind