“Ellis Paul is one of Boston’s best-ever songwriting exports...” – The Boston Globe. The Day After Everything Changed, the 2010 album from singer- songwriter Ellis Paul, was released on Ellis’ label, Black Wolf Records. Since emerging from the Boston music scene, Paul’s music has been consistently recognized and celebrated worldwide. The new record reinforces this acclaim and is sure to cement his place as one of America’s most talented songwriters.
Recorded in Nashville, the 15-song album was produced by Thad Beaty and Jason Collum and features five songs co-written by Paul’s longtime friend and collaborator, Kristian Bush, founder of the Grammy Award winning band Sugarland. Several of the Sugarland musicians served as Ellis’ backing band for the recording. Throughout 2011, to keep the collaboration alive, Paul will continue to open numerous sold-out arena dates for Sugarland on the current Incredible Machine Tour.
“Ellis has a voice that is so powerful that you know who it is the second he comes through your radio. His music and songs are a new birth in American sound that makes me want to go see concerts again.” -Kristian Bush / Sugarland
“The Day After Everything Changed” is Paul’s first studio album in five years and his 16th release to date. The project was 100% funded by his loyal fan base. The songs on the record reflect Paul’s commitment to storytelling, exemplified in the title track “The Day After Everything Changed.” Described by Paul himself, the songs on the album are about people who are at a crossroads in their life. “I like songs to be cultural events, little ones, that somehow tell me what it feels like to be living here on this planet, in this country, at this time. I want to hear about people’s joys and woes and apply them to my own. You can’t fake real life stories. When you’re faking it --it’s obvious. As long as the writing feels real -- it works in any genre.”
Movie director Peter Farrelly, of the Farrelly Brothers, praises Ellis Paul as “a national treasure”. Ellis’ songs have appeared in the soundtracks for three Farrelly Bothers movies, “Me Myself & Irene” with Jim Carey, “Shallow Hal” with Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow, and in February 2011, the Farrelly Brothers latest project, "Hall Pass" starring Owen Wilson and Alyssa Milano will showcase up to 9 musical tracks off of Ellis' latest album The Day After Everything Changed as the score of this hit movie. This is Ellis’ third Hollywood blockbuster credit.
With “The Day After Everything Changed” we're struck more by the fact that Paul is still playing at the top of his game to such an extraordinary degree. It is, as always, the quality not the quantity but in this case we're rewarded with both. / Direct Current
Ellis celebrated his 20th anniversary of being a touring musician on July 2010 when the Mayor of Boston, Thomas Menino, declared July 9th 2010 “Ellis Paul Day” to honor one of Boston’s leading musical exports. Ellis will be anointing his 2 decades of song during his “20th Anniversary Tour” throughout 2011. Over the past two decades Paul has garnered numerous honors including 14 Boston Music Awards, second only to Aerosmith. He has performed with countless acclaimed musicians, including Patty Griffin, John Mayer, Ani Difranco, John Prine, Sugarland, and at the request of Woody’s daughter Nora Guthrie and after several trips to the Woody Guthrie archives, Ellis even has a co-write with Woody, their song “God’s Promise”.
Woody Guthrie’s daughter Nora says of Ellis, “A singer songwriter is only as good as the times he reflects. Wise, tender, brilliant and biting, Ellis is one of our best human compasses, marking in melodies and poems where we’ve been and where we might go if we so choose to. Personally Ellis, I’m goin’ where you’re goin’!”
King of 7th Avenue
Ellis Paul Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can count all the lights in the city from the ledge on the twenty seventh floor.
There must be ten thousand window or more.
It's a hobby I can count on, helps me forget about the cold.
And I get to meet the neighbors for as long as the ledge will hold.
In the window across from me, a man is committing a robbery.
It's another form of the New York City lottery.
His ears must be burning, he drops the bag and he stares.
Yes, there's no net down there
And there's a woman below that I see.
Her silhouette is quite beautiful.
It plays tricks on my memory.
Puts a face on the shadows in front of me.
A crowd below is forming, beneath this window ledge, my throne.
I am the King of Seventh Avenue,
New York City is my home.
I think the sirens have come for me,
Their searchlights reach up to the balcony.
They bathe me in light, blind me so I can't see.
I hear the crowd all ask for jumping,
While the cops all ask for calm.
Even the pigeons think I'm something,
The whole city is in my palms.
My daughter Lisa says to me,
"Dad the world is yours, and it's beautiful.
Don't throw it all away on memories.
You've got to meet new people"
Yeah, that will be good for me.
Good for me.
Good for me.
So I watch the lovers behind their shades.
I've seen them embrace after their furious fights.
I've watched them mend their fences, make their love all night.
Only to tear them down again,
Change the limits, change the boundaries.
The same beginning, the same end.
Yet the story still astounds me.
The whole world now is watching.
From this window ledge my throne,
I'm the King of Seventh Avenue
And tonight I'm not alone. I'm not alone.
