In 2007, Charlie Winston released his self produced debut album “Make Way” and shortly after embarked on tour with Peter Gabriel on European Summer tour.
Charlie also composed music for film (The Day I will Never Forget by Kim Longinotto), theatre (Almeida Theatre, Nottinghill Gate Theatre), dance (Sadler's Wells, Ballet Rambert) and has often appeared in various TV (Top Of The Pops, Good Morning TV, CD UK) and radio shows (The Steve Merchant Show on BBC 6Music, Spanish Radio 3 with Julio Ruiz, BBC Radio with Stephen Foster).
In Charlie Winston's band, the Oxymorons, harmonica plays devil's advocate within moods, from dirty blues riffs to ethereal angelic cries, meanwhile bass, drums and guitar lay the ground rules, only to be broken. To add to it the Extramorons brass quartet puff their way to a sound that’s carnivalesque. There is an overriding positivity throughout every performance that leaves the audience wanting to dance, laugh and cry all in the same breath.
Website: www.charliewinston.com
The Great Conversation
Charlie Winston Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With these words I've interwoven inspiration from Moonlight
Since you parted much has changed but your melodies remain
Like flamingos in full flight
Please forgive me and be assured I'm only using all your chords
To illustrate that nothing's ever new
But it seems these days there's very little left that people have to say
As they pay for emperor's new clothes
But I refuse to take my hat to an era near extinction
Without question or complaint
The dialogue is growing weak, some forgetting how to speak,
Or stand up and show restraint
They're all sick with common sense
Riddled thick with complacence
Where there's nothing left to push against
So, dear Ludwig, that is why I choose the great gig in the sky
Where there are greater minds beyond mine
And I'll meet them all
Yes, I'll meet you all
In the great conversation
Without time, without reason
I'll meet you all
Yes, I'll meet you all
In the great conversation
Where time has no place, no, no
Is it me, or has humanity turned slave to the convenience
Of this, so called, 'Techno Age'?
I speak to you, Ludwig, because you represent a time so opposite,
When music filled the page
For example: this song here may be too much to please the ear
Because it's wordy and demonstrative,
But my might is not to entertain the plight of human thought,
Though some may think I ought to
Well I'll meet them all
Yes, I'll meet you all
In the great conversation
Without time, without reason
I'll meet you all
Yes, I'll meet you all
In the great conversation
Where time has no place, no, no
Dare I say, as a landscape fades to grey
That a sword of Damocles hangs heavy overhead
Of all our voices great.
Well I'll meet them all
Yes, I'll meet you all
In the great conversation
Without time, without reason
I'll meet you all
In the great conversation
Where time has no place, no, no
Charlie Winston’s song The Great Conversation is an introspective commentary on the state of modern music and society’s relationship with it. The singer imagines a conversation with Ludwig van Beethoven, using his music as inspiration to illustrate how little has changed in the creative world. The singer laments the lack of thoughtful conversation and the rise of complacency in modern society. He expresses his desire to join the “great gig in the sky” where he can engage in a greater conversation with greater minds.
The lyrics are a commentary on the state of modern music and society’s relationship with it. The singer takes inspiration from Beethoven’s music and uses it to illustrate how little has changed in the creative world. He uses the metaphor of flamingos in full flight to describe the timeless and enduring nature of the composer's work. However, the singer laments the current state of society, where people have little to say, and those who do are often criticized or ignored. He is frustrated with the complacency and lack of thoughtful conversation, and he yearns for a different setting where he can engage in a more significant exchange of ideas.
Line by Line Meaning
Guten Abend, Herr Beethoven
Greetings, Mr Beethoven
With these words I've interwoven inspiration from Moonlight
I have combined my words with the inspiration I received from your Moonlight Sonata
Since you parted much has changed but your melodies remain
Although much has changed since you passed away, your music is still remembered
Like flamingos in full flight
Your melodies are as beautiful as a flock of flamingos in full flight
Please forgive me and be assured I'm only using all your chords
I ask for your forgiveness as I use your chords as an example to explain that nothing is ever truly new
To illustrate that nothing's ever new
I use your chords to show that nothing in music is truly original
But it seems these days there's very little left that people have to say
In modern times, people seem to have less and less original things to say
As they pay for emperor's new clothes
They blindly follow trends and fads without truly thinking for themselves
But I refuse to take my hat to an era near extinction
I refuse to accept that music and expression are dying out
Without question or complaint
I will stand up for my beliefs without hesitation or excuses
The dialogue is growing weak, some forgetting how to speak
People are losing the ability to have deep, meaningful conversations
Or stand up and show restraint
They are unable to control their impulses and show appropriate behavior
They're all sick with common sense
People are too complacent and follow the accepted norm instead of thinking for themselves
Riddled thick with complacence
Complacency is deeply ingrained in society
Where there's nothing left to push against
Where people have no drive or motivation to challenge the status quo
So, dear Ludwig, that is why I choose the great gig in the sky
That is the reason I choose to create music that transcends time and has a lasting impact
Where there are greater minds beyond mine
Where other great musicians have gone to continue their musical journeys
And I'll meet them all
I hope to meet all of the great musicians who have come before me
Without time, without reason
In a timeless and boundless space free of the constraints of reality
Is it me, or has humanity turned slave to the convenience
I can't help but observe that people have become too reliant on the convenience of technology
Of this, so called, 'Techno Age'?
Of this modern age where technology dominates our lives
I speak to you, Ludwig, because you represent a time so opposite
I speak to you because you represent a time before technology had such a profound impact on society
When music filled the page
A time when music was the predominant form of entertainment
For example: this song here may be too much to please the ear
This song may not be easily accessible to the average listener
Because it's wordy and demonstrative
Because the lyrics are complex and the message is not immediately obvious
But my might is not to entertain the plight of human thought
My goal is not to entertain but to provoke thought and spark conversations
Though some may think I ought to
Even if some people believe that my purpose is to entertain
Dare I say, as a landscape fades to grey
As society and culture change and evolve
That a sword of Damocles hangs heavy overhead
A sense of uncertainty and impending doom looms over us all
Of all our voices great.
Of all the voices that have contributed to the conversation over time
Well I'll meet them all
I look forward to meeting and learning from all of them
Where time has no place, no, no
In a timeless and boundless space free of the constraints of reality
Contributed by Katherine V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.