Born in 1970 and raised in Kitchener, Ontario , he began his professional career playing with the Rhinos before beginning a solo career. In the late 1990s, he moved to Ottawa, where he developed a loyal following with a weekly show at the Manx Pub on Elgin St. In his live shows, he often uses looped live samples of his guitar and other instruments to create a richly layered solo performance. While at the Manx he often entertained with cover versions of songs by some of his favourite artists, including David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, and the Rheostatics. At the same time, he began to amass an extensive repertoire of original tunes, and briefly joined local power-pop band Starling.
As a songwriter, he has released six albums, including an album devoted to covers David Bowie songs. His albums have often been recorded in a home-studio with him performing most, if not all, instruments. He is a talented guitarist who is universally lauded for his lyrics, having been compared to Elvis Costello and received accolades from renowned Canadian author Timothy Findley.
In 2004, Danny was nominated for Best New Artist at the Juno Awards following the release of his album "Tales from the Invisible Man" the previous year. The award went to Michael Bublé.
Into the Light
Danny Michel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Road changing colors and flying by
I saw my sister one I never had
The one but little way...long
She looked so quiet, I felt so sad
Who, who, ho, ho, into the light we go
And who, who, ho, ho, into where nobody knows
We've waited all night but they never came back
I slept in the car, I couldn't go back
Right then and there, in the dead of the night
Caught her...
Sun came on and it sang so bright, it said
Who, who, ho, ho, into the light we go
And who, who, ho, ho, into where nobody knows.
Who, who, ho, ho, into the light we go
And who, who, ho, ho, into where nobody knows.
The lyrics of "Into the Light" by Danny Michel & The Benque Players describe a surreal experience where the singer seems to have witnessed a strange phenomenon in the sky while driving at night. He sees lights changing colors and flying by, and then he imagines meeting his sister (whom he never had). The singer feels a deep sadness while observing her, and the lyrics suggest that he may be reflecting upon some lost opportunity or unfulfilled desire.
The chorus of the song, "Who, who, ho, ho, into the light we go / And who, who, ho, ho, into where nobody knows," takes on an almost hypnotic quality, as if the singer is being drawn into a trance-like state by the mysterious lights. The repetition of the phrase "into the light" suggests a journey towards something ethereal or transcendent, while the idea of going "into where nobody knows" implies a sense of uncertainty and incomprehensibility.
Overall, the lyrics to "Into the Light" create a dreamlike atmosphere that invites interpretation, and the repeating chorus provides a sense of entrancement or hypnosis.
Line by Line Meaning
I was watching all the lights in the sky
I observed the various lights in the sky
Road changing colors and flying by
The road appeared to change colors and passed by quickly
I saw my sister one I never had
I saw someone who felt like a sister, but was not biologically related
The one but little way...long
This person was close, but far away in some sense
She looked so quiet, I felt so sad
Her appearance seemed calm, which made me feel melancholic
Who, who, ho, ho, into the light we go
An expression of moving towards the light symbolically
And who, who, ho, ho, into where nobody knows
Uncertainty surrounds the destination of this journey
We've waited all night but they never came back
Unfortunately, the wait was not fruitful
I slept in the car, I couldn't go back
Not being able to fall asleep elsewhere, I slept in the car
Right then and there, in the dead of the night
Precisely at that moment, when nighttime was at its darkest
Caught her...
Encountered her unexpectedly
Sun came on and it sang so bright, it said
The sun rose and appeared to radiate with joy, almost like singing
Who, who, ho, ho, into the light we go
Repeating the earlier expression of moving into the symbolic light
And who, who, ho, ho, into where nobody knows.
Reiterating the fact that the destination of this journey is unclear
Who, who, ho, ho, into the light we go
Again, moving into the light in a metaphorical sense
And who, who, ho, ho, into where nobody knows.
Underscoring the ambiguity that clouds the endpoint of this journey
Contributed by Christian T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@DrPeterMarsh
Great Song, completely impressive
@dburr13
This is an irresistible groove!...A perfect song for summer!
@alpaq6547
Ohhhh Sainte famille !!!! çà déménage, sublime ! Çà y est je suis accroc :o)
@missmonsternaut
Got that Franz Ferdinand feel - love it.