Early life
LaMontagne was born in Nashua, New Hampshire, in 1973, one of six children raised by his mother. In his early teens he lived in Morgan, Utah, and was more interested in drawing images of Dungeons & Dragons than in his school work. After graduating from high school, LaMontagne moved to Lewiston, Maine, and found work in a shoe factory. LaMontagne also spent a significant amount of time in Wilton, Maine. Other sources state that by his teen years he was living in Maine, spending time in Turner and Buckfield.
Style
LaMontagne has a unique vocal style which he says is created by singing through his gut instead of through his nose. He cites Stephen Stills, Richard Manuel, and Rick Danko as strong musical influences while critics have compared LaMontagne's music to that of The Band, Van Morrison, Nick Drake, and Tim Buckley.[failed verification] A Rolling Stone review of his album Supernova referred to his voice as an "impeccably weathered tenor croon" and his phrasing as "marble-mouthed."
Awards
For his debut album, LaMontagne won four awards, including three Boston Music Awards (Best Male Singer-Songwriter, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year) and an XM Nation Music Award for Acoustic Rock Artist of the Year. LaMontagne has received a nomination from the Pollstar Concert Industry Awards for Best New Touring Artist, the BRIT Awards for International Breakthrough Act, the MOJO Awards for Best New Act, and was given the title of Best Voice in 2006 by Esquire.
In 2011, Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs received two Grammy Award nominations, and they were awarded the Grammy for the Best Contemporary Folk Album for God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise.
Controversy
On July 23, 2014, during a show at the Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan, LaMontagne interrupted a song and walked off stage as a result of two fans talking during his concert, after having previously asked the audience to quiet down. The incident included yelling profanity at the couple before walking off stage. Once the couple was escorted away LaMontagne continued the concert.
On September 20, 2016, LaMontagne announced that he was canceling a September 22 show at the Bass Concert Hall at the University of Texas at Austin, due to Texas's recently implemented campus carry law.
Personal life
In 2009, LaMontagne paid $1.05 million for a 103-acre farm in Ashfield, Massachusetts, the former residence of U.S. Ambassador William C. Bullitt, where he lives with his wife, Sarah Sousa, and their two children in the farmhouse built in 1830. Sousa is a published poet via Red Mountain Press and their sons are budding artists. He refers to himself as a "very private person" and rarely gives interviews.
Lavender
Ray LaMontagne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Under a lavender sky, we lie
Do you, do you remember the day?
Do you remember when we felt that way?
Free to play, as a child we ran
Through fields of clover
Underneath the sun
Back then, both of us without a care
Leaves of many colors blown through the air
Free to play, as a child we ran
Through fields of clover
Reaching for the sun
Ill count twenty-five
No fair, cover your eyes!
Go on, run and hide
You'll never find me
Find me
Find me
Find me
We lie, under a lavender sky
Under a lavender sky we lie
Free to play, running circles round
The place we found
That no one ever knew
Ill count twenty-five
No fair, cover your eyes
Go on, run and hide
You'll never find me
Find me
Find me
Find me
The song Lavender by Ray LaMontagne is a beautiful tribute to a time that has long since passed. The lavender sky and fields of clover mentioned in the lyrics refer to a time in the past when the two lovers were children and carefree. The chorus repeats the phrase "we lie, under a lavender sky" twice, emphasizing the beauty and peacefulness of that time.
The song's first two verses reflect on how childhood innocence and wonder has been lost in adulthood. The lyrics "both of us without a care" and "leaves of many colors blown through the air" evoke feelings of nostalgia for a time when everything was simple and carefree. The lyrics "free to play, as a child we ran" repeat throughout the song, emphasizing the sense of freedom that the lovers experienced during their childhood.
The bridge of the song is centered around a game of hide-and-seek, which is a common childhood pastime. The lyrics "ill count twenty-five, no fair, cover your eyes" take us back to a time of innocence when everything was a game and winning or losing did not seem to matter as much.
Overall, Lavender by Ray LaMontagne is nostalgic, sentimental and wistful, and provides a unique perspective on the fleeting nature of childhood and happily ever afters.
Line by Line Meaning
We lie, under a lavender sky
We are lying down under a beautiful lavender sky
Under a lavender sky, we lie
We are lying down under the beautiful lavender sky that is above us
Do you, do you remember the day?
Do you remember the day when we had a beautiful evening like this?
Do you remember when we felt that way?
Do you remember the feeling that we had that day?
Free to play, as a child we ran
We were free like a child to play and run around
Through fields of clover
We ran through fields of clover
Underneath the sun
Beneath the warm sun
Back then, both of us without a care
In those days, we were carefree
Leaves of many colors blown through the air
Many colored leaves were blowing through the air
Reaching for the sun
We were reaching for the sun
I'll count twenty-five
I will start counting to twenty-five
No fair, cover your eyes!
Don't try to cheat! Cover your eyes.
Go on, run and hide
Now run and hide
You'll never find me
You will never be able to find me
Find me
Try to locate me
Find me
Try to locate me
Find me
Try to locate me
Free to play, running circles round
We were free to play and run around in circles
The place we found
A place that we had discovered
That no one ever knew
A place that no one else knew about
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: RAYCHARLES JACK LAMONTAGNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Frost Gaming
We lie, under a lavender sky
Under a lavender sky we lie
Do you, do you remember the day?
Do you remember when we felt that way?
Free to play, as a child we ran
Through fields of clover
Underneath the sun
Back there, both of us without a care
Leaves of many colors blown through the air
Free to play, as a child we ran
Through fields of clover
Reaching for the sun
Ill count twenty-five
(No fair, cover your eyes!)
Go on, run and hide
(You'll never find me!)
We lie, under a lavender sky
Under a lavender sky we lie
Do you, do you remember the day?
Do you remember when we felt that way?
Free to play, running circles round
the place we found
that no one ever knew
Ill count twenty-five
(No fair, cover your eyes!)
Go on, run and hide
(You'll never find me!)
♥
MissCaityBC
Reminds me of hippie/psychedelic songs from the 60s. Love it.
michael bryan
A lot like Pink Floyd's first album.
Saad Hopkins
Yes!
MrJohnnypantz
Just saw his concert tonight in Rochester NY and this tune is amazing without the band, just him and a bassist.
TheRebelLion96
Such a flowy/groovy vibe! I love it!
This track is definitely going in my snowboarding playlist for sure!
benntura
Love this album. Reminds me of my youth. Much simpler times.
Frost Gaming
We lie, under a lavender sky
Under a lavender sky we lie
Do you, do you remember the day?
Do you remember when we felt that way?
Free to play, as a child we ran
Through fields of clover
Underneath the sun
Back there, both of us without a care
Leaves of many colors blown through the air
Free to play, as a child we ran
Through fields of clover
Reaching for the sun
Ill count twenty-five
(No fair, cover your eyes!)
Go on, run and hide
(You'll never find me!)
We lie, under a lavender sky
Under a lavender sky we lie
Do you, do you remember the day?
Do you remember when we felt that way?
Free to play, running circles round
the place we found
that no one ever knew
Ill count twenty-five
(No fair, cover your eyes!)
Go on, run and hide
(You'll never find me!)
♥
Shane Woodbury
All I know is that I love putting on my headphones, closing my eyes, and letting Ray take me there.
bigcrunch1971
Was
Dosedand had this song in my headphones... whoa. So much Ray to go discover now. Densely packed sound scapeCASSANDRA L.
MM HMM