The lyrics of Ellis Paul's song "King of 7th Avenue" describe a man looking out from the 27th floor ledge of a building in New York City. He counts the city lights and becomes engrossed in a neighborhood show of sorts, watching a robbery and meeting his neighbors temporarily as they briefly look up at him. He sees a beautiful silhouette of a woman and becomes lost in his own thoughts before noticing a crowd forming below him, turning the building's ledge into his throne. The police bring spotlights and sirens in response, and the crowd's wish for him to jump is juxtaposed against his daughter's advice to get out and meet new people.
The setting and action of the song are almost cinematic, with the height, scope, and detail of New York City playing a character in the story. The man foregrounded in the lyrics is an isolated figure, living vicariously through the world he can see from his perch. He claims the title of "King of Seventh Avenue," but when his daughter prompts him to get to know the world and people around him, the lyrics suggest the throne is a lonely one. Paul's lyrics are literary and precise, creating a clear narrative, character, and setting in a condensed number of verses.
Line by Line Meaning
I can count all the lights in the city from the ledge on the twenty seventh floor.
From my perch high on the 27th floor, I have an unobstructed view of the city's lights.
There must be ten thousand window or more.
The vast number of windows visible to me is truly staggering.
It's a hobby I can count on, helps me forget about the cold.
Counting the lights serves as a comforting distraction from the chilly weather.
And I get to meet the neighbors for as long as the ledge will hold.
Strangers on the street become brief acquaintances as they look up to my perch.
In the window across from me, a man is committing a robbery.
Before me unfolds a scene of lawbreaking in progress.
It's another form of the New York City lottery.
Such events, though unlawful, are just another part of the city's wild and unpredictable culture.
His ears must be burning, he drops the bag and he stares.
The robber becomes aware of my presence, causing him to abandon his heist and fixate on me.
I'm the man out on the building.
My role is that of an adrenaline-junkie and spectator.
Yes, there's no net down there
I am fully aware of the potential danger I face perched on this ledge.
And there's a woman below that I see.
A woman on the street below my perch catches my eye.
Her silhouette is quite beautiful.
Even in shadowy silhouette, her figure is stunning.
It plays tricks on my memory.
Her image lingers in my mind, toying with my perception and recollection.
Puts a face on the shadows in front of me.
The woman's form gives shape and meaning to my surroundings.
A crowd below is forming, beneath this window ledge, my throne.
My perch has become a hotspot for curious onlookers eager for a spectacle.
I am the King of Seventh Avenue,
At this moment, I am the epitome of New York City's daring and flamboyant spirit.
New York City is my home.
I feel a deep connection and ownership of this vibrant and diverse city.
I think the sirens have come for me,
The sound of approaching sirens jolts me back to the reality of my situation.
Their searchlights reach up to the balcony.
The authorities have arrived and their attention is fixed on me.
They bathe me in light, blind me so I can't see.
The bright beams of their searchlights overwhelm my vision.
I hear the crowd all ask for jumping,
The onlookers below are recklessly and demandingly calling for me to jump.
While the cops all ask for calm.
The authorities are trying to maintain order and deescalate the situation.
Even the pigeons think I'm something,
Even the city's homing pigeons seem to sense the magnitude of my presence and act accordingly.
The whole city is in my palms.
At this moment, I am the center of attention and in complete control of the city's attention.
My daughter Lisa says to me,
In my mind, I hear the voice of someone dear to me.
"Dad the world is yours, and it's beautiful.
A loved one reminds me of the vast potential and wonder of my life and surroundings.
Don't throw it all away on memories.
Their words caution me against dwelling exclusively on the past at the expense of appreciating the present and future.
You've got to meet new people"
They advise me to embrace new experiences and connections beyond the narrow confines of my current life.
Yeah, that will be good for me.
I feel a newfound sense of openness and adventurousness towards life's possibilities.
Good for me.
I am conscious of the positive influence these words will have on me.
So I watch the lovers behind their shades.
With new perspective, I take interest in the quiet moments of intimacy that surround me.
I've seen them embrace after their furious fights.
I bear witness to human passion at its most raw and intense.
I've watched them mend their fences, make their love all night.
I observe as the same couples find harmony and ecstasy, despite their differences.
Only to tear them down again,
However, this fragile peace is often short-lived, and the same conflicts may arise again.
Change the limits, change the boundaries.
As with all human dynamics, the only constant is change and evolution.
The same beginning, the same end.
Despite this, the beauty and complexity of human relationships never ceases to fascinate me.
Yet the story still astounds me.
Even with this predictable pattern, the depth and intricacy of romantic connections never fails to amaze me.
The whole world now is watching.
I am acutely aware of the significance and publicity of my current predicament.
From this window ledge my throne,
Despite being in a precarious position, I feel empowered and ennobled by the attention of the city's inhabitants.
I'm the King of Seventh Avenue
At this moment, I make an audacious claim to being the undisputed ruler of this bustling New York street.
And tonight I'm not alone. I'm not alone.
Even in my solitude, I feel a deep sense of connection to the people and experiences around me.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, ELLIS PAUL PUBLISHING
Written by: ELLIS PAUL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind