Ranaldo was born in Glen Cove, Long Island, New York, and graduated from Binghamton University. He has three sons, Cody Linn Ranaldo, Sage Ranaldo and Frey Ranaldo and is married to the experimental artist Leah Singer, with whom he has performed many live installation pieces with improvised music.
Among Ranaldo's solo records are Dirty Windows, a collection of spoken texts with music, Amarillo Ramp (for Robert Smithson), pieces for the guitar, and Scriptures of the Golden Eternity. His books include Bookstore, Road Movies, and Jrnls80s (published by Soft Skull Press). A full-length book of writings on Moroccan travels and music, as well as a book of new poems, Lengths & Breaths, are out now. Recent visual work has been included in exhibitions at the Hayward Gallery in London, the Sydney Museum of Contemporary Art and Mercer Union in Toronto.
Ranaldo has produced albums for artists including Babes in Toyland, You Am I, Deity Guns, Magik Markersand Dutch art rock-ensemble KLEG. He has edited a volume of tour journals from the 1995 Lollapalooza Tour written by Thurston Moore, Beck, Stephen Malkmus, Courtney Love, and others. Ranaldo has also worked with jazz drummer William Hooker on improvised music, and reading and improvising poetry.
In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Ranaldo and Thurston Moore, of Sonic Youth, the 33rd and 34th best guitarists of all time. Their playing style is very innovative and they both use a large variety of extended techniques, such as their 3rd Bridge screwdriver technique.
Ranaldo usually uses Fender Jazzmaster and Telecaster Deluxe electric guitars, with radically altered tunings, and modifications.
Angels
Lee Ranaldo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wonderin' how the time has flown
When such a vision rose up / got in the way
Of we two childlike & on our own
Let’s turn off all the lights now / turn on the stars
Kick all the windows open wide / I hear sweet guitars
Catch you with our precious fruit
That’s the way I’ ll always remember you
Coming closer, closer into view
Let’s head across the state line / get out and drive
Stand close together in the dark / and feel so alive
Summer rains will still fall on our hair
Shards of sun still thrill our eyes
Yr the one who can take me anywhere
I can’t say it comes as a surprise
Let’s turn off all the lights now / turn on the stars
The wind is blowing it feels so free / I hear sweet guitars
The song "Angels" by Lee Ranaldo is a poetic and nostalgic ballad that reflects on the passage of time and the memories that remain. The opening lines reveal the singer's contemplation of time, as he stands in the doorway of his home, wondering how quickly the time has passed. He then reflects on the vision of the past, which stands between himself and his partner, a vision of their shared youth and naivete.
The chorus of the song is both romantic and whimsical, as the singer invites his partner to join him in turning off the lights and turning on the stars, opening the windows wide, and feeling the sweetness of guitars. The second verse paints a picture of heavenly angels casting off the sun at noon and catching the couple with their precious fruit. This metaphorical language celebrates the union of the couple and the beauty of their love.
The final verse reaffirms the durability of the couple's connection, as the summer rains continue to fall on their hair and the shards of sun still thrill their eyes. The singer acknowledges that his partner is the one who can take him anywhere and that his love for her comes as no surprise. The last lines of the chorus bring the song to a close, as the wind blows and the sweet sound of guitars carries them away into the night.
Line by Line Meaning
I caught myself standing in our door today
Today, I unexpectedly found myself standing in the doorway of our home and reminiscing about how quickly time has passed.
Wonderin' how the time has flown
Reflecting on how swiftly time has passed.
When such a vision rose up / got in the way
When a beautiful memory unexpectedly interrupted my thoughts.
Of we two childlike & on our own
Of us, young and carefree, existing together in this moment.
Let’s turn off all the lights now / turn on the stars
Let's turn off all of our distractions and bask in the beauty of nature.
Kick all the windows open wide / I hear sweet guitars
Let's open up all the windows and take in the sounds of the world around us.
Angles casting off the sun at noon
The sun's rays casting angles and shadows at midday.
Catch you with our precious fruit
Spending time together creating something valuable and cherished.
That’s the way I’ ll always remember you
That is how I will always remember the times we spent together.
Coming closer, closer into view
Getting closer to you and experiencing intimacy.
Let’s head across the state line / get out and drive
Let's go on an adventure together, exploring new places and experiences.
Stand close together in the dark / and feel so alive
Being close to each other in the darkness, allowing ourselves to feel the passion and excitement of being alive.
Summer rains will still fall on our hair
In spite of the passage of time, we will continue to experience life and all of its joys and hardships.
Shards of sun still thrill our eyes
We will always find beauty and excitement in the simple things, such as the sun's rays catching our attention.
Yr the one who can take me anywhere
You are the one who brings me new experiences and takes me to new places.
I can’t say it comes as a surprise
It doesn't surprise me that you are the one who does all of these things for me and with me.
The wind is blowing it feels so free / I hear sweet guitars
The wind is blowing and it feels liberating and joyful; the music surrounding us adds to our experience.
Contributed by Grayson M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
bunnyzero0
Absolutely love it!
Kiba Max
Fantastic album, and great video for this song ! Lee !
Adam Marr
I love Sonic Youth and sad to hear they have split, for the time being at least but this stuff is fantastic! I love Lee's voice. Go NOISE!!! :)
Marcos Santos
Grande Ranaldo adoro o seu trabalho no sonic youth adoro seu trabalho solo tambem
Claudio Andrés Rubio
Excelente!!
Rosas
I saw him singing this live! it was so awesome!
BarmansFault
Great guitar-solo!
gringopig
Yes, this is weird. It's so odd to hear him playing this style. Not sure if I want to hear more - I mean, haven't we had this already a million times?
Pablo Adrián Vázquez
Excelent!
ChipsDim
This is fucking awesome!