Songwriter Oren Lavie (Tel Aviv, Israel), who has drawn comparisons in the … Read Full Bio ↴Songwriter Oren Lavie (Tel Aviv, Israel), who has drawn comparisons in the press to Nick Drake, the Beatles and Crosby Stills & Nash, released his debut album “The Opposite Side Of The Sea” on March 10th, 2009 on his own imprint, A Quarter Past Wonderful, which he started with tastemaker and current KCRW host Chris Douridas. Says Douridas, a 27-year veteran of radio, “I've never been so motivated to help an artist get his music out into the world until I met Oren. He is incredibly special. It's rare every song in an artist's catalogue moves me like Oren’s do."

The album is as eclectic as Oren’s home bases of Tel Aviv, Israel (where he was born), Berlin Germany (where he recorded the album), and Los Angeles, CA (the home of his new label). It was released in Europe and immediately garnered great press with Uncut raving in a four-star review that the album is “cinematic and mellow, like Nick Drake in a cheerful summer bonnet…”

Many people in the US will be familiar with Oren’s music as his album track ‘Her Morning Elegance’ was featured in a national ad campaign for Chevy Malibu. He also wrote the end credit “A Dance ‘Round the Memory Tree” for the film The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian joining Regina Spektor and Hanne Hukkelberg on the soundtrack.

Born in Tel-Aviv, Israel, Oren began his creative journey as a playwright. At the age of 21 he wrote and directed a play for the Israeli Fringe Theater Festival, which won the awards for best newcomer writer and director. He later moved to London on a scholarship to attend the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. While still at school he wrote a play he later directed in an Off West-end theater to critical acclaim. The production was named by Time-Out London as one of the best 5 shows in London during its run. Oren moved to NY where he gradually began to shift his focus from playwriting to a shorter form of storytelling, the song. Two years later he relocated to Berlin and began work on The Opposite Side of The Sea.

In 2007 the album was released in Europe, then found its way to the KCRW playlist in LA. Shortly after that the album track ‘Her Morning Elegance’ was synched to a Chevrolet Malibu TV campaign. Oren, who does not own a television and has not driven a car for 10 years, continues to ride the bus. With the earnings from the TV ad he started his own label in the US, named it, then renamed it, changed it again and finally decided to call it Quarter Past Wonderful. He then released The Opposite Side Of The Sea on iTunes US, where it climbed to #30 on the charts.

Oren Lavie's music doesn't come right at you through the front door; its elliptical nature is mysterious and dense and remains slightly unresolved. His vignettes of life are heartbreaking. One can hear his playwright past in his narratives as his songs unfold like a collection of short stories in musical poetic form.

http://www.orenlavie.com/

A Dance 'Round The Memory Tree
Oren Lavie Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Words we had said
Grew in my head
Colored I thought
Send me to bed

Lost memories
Grew into trees
Cover the doors

Swallow the cure

Winters have come and gone you know
Winters have come and gone you know
But I'll miss you young and free
For a dance round the memory tree

Said I forgot
But I did not
Dreams we have had
Play in my head

Did we believe,
The cry of the wind?
Did we regret?
Would we forget?

Winters have come and gone you know
Winters have come and gone you know

But I'll miss you young and sweet
For a dance round the memory tree

Overall Meaning

In this melancholic song, Oren Lavie reflects on lost memories of the past and the regret of not being able to relive them. The first verse talks about how the words that were once said between two individuals have now become a distant memory, and how they continue to play on in his head, coloring his thoughts and sending him to bed. The second verse goes on to describe how these lost memories have grown into trees that now cover the doors and swallow the cure to what once was. The winters that have come and gone symbolize the passing of time, and the chorus highlights how Lavie will always remember and miss the times when they were young and free, as well as the idea of a dance around a memory tree.

The third verse speaks about how Lavie may have said that he forgot, but in reality, those dreams they once had still play in his head. The lines "did we believe, the cry of the wind? Did we regret? Would we forget?" show the contemplation of past choices and the possibility of forgetting. The chorus then repeats, emphasizing the idea of longing for the past and missing the times they were young and sweet.

Overall, the song conveys a sense of remorse for the lost memories of the past, while also acknowledging the inevitability of time and change. The idea of a dance around a memory tree suggests the desire to relive and cherish those moments once again, but ultimately recognizing the impossibility of doing so.

Line by Line Meaning

Words we had said
The things we said to each other

Grew in my head
Stuck in my mind and kept growing

Colored I thought
I attached emotions and meaning to them

Send me to bed
Overwhelming me and affecting me even at night

Lost memories
Memories that we have forgotten and lost

Grew into trees
They became so significant, they turned into trees in my mind

Cover the doors
Blocking access and preventing me from moving on

Swallow the cure
Preventing me from finding a remedy and healing

Winters have come and gone you know
Time has passed by, and things have changed

But I'll miss you young and free
I will miss your youthful and carefree ways

For a dance round the memory tree
I long for a chance to reminisce about our memories together