Daniel Lanois (born September 19, 1951 in Hull, Québec is a Canadian reco… Read Full Bio ↴Daniel Lanois (born September 19, 1951 in Hull, Québec is a Canadian record producer and singer-songwriter. He has produced albums for a wide variety of artists and released a number of albums of his own work. Artists he has worked with include Bob Dylan, U2, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, Robbie Robertson, Chris Whitley, Ron Sexsmith and Nash the Slash.

He started his production career working in his own studio, Grant Avenue Studios in Hamilton, Ontario. He worked with a number of local bands, most notably Martha and the Muffins, for whom his sister Jocelyne played bass, Ray Materick, as well as the Canadian children's singer Raffi.

After being discovered by Brian Eno and working collaboratively with him on some of Eno's own projects, his career was given a huge boost when Eno invited him to co-produce U2's album The Unforgettable Fire. Along with Eno, he went on to produce U2's The Joshua Tree, the 1987 Grammy Winner for Album of the Year. Bono of U2 recommended Lanois to Bob Dylan in the late 1980s; in 1989 Lanois produced Dylan's Oh Mercy, widely considered one of Dylan's greatest later albums. Eight years later Dylan and Lanois worked together on Time Out of Mind, Dylan's first studio album of original material since 1990, which won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1997.

Wrecking Ball, his 1995 collaboration with Emmylou Harris, received almost unanimous critical praise (many critics placed the album on their year-end "best albums of the year" lists), and revived the aging country artist's career, bringing her to the attention of much younger rock audiences.

As well as being a producer, singer and songwriter, Daniel Lanois plays the guitar, pedal steel and drums. His desire is to bring out the best in the artists he works with and produces, with his wide range of talents and musical ideas. He often leaves an atmospheric and emotionally resonant sound on the projects he produces, which some say has become his 'signature sound'.

Daniel founded Red Floor Records to release his own music albums and DVD films that he sells direct to consumers from his website in high resolution downloads and traditional formats: www.DanielLanois.com

After completing production work on U2's latest album "No Line In The Horizon" in 2009, Daniel has built a new recording studio in Toronto, which he has named "The Temple", as it is located on the site of a former Buddhist Temple. He recently completed producing Neil Young's latest 2010 release, "Le Noise". However, on June 5th, 2010, while working on Young's album, Daniel was in a serious motorcycle accident near his Silver Lake area home of Los Angeles, and he had to postpone his latest personal priority project, Black Dub which features Daniel on guitars, world renown drummer/percussionist Brian Blade, bassist and harmony vocalist Daryl Johnson, and lead vocalist/keyboardist Trixie Whitley (the daughter of the late Chris Whitley).

Black Dub have been signed to Jive Records and they are expected to commence a world tour in early 2011 supporting their debut self titled release, and they are currently doing special engagements throughout November and early December 2010 across the USA.

Daniel has recently written an autobiographical memoir entitled "Soul Mining, A Musical Life" that can be pre-ordered and is expected to be officially released through traditional book store channels in late November 2010.

Falling at Your Feet
Daniel Lanois Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Every chip from every cup
Every promise given up
Every reason that's not enough
Is falling, falling at your feet

Every one who needs a friend
Every life that has no end
Every knee not ready to bend

Is falling, falling at your feet
Have come crawling, falling at your feet

All fall down, all fall down, all fall down,
All fall down, all fall down, all fall down, all fall down, all fall down

Every teenager with acne
Every face that's spoiled by beauty
Every adult tamed by duty
All falling, falling at your feet

Every eye closed by a bruise
Every player who just can't lose
Every pop star hurling abuse
Every drunk back on the booze

All falling, falling at your feet, all falling, falling at your feet
All the information
All the big ideas
All the radio waves
On electronic seas
How to navigate
How to simply be
To know when to wait
Explain simplicity
In whom shall I trust
And how might I be still

Teach me to surrender
Not my will, thy will

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Daniel Lanois’s song “Falling at Your Feet” reflect on the idea that all people, regardless of their status or station in life, are vulnerable to various issues and struggles. The song opener, “Every chip from every cup, every promise given up, every reason that's not enough is falling, falling at your feet,” suggests that all of our failures and disappointments, no matter how big or small, are ultimately surrendered to a higher power. The second verse touches on the frailties of human existence, as it references the complexity of relationships, the struggles of adolescence, the impermanence of beauty, and the pressures of social expectations. However, despite these heavy themes, the chorus repeatedly reminds the listener that all people, even those who seem to have it all figured out, will “all fall down, all fall down, all fall down,” at some point in their lives. The message is a reminder that we all need support, humility, and grace.

The last verse of the song shifts focus from individual struggles to the larger world and societal issues. The lines “all the information, all the big ideas, all the radio waves on electronic seas” highlight the overwhelming nature of modern technology, highlighting its ability to both connect people but also isolate them from their humanity. The lyrics “how to navigate, how to simply be, to know when to wait, explain simplicity” then seem to suggest that despite the constant barrage of noise, we must remember to slow down, live in the present, and find joy in the simple things. The final lines “in whom shall I trust, and how might I be still, teach me to surrender, not my will, thy will” echo back to the earlier themes of struggling with the vulnerabilities of life and letting go of control. The lyrics ultimately serve as a reminder that everyone experiences pain, loss, and vulnerability, and that the only way to move forward is by accepting our limitations and embracing the love and support of those around us.

Line by Line Meaning

Every chip from every cup
All the small things that have been taken away from you or you've given up are falling at your feet.

Every promise given up
All the broken promises you've given up on are falling at your feet.

Every reason that's not enough
All the reasons that weren't enough to make things work are falling at your feet.

Is falling, falling at your feet
Everything that has been lost or given up on is falling at your feet.

Every one who needs a friend
All those who need a friend are coming to you and falling at your feet.

Every life that has no end
All the endless lives that surround us are falling at your feet.

Every knee not ready to bend
All those who are not yet ready to give in and bend their knee are coming to you and falling at your feet.

Have come crawling, falling at your feet
All those who need help and guidance are coming to you and falling at your feet.

All fall down, all fall down, all fall down,
Everyone is falling down and coming to you for guidance or help.

Every teenager with acne
All of the young people who are struggling with their appearance are falling at your feet.

Every face that's spoiled by beauty
All those who feel trapped or isolated by their beauty are coming to you and falling at your feet.

Every adult tamed by duty
All the adults who have lost themselves in their duties and responsibilities are coming to you and falling at your feet.

All falling, falling at your feet
Everyone is coming to you for guidance or help.

Every eye closed by a bruise
All those who have been hurt or scarred in some way and are closing their eyes in pain are coming to you and falling at your feet.

Every player who just can't lose
All those who feel trapped in their ways and can't seem to change are coming to you and falling at your feet.

Every pop star hurling abuse
All those in the public eye who are struggling with their fame and using it to hurt others are coming to you and falling at your feet.

Every drunk back on the booze
All those who are struggling with addiction and can't seem to break free are coming to you and falling at your feet.

All the information
All the knowledge and facts surrounding us.

All the big ideas
All the grand concepts and ideas we strive for or believe in.

All the radio waves
All the communications and connections between us.

On electronic seas
On the vast expanse of technology and the internet.

How to navigate
How to find your way and make the right choices.

How to simply be
How to exist and live simply in a complex world.

To know when to wait
To learn when to be patient and let things happen.

Explain simplicity
To understand the beauty of simplicity and the importance of taking the time to appreciate it.

In whom shall I trust
Who can we trust in this day and age.

And how might I be still
How can we be at peace and quiet our minds in a world that's always moving.

Teach me to surrender
Teach me how to let go and take control over my life.