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.
Shouts
Lee Ranaldo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can’t hear the words they’re saying / could these be the sacred stories?
A caustic wind inside the walls
Harsh words rain down upon us all
Gathering a nation. I smell gasoline
The misfits and creations of endless magazines
False clues to what’s behind the door
It was complete chaos. Rioters set two cars on fire and then I saw
looters break the window. I don’t know why. We weren’t being
aggressive towards them, nothing like that. But they eventually...
they eventually passed over us and that’s when we were on the
ground. I was just tryin' to calm her down: it was pretty scary for her,
and it... it just seemed like the right thing to do.
...Hysterical
They over-reacted...
Aftermath:
Not the type of excitement they were expecting.
It happened so fast.
I never expected it to turn into that situation, so quickly.
Six months ago...
Three weeks ago
To move...
To turn...
Not the type of excitement they were expecting...
I’ll embrace you on the ground / while cameras shoot the sounds
This whole world’s upside down, I still can hear the shouts
I’ll kiss you once and then we’ll crawl
Will you catch me if I fall?
Back to you
(Like you know I always do)
The lyrics of Lee Ranaldo’s “Shouts” describe an intense and chaotic scene of civil unrest that overwhelms the senses. With shots ringing out on the streets and overwhelming noise and confusion, Ranaldo explores the theme of human connection and emotion in the face of adversity. Despite the chaos and madness of the streets around him, the singer clings to love and human connection, reaching out for a supportive embrace in the midst of the violence.
The lyrics also suggest a more complex layer to the violence, with hints at corrupt power structures and societal inequality that give rise to the chaos. With references to false clues and endless magazines, the song hints that the violence is ultimately a reaction to larger societal problems and inequalities. Ranaldo’s lyrics are poetic and vivid, painting a stark picture of the reality of civil conflict.
Overall, the song seems to suggest a need for empathy and human connection as a counter to the violence and chaos that saturates modern life.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody's shouting / there’s shots out on the streets
There's commotion in the streets and I can hear gunshots
I can’t hear the words they’re saying / could these be the sacred stories?
The shouting is so loud I can't hear what they're saying, but I wonder if it's something important
A caustic wind inside the walls
Something terrible is brewing
Harsh words rain down upon us all
The shouting has turned into insults and verbal attacks
Gathering a nation. I smell gasoline
People are coming together and there's a strong feeling of danger in the air
The misfits and creations of endless magazines
All sorts of people are involved in this gathering, from different backgrounds and walks of life
False clues to what’s behind the door
There's a sense of mystery and misinformation about what's really going on
Can you still see me at all?
Amidst all of this chaos and violence, do you still recognize me?
It was complete chaos. Rioters set two cars on fire and then I saw looters break the window. I don’t know why. We weren’t being aggressive towards them, nothing like that. But they eventually... they eventually passed over us and that’s when we were on the ground. I was just tryin' to calm her down: it was pretty scary for her, and it... it just seemed like the right thing to do.
I witnessed a chaotic and violent situation where property was being destroyed for no apparent reason. I tried to stay calm and help someone else who was scared.
...Hysterical
The scene was full of panic and hysteria
They over-reacted...
The violent response by the rioters was unwarranted
Not the type of excitement they were expecting.
The chaos and violence was probably not what the protesters had planned for
It happened so fast.
The situation escalated out of control quickly
I never expected it to turn into that situation, so quickly.
I wasn't prepared for the level of violence and chaos that erupted so quickly
Six months ago...
Reflecting on what life was like in the past, before this situation unfolded
Three weeks ago
Thinking back to a more recent time before everything changed
To move...
Maybe it's time to leave this place and start anew
To turn...
To change direction and find a new path
I’ll embrace you on the ground / while cameras shoot the sounds
Amidst all the chaos, I'll hold onto you and protect you
This whole world’s upside down, I still can hear the shouts
Even though everything is in turmoil, the shouting and commotion still rings in my ears
I’ll kiss you once and then we’ll crawl
We'll take it slow and move carefully, step by step
Will you catch me if I fall?
I need to know that you'll be there to help if things go wrong
Back to you
No matter what happens, I'll always come back to you
(Like you know I always do)
Just like I've always been there before
Contributed by Reagan R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.