During his career, Texas singer-songwriter Smith has recorded in folk, country and pop settings. He has co-written songs with a British rocker, released 10 critically-acclaimed albums, created works for dance theater, done symphonic collaborations and taught music to children. Smith has made himself at home in studios in Manhattan, Nashville and London, as well as Austin. As this CDs show, his style is always shifting, yet remains true to his roots.
As melodic a collection as he has ever recorded, Field of Crows shows Smith continuing to explore rhythms, sounds and lyric themes. As it has on all of his recent Dualtone albums, his work on the nylon-string guitar adds a distinctive texture to the music. He plays more piano on this album than any of his previous collections. “I tend to write sitting at the piano, holding a guitar, and go back and forth between them.,” he says. “Over the last 10 years, the keyboard has become more involved in how I hear songs.”
Departing from the way he has recorded other albums, Smith cut Field Of Crows almost live in the studio with the band all in the same room collaborating. Co-produced with Stewart Lerman, the entire record was recorded and mixed over the course of three weeks in May 2005. Field of Crows is highlighted by contributions from drummer Sammy Merendino, multi-instrumentalist Steuart Smith, bassist Roscoe Beck, steel guitar and violinist David Mansfield, percussionist Jose Galeano and co-producer/guitarist Lerman.
“I’ve known these people a long time,” comments Darden Smith. “They are my friends, which makes them better collaborators. I feel really blessed to be able to work with people I enjoy so much, who are also musicians of such a high caliber. They make me want rise to the moment.”
The themes on Field Of Crows alternate between hope and despair, which Smith says is a reflection of our troubled times. Most of the songs came together over the past year, and were highly colored by the war in Iraq, the 2004 election, and the Tsunami in Southeast Asia.
“It always strikes me that in times like these, with all the craziness in the world, all the personal loss and tragedy, that hope holds a high value. It means something when there seems to be so little of it. These days as well, it’s obvious the world is pretty small and we’re all joined. We need each other for the place to keep working, on a personal level and for the big picture. We crave connection. It calms us and can drive us mad at the same time. The songs on ‘Field of Crows’ are about our connection with others-- finding it, holding it, losing it, and the never ending desire for more.”
The album’s philosophical underpinning is the folk-pop title tune. Like a lonely scarecrow beset by flocks of crows, we must all stand and fight, even though it seems hopeless, Smith seems to be saying. The stately, inspirational piano ballad “Fight for Love” sings of peace and brotherhood. “Golden Age” sounds jaunty, but its lyric is a dark meditation on how much pain there is in this world.
There are further musical contrasts and shadings on Field of Crows. The bluesy “Spinning Wheel” is about uplifting love. Yet the dreamy soundscape of “Wide Open” backs a lyric of heartbreak. The airy, soaring “Talk Me Down” is comforting. But the whispered, folkie “All That I Wanted” is as downbeat as anything on the record. The coolly percussive “Mary” is a single father’s conversation to his young daughter. On the other hand is the jazzy, smiling “It Takes Two.” One key track is “Satisfied.” The ballad’s lyric speaks of true love residing in everyday reality while an eloquent acoustic guitar figure weaves a lovely spell.
Smith’s wrote or co-wrote all the songs on Field of Crows. His co-writers include Gary Nicholson (“Talk Me Down”, “Mary”, and “Anyway to Treat Your Lover”), J.D. Martin (“Satisfied”) and Phil Roy (“Fight For Love.”)
All in all, Field of Crows is a fine illustration of why a critic once dubbed Darden Smith, “a Texas Van Morrison.”
That Field of Crows is another musical exploration will surprise few who have followed this restlessly creative spirit’s career. Born in 1962, Darden Smith was raised in rural Brenham, Texas. He says that Leon Russell’s Carney LP of 1972 was one of his earliest musical influences. When he was in the fifth grade, Smith’s guitar teacher taught him the songs on Neil Young’s Harvest and After the Gold Rush albums. She explained to the boy that Young was the composer of his songs.
“That was the first time it clicked to me that every song is written by somebody,” Smith recalls. “I was already writing poetry at the time. She said, ‘All it is, is just poems and melody.’ That’s all I needed to hear.”
When he was in junior high, his family moved to suburban Houston. Culture shocked and out-of-place, the former farm boy sat in his room and wrote songs constantly from that point onward. Smith studied the structures of the songs of writers such as Guy Clark and Townes Van Zant and John Prine. He had his head spun around by Bob Dylan, The Allman Brothers and Jackson Browne. He began playing in clubs while still in high school. By the time he graduated from the University of Texas in Austin, Darden Smith was a fully realized talent and a regular on stages in the city’s thriving nightclub scene.
The folk-flavored Native Soil appeared as his debut album in 1986. Fellow newcomers Lyle Lovett and Nanci Griffith provided harmony vocals. Signed by Epic Records, he issued Darden Smith in 1988. Produced by Asleep at the Wheel’s Ray Benson, the collection spawned “Little Maggie” and “Day After Tomorrow” as country-chart singles.
At this point came the first of Smith’s shifts in direction. A song publisher teamed him up with Boo Hewerdine of the British band The Bible. The songwriters couldn’t have had more different backgrounds, but their collaborations resulted in the 1989 duet album Evidence.
“I pride myself in being a Texas singer-songwriter. It’s who I am, and I will never get away from that. But that world was all I knew until I met Boo Hewerdine. I’d never created music outside of my little niche. But I was listening to things like Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe and The Pretenders. And the experience with Boo showed me that I could write music from a broader place than I had ever done before.”
Following the critical acclaim of ‘Evidence’, the record company moved him over to its pop division, and onto Columbia Records, for 1990’s Trouble No More and 1993’s Little Victories, the latter of which produced the hit pop single, “Loving Arms.” In keeping with the crazy logic of the record business, the label released him from his contract after this, his most successful album to date.
The next several years were hard ones in Smith’s personal and professional life. Compounding the professional setback was the ending of his marriage.
Out of that dark time came a sterling collection of folk-tinged pop called Deep Fantastic Blue in 1996. It was followed by Extra Extra in 2000. But by then, Darden Smith was disheartened, discouraged and contemplating getting out of the music business.
“It was a tough time,” he recalls. “Then, in late 2000, I was having dinner with friends in New York. Sammy (Merendino) and Stewart (Lerman) suggested we should do one album more before I quit, but that we should do it only to have fun.” At the time I didn’t have a label, a manager or an agent. I started writing and recording purely out of the love of making music, and through that experience, fell back in love with the whole process.”
Smith signed with Dualtone Records and turned in the brilliant and acclaimed Sunflower in 2002. Its songs “Perfect Moment” and “After All This Time” climbed the charts in the UK, with “After All This Time” reaching ..3 on the BBC2. Stateside, he was embraced by the emerging Americana format. Darden Smith now views that record as another watershed, personally and stylistically.
“Music should come from the heart,” he says. “I had lost touch with that notion. Sunflower brought it back.”
Sunflower included guest vocals by Patti Griffin and Kim Richey. Both Shawn Colvin and Richey contributed vocals to Circo, his moody, adventurous 2004 release. Field of Crows features guest vocalist Eliza Gylkison as well as the invaluable contributions of Steuart Smith, Merendino, Beck, Mansfield, Galeano and Lerman.
“I still like to explore musically,” Darden Smith comments about his musical diversity. “Some people do their exploring with different styles before they ever start putting out records. I kind of did mine as I was making the records.”
Records are just part of his musical wanderings. Beginning in 1989, Smith began composing music for experimental dance-theater works. Three full evening works followed, and in 1999 he was commissioned to create an orchestral work with the Austin Symphony Orchestra. The result was Grand Motion in 2000. He is currently working on a new theater piece. A radio documentary on Texas songwriters that he is creating for the BBC2, “Songs From The Big Sky”, will air March 2006. His ongoing “Be an Artist” program puts him in workshops, helping children see that they are all born artists and that creativity is inside all of us.
About his extraordinary career, Darden Smith says, “I don’t worry about a lot of the stuff I used to worry about. This is my 10th record and my 20th anniversary in this business, and I realize how fortunate I am to be able to make a living being a musician, doing what I love to do. Why fight it? This is who I am, so I’m just going to groove along and enjoy the ride. I feel great, better than ever. So here we go.”
Late Train To London
Darden Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A woman dressed in black
Is talking on her cell phone
I'm listening at her back
She says "Now darling
Don't be such a kid
My man treats me better
Than you never did"
She wipes away a tear
On the late train to London
A couple's holding hands
Been out to the country
Now their making plans
Tuesday dinner, Thursday show
Shopping Saturday
Suddenly she to turns him
To softly say
"You've got a wife and family
You'll never leave"
Secret lovers bear the curse
The truth is hard the lie is worse
Everybody loses, no one wins
On the late train two women
Talk and nod their heads
One says to the other
"Inside I feel dead
He told me that he was leaving
I've heard that before
People asking questions
Can't hold on much more
He says me he loves me
What does it mean"
I've been there, done that, seen it
One day you will see it too
Whatever you're running from will follow you
The lyrics of "Late Train to London" by Darden Smith tell multiple stories of people experiencing various forms of heartache and unfulfilled desires while on a train journey to London. The song explores themes of love, betrayal, and the consequences of secrecy.
In the first verse, the singer overhears a conversation between a woman dressed in black and someone over the phone. The woman is expressing disappointment and frustration, comparing her current lover to someone in her past who treated her better. Through her dialogue, it becomes clear that she is dissatisfied with her current relationship. The woman catches sight of her reflection and wipes away a tear, indicating her sadness and longing for something more.
The second verse introduces a couple on the train who have just enjoyed a day out in the countryside. They appear to be planning their future together, discussing regular activities like dinners, shows, and shopping trips. However, in a moment of vulnerability, the woman reminds the man that he has a wife and family, implying that their relationship is inappropriate and he will never truly leave his current commitments. This moment reveals the illicit nature of their connection and the difficult choices they face.
The chorus highlights the challenges and consequences that clandestine affairs bring. The secret lovers are burdened by the weight of their hidden relationship, grappling with the truth and the lies they tell themselves and others. The line "Everybody loses, no one wins" signifies that despite feeling a connection, ultimately, these affairs bring pain and brokenness to all involved parties.
In the third verse, two women engage in a conversation, with one confiding in the other about her emotional numbness. She divulges that her partner has mentioned leaving before, but she struggles with the uncertainty and the doubts that arise from people asking questions about her relationship. She questions the meaning behind her partner's declarations of love, hinting at the confusion and deception she perceives in their connection.
The final lines of the song offer a broader perspective on the overall theme. The singer, who has likely experienced similar situations themselves, reflects on the cyclical nature of running away from problems. They suggest that regardless of what one tries to escape, it inevitably catches up to them. This could be interpreted as a cautionary message, emphasizing the importance of confronting and resolving issues rather than running away from them.
Overall, "Late Train to London" delves into the complexities of love, relationships, and the consequences of secrecy. It portrays different individuals grappling with unfulfilled desires, the challenges of clandestine affairs, and the heavy emotional toll they can take on all parties involved.
Line by Line Meaning
On the late train to London
While traveling on a train heading to London
A woman dressed in black
A woman wearing black attire
Is talking on her cell phone
Engaged in a conversation using her mobile phone
I'm listening at her back
Eavesdropping on her conversation from behind
She says 'Now darling
Addressing someone affectionately
Don't be such a kid
Avoid acting immaturely
My man treats me better
My partner treats me in a superior manner
Than you never did'
Comparing the treatment received unfavorably
Catching her reflection
Noticing her own image
She wipes away a tear
Removing a tear from her cheek
On the late train to London
Still traveling on the train to London
A couple's holding hands
A pair of individuals are grasping each other's hands
Been out to the country
Recently enjoyed a trip to the countryside
Now their making plans
Currently discussing and arranging future activities
Tuesday dinner, Thursday show
Dining on Tuesday and attending a show on Thursday
Shopping Saturday
Engaging in shopping activities on Saturday
Suddenly she to turns him
Unexpectedly, she directs her attention to him
To softly say
Speaking gently
'You've got a wife and family
Reminding him of his marital and familial commitments
You'll never leave'
Stating that he will not abandon his current situation
Secret lovers bear the curse
Individuals involved in clandestine relationships suffer a burden
The truth is hard the lie is worse
While the truth may be difficult, lying is more detrimental
Everybody loses, no one wins
In such situations, all parties experience negative consequences
On the late train two women
Another pair of women traveling on the train
Talk and nod their heads
Engaging in conversation and showing agreement through nodding
One says to the other
Expressing oneself to the companion
'Inside I feel dead
Feeling emotionally lifeless internally
He told me that he was leaving
He informed me of his intention to depart
I've heard that before
Having encountered similar claims previously
People asking questions
Others inquiring about the situation
Can't hold on much more
Unable to endure further pressure or uncertainty
He says me he loves me
He declares his love for me
What does it mean'
Pondering the true significance behind his words
I've been there, done that, seen it
I have already experienced and witnessed it
One day you will see it too
Indicating that eventually, the listener will also understand
Whatever you're running from will follow you
Implying that escaping from a situation won't prevent its consequences
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
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