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.
Silium's Hill
Daniel Lanois Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Spits for her money
Wants to make a living
Try to make her own
All she ever wanted was to
Make her own money and
Settle down on Silium's Hill
She prayed by the water on Manitou Bay
Sipping ambrosia on a holy night
Counting the lovers that had passed her way
They could not see her on Silium's Hill
On a frozen lamp pole I scratch her name
With my rusty old penknife
On a empty heart
Standing by the window, is that you out there
At the Southern Cross over Silium's Hill
Oh, baby will you ride with me
Through the wheat towns to Medicine Hat
When the cold winds blow I'll be there
I'll hang on tight, baby sure go for that
Now the old man knocks at my front door
Shoe Shine Mamma isn't here anymore
There's a stranger in my place
Looking out over Silium's Way
Listen to the humming of the railway cars
My hands frozen on the wheel
Six hundred miles away from home
Running on the shadow of Silium's Hill
Somewhere back on Church Street
Shoe Shine Momma spits for her money
Trying to make a living, wanna make her own
Down at the bottom of Silium's Hill
Momma wanna build her own
Down at the bottom of Silium's Hill
The song "Silium's Hill" by Daniel Lanois tells the story of a woman named "Shoe Shine Mamma" who is trying to make a living on her own terms. She has always dreamt of making her own money and settling down on Silium's Hill, but her aspirations are limited by the difficult circumstances she finds herself in. The lyrics paint a picture of a woman who is determined to achieve her goals despite the odds stacked against her.
The first verse describes Shoe Shine Mamma as someone who spits for her money, implying that she is a street performer or perhaps a shoe shiner. The second line indicates that she is trying to make a living and wants to achieve financial independence. The chorus reveals that her ultimate goal is to settle down on Silium's Hill, a place where she can call her own.
The second verse tells us more about Shoe Shine Mamma's past. She has had many lovers, but none of them have stayed with her on Silium's Hill. She is alone, praying by the water on Manitou Bay and sipping ambrosia (a sweet wine often associated with the gods in Greek mythology) on a holy night. Her solitude is highlighted by the fact that the lovers who have passed her way "could not see her on Silium's Hill."
The song then takes a turn towards the end, with the singer addressing a mysterious "baby" who he invites to ride with him through the wheat towns to Medicine Hat. He promises to be there for her when the cold winds blow and to hang on tight. The song ends with the realization that Shoe Shine Mamma is no longer there, replaced by a stranger looking out over Silium's Way. The singer is left running on the shadow of Silium's Hill, hundreds of miles away from his true home.
Overall, "Silium's Hill" is a poignant and emotional song that tells the story of someone trying to make a better life for themselves while struggling against difficult circumstances. It highlights the theme of isolation and the unfulfilled desire for a place to call one's own.
Line by Line Meaning
Shoe Shine Mamma
Referring to a woman who earns money by shining shoes
Spits for her money
She is earning money by spitting on people's shoes and shining them
Wants to make a living
She is trying to earn a livelihood to support herself
Try to make her own
She wants to be independent and make her own money
All she ever wanted was to
The woman's only wish was to
Make her own money and
To be self-sufficient and support herself financially
Settle down on Silium's Hill
To make a home for herself on a hill called Silium
She prayed by the water on Manitou Bay
The woman prayed by the water at Manitou Bay
Sipping ambrosia on a holy night
Drinking a divine nectar on a sacred night
Counting the lovers that had passed her way
Reflecting on the people she had been in relationships with
They could not see her on Silium's Hill
No one could see her on the hill where she wanted to settle down
On a frozen lamp pole I scratch her name
The singer carved her name on a frozen lamp pole
With my rusty old penknife
Using an old and worn-out knife
On a empty heart
Feeling sad and emotionally empty
Standing by the window, is that you out there
Wondering if the woman he knew is outside his window
At the Southern Cross over Silium's Hill
Looking at the constellation called the Southern Cross over the hill she wanted to settle down on
Oh, baby will you ride with me
Asking someone if they want to go on a journey with him
Through the wheat towns to Medicine Hat
Traveling through towns that grow wheat to reach Medicine Hat
When the cold winds blow I'll be there
Promising to be there during difficult times
I'll hang on tight, baby sure go for that
Promising to hold on tight and encouraging the person to come along
Now the old man knocks at my front door
An old man is knocking on the door of his house
Shoe Shine Mamma isn't here anymore
The woman who shined shoes is no longer around
There's a stranger in my place
There is someone he doesn't recognize in his home
Looking out over Silium's Way
Gazing at the hill called Silium
Listen to the humming of the railway cars
Hearing the sound of trains passing in the distance
My hands frozen on the wheel
His hands are frozen to the steering wheel due to the cold
Six hundred miles away from home
Far from home, 600 miles away
Running on the shadow of Silium's Hill
Continuing to think about the hill called Silium
Somewhere back on Church Street
On a street called Church Street
Down at the bottom of Silium's Hill
At the base of the hill the woman wanted to settle on
Shoe Shine Momma spits for her money
The woman continues to earn a living by spitting on shoes
Trying to make a living, wanna make her own
Still working hard to be self-sufficient and support herself
Momma wanna build her own
The woman wants to own her own business and become financially independent
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DANIEL LANOIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind