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.
Harry
Daniel Lanois Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are sliding down that muddy hollow
You've lost your grip and the distant call is feeble
There's nothing you can follow
Desperation sends a shock
To your brain now you must fight
Disintegrate the arms
Harry, play for your angel tonight
Your angel tonight
Let the water pass
Let a stranger feel your power and esteem
Let them know your secrets
Your passions none have ever seen
While the beauties and the bloodless
Trample at your mat
Telling you do it again
But, Harry, watch your back
Harry, play for your angel tonight
Your angel tonight
Your messages are branded
On a face that holds a desperate ugly scream
You've been running your charisma
Down the walls of a rusted dream machine
As you're laying there in your Cuban heels
There's not much coming in
No transmissions nor interests
Nor offers on your skin
Harry, play for your angel tonight
Your angel tonight
She always reaches deep and tells you
She loves you from her lip
Till you feel the silence
Escaping down to your fingertips
Harry, play for your angel
Come on let's hear you sing
We want to see regret
Plummet down below the batting of her wing
Remember what it was like
To be driven to embrace
Before the years took their toll
On that pretty face
Harry, play for your angel tonight
Your angel tonight
She's coming tonight
Harry, play for your angel
She's coming tonight
She's coming tonight
The lyrics of Daniel Lanois's song Harry convey a sense of urgency and desperation as the singer struggles to escape from a situation of danger and uncertainty. The first verse depicts the physical struggle of running in muddy and slippery conditions, unable to find a clear path or a sense of direction. The reference to Brutus suggests the presence of an adversary or a rival, whose arms must be disintegrated to overcome the obstacle.
In the chorus, Harry is urged to play for his angel, a metaphorical representation of hope and guidance in times of trouble. The repetition of this line underlines the importance of music as a means of expression and release, as well as a source of comfort and reassurance.
The second verse introduces a new layer of meaning to the song, as Harry's messages are branded on a face that holds a desperate and ugly scream. This suggests a more complex psychological dimension to Harry's struggle, as his charisma and passion are being undermined by doubt and fear. The reference to Cuban heels and offers on his skin hints at a possible connection to the music industry and the pressure to succeed at any cost.
Line by Line Meaning
We're travelling at full speed and your heels
We are moving quickly and your high-heeled shoes are getting stuck in the mud
Are sliding down that muddy hollow
Your high-heeled shoes are slipping down the slippery slope
You've lost your grip and the distant call is feeble
You have slipped and are losing your way in the distance
There's nothing you can follow
There is no clear path or guidance for you to follow
Desperation sends a shock
You feel a jolt of desperation in response to your current situation
To your brain now you must fight
You must now fight against the desperate feelings in your mind
Disintegrate the arms
Let go of the embrace of the one you thought you trusted
Of your Brutus with her light
Of the one who deceived you with her disguise of innocence
Harry, play for your angel tonight
Harry, perform for the one who loves you unconditionally tonight
Your angel tonight
The one who loves you unconditionally tonight
Let the water pass
Let time flow and let the past be gone
Let a stranger feel your power and esteem
Let someone new experience your strength and confidence
Let them know your secrets
Share your innermost thoughts and feelings with them
Your passions none have ever seen
Let someone new see your passions that no one has ever seen before
While the beauties and the bloodless
While the shallow and the emotionless people
Trample at your mat
Are stepping all over you
Telling you do it again
Urging you to repeat your past actions
But, Harry, watch your back
But be careful, Harry, because not everyone has good intentions
Your messages are branded
Your words have left a lasting impression
On a face that holds a desperate ugly scream
On a face that is filled with despair and pain
You've been running your charisma
You have been using your charm and personality
Down the walls of a rusted dream machine
To try to fix a broken and decaying dream
As you're laying there in your Cuban heels
As you are lying down in your fancy shoes
There's not much coming in
There is not much hope coming into your life
No transmissions nor interests
No messages or attention from others
Nor offers on your skin
No offers of affection or love
She always reaches deep and tells you
She always understands you at a deep level and tells you
She loves you from her lip
She expresses her love to you with her words
Till you feel the silence
Until you feel the profoundness of her silence
Escaping down to your fingertips
Emanating down your being to your fingertips
Come on let's hear you sing
Come on, let's hear you express yourself through music
We want to see regret
We want to witness your reflection of regret
Plummet down below the batting of her wing
Falling deeply into the loving embrace of your angel
Remember what it was like
Recall and reflect on how it used to be
To be driven to embrace
To be compelled to hold tightly
Before the years took their toll
Before time has impacted and exhausted you
On that pretty face
On that once attractive face
She's coming tonight
Your angel is arriving tonight
Contributed by Henry L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Peterkufner
Super. Danke
FogmasterLeghorn
who needs a mechanic?