In 1983, a man named Lewis recorded an album named L’Amour, which was released on the unknown label R.A.W. And that’s about all we know.
The record itself is a delicate, whispered album, reflecting the way the artist himself – spectral, movie star-like – almost disappears into the grey of the cover. It should come as no surprise that it failed to shout loudly enough to be noticed, another private press album that sank without trace.
The ingredients are simple: smooth synthesizers, feather-light piano, ethereal, occasionally inaudible vocals and the gentle plucking of acoustic guitars. But the effects are arresting: a spine-tingling, sombre album that echoes Springsteen’s Nebraska or Angelo Badalamenti’s atmospheric soundtracks. Later, Arthur Russell would grasp for something similar on the epochal World Of Echo LP.
L’Amour is a true discovery of the blog age, uncovered in an Edmonton flea-market by collector Jon Murphy, passed on to private press fanatic Aaron Levin, shared on the internet and speculated over by lovers of curious LPs. There’s almost no information about Lewis or the album on the internet. There’s precious little on the sleeve: a dedication to Sports Illustrated supermodel Christie Brinkley, a photo credit for Ed Colver, the noted L.A. punk rock photographer, and credits for engineer Bob Kinsey and synth player Philip Lees. All that was known of Lewis is conjecture: a rumor that he was a con artist who fled after not paying for L’Amour’s photo-shoot and a dubious theory that he was not actually of this earth.
When Light In The Attic looked to release the album, they set out to investigate the mystery. They found some answers, but more intrigue too. Colver was able to fill in some blanks. Firstly, Lewis is a pseudonym. The man the photographer met was named Randall Wulff. He stayed in the Beverley Hills Hilton, drove a white convertible Mercedes and dated a girl who looked like a model. He paid for his photo session with Colver with a $250 check, which bounced.
Eventually, the trail led to Alberta, Canada, where that first LP had been found. Liner notes writer Jack Fleischer along with master detective Markus Armstrong found Randall’s nephew, who remembered Randall as a stockbroker. His vague recollections include a visit to Randall’s apartment, with all-white furniture and that beautiful girlfriend in situ. Crucially, he offered another name – another of Randall’s pseudonyms – which led to a Vancouver studio and the revelation that Lewis had recorded three or four albums of “soft religious music” there. Alas, even the new nom de plume led only to dead ends.
Lewis remains a ghost, a total mystery, but the music will be heard. The album is being pressed for the first time in more than 30 years, and widely distributed for the first time ever. Lewis’s royalties will be placed in escrow until he makes himself known. Perhaps you know Lewis. Perhaps Lewis is you. The only certainty is this: Lewis is about to find a whole bunch of new fans.
Even So...
Lewis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From the worthless and given us
Beauty for ashes, love for hate
You have chosen the weak things of the world
To shame that which is strong, and the foolish things
To shame the wise
You are help to the helpless
Strength to the stranger
And the thirsty you've invited
To come to the water
And those who have no money come and buy
So come, So come
So come, So come
Oh, the days are coming
For the Lord has promise
When the plowman will over take the reaper
And their hearts will be the threshing floor
And the move of God we've cried out for, will come
You will shake the heavens, and fill your house will glory
Turn the shame of the outcast into praise
All creation groans and waits
For the Spirit and the Bride to say
The words your heart has longed to hear
So come, So come
So come, So come
In these lyrics, Lewis expresses gratitude and awe towards a higher power, presumably God, for transforming what is considered worthless and broken into something precious and beautiful. This transformative power is depicted as taking hate and replacing it with love, taking the weak and using them to shame the strong, and using foolishness to humiliate the wise.
Lewis portrays this higher power as a source of help for the helpless, strength for the stranger, and a father figure for those who are abandoned or alone. The thirsty are invited to find refreshment in the water, and even those without money are welcomed to buy what they need. This depiction highlights the inclusive and compassionate nature of this divine force, showing that it extends its provisions to all, regardless of their socio-economic or personal circumstances.
The lyrics then transition to a message of hope for the future. Lewis speaks of a promised time when productivity will surpass expectations, as the plowman overtakes the reaper. Hearts will become a threshing floor, where the move of God that people have longed for will finally occur. This movement is described as shaking the heavens and filling God's house with glory. The shame and rejection experienced by outcasts will be transformed into praise and worship.
With a sense of anticipation, Lewis portrays the entire creation as yearning and waiting for the Spirit and the Bride (possibly referring to the union of divine and human) to speak the words that the heart has longed to hear. This suggests a longing for a deeper connection and understanding of God's truth and purpose.
Overall, these lyrics speak to the transformative power of a higher being, the all-encompassing love and provision that it offers, and the hope for a future where divine presence is fully realized. It offers comfort and encouragement, reminding listeners of the promise of redemption and restoration.
Line by Line Meaning
You have taken the precious
You have elevated what is valuable and important
From the worthless and given us
From what had no value, you have bestowed upon us
Beauty for ashes, love for hate
Exchanging destruction and animosity for beauty and love
You have chosen the weak things of the world
You have selected the lowly and weak aspects of the world
To shame that which is strong, and the foolish things
To humble and embarrass what is considered powerful and foolish
To shame the wise
To humiliate the supposedly wise
You are help to the helpless
You provide assistance to those who are unable to help themselves
Strength to the stranger
Providing strength and support to those who are unfamiliar or foreign
And a father to the child who's left alone
Acting as a caring father figure to the abandoned child
And the thirsty you've invited
You have extended an invitation to those who are in need and longing
To come to the water
To approach and benefit from the source of life and refreshment
And those who have no money come and buy
Even those without wealth can receive and acquire
Oh, the days are coming
Anticipating a future time
For the Lord has promise
Because the Lord has made a pledge
When the plowman will over take the reaper
The one preparing the ground will surpass the one harvesting
And their hearts will be the threshing floor
Their innermost being will be the place of purification and transformation
And the move of God we've cried out for, will come
The anticipated action of God that we have fervently desired will occur
You will shake the heavens, and fill your house will glory
You will cause a great disturbance in the spiritual realm and fill your dwelling place with honor
Turn the shame of the outcast into praise
Transform the disgrace faced by the rejected into admiration and adoration
All creation groans and waits
The entire universe expresses deep longing and anticipation
For the Spirit and the Bride to say
Yearning for the Holy Spirit and believers to proclaim
The words your heart has longed to hear
The expressions that your heart has yearned for
So come, So come
Therefore, come and be present
So come, So come
Therefore, come and be present
So come, So come
Therefore, come and be present
So come, So come
Therefore, come and be present
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind