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.
Within You
Ray LaMontagne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The answer is within you
War is not the answer
The answer is within you
Love, love
Love, love
War is not the answer
The answer is within you
Love, love
Love, love
Love, love
Love, love
Love, love
Love, love
Love, love
Love, love
Love, love
Love
Within You is a song from Ray LaMontagne's album Gossip in the Grain, and it's a song that speaks to the idea that violence is not the answer to our problems. The repetition of the phrase "war is not the answer, the answer is within you" emphasizes this idea, and encourages the listener to look within themselves to find solutions to their problems instead of resorting to violence. Love is also mentioned repeatedly in the lyrics, which suggests that love is a powerful force that can overcome hatred and violence. The song's message is further reinforced by its dreamy, calming rhythm and LaMontagne's soothing voice.
The lyrics of Within You hold a universal message and urge that we all need to look within ourselves for the answers to the problems we face, instead of relying on external solutions, particularly resorting to war. The song makes commentary on strife, highlighting the billions of dollars that are spent, and lives that are lost, especially in times of war, often without achieving any meaningful outcomes.
Interestingly, Within You has been featured in a number of popular TV shows and movies, including The Office, Covert Affairs, and NCIS: Los Angeles. Additionally, Ray LaMontagne played the song live on The Late Show with David Letterman.
Line by Line Meaning
War is not the answer
Fighting and violence cannot solve the issues and problems we face.
The answer is within you
We have the power within ourselves to find solutions and make positive changes.
Love, love
Expressing and spreading love is the key to overcoming conflicts and finding peace.
Love, love
Love is a universal language that can bring people together.
Love, love
The more love we give, the more love we receive, creating a positive cycle of compassion and goodwill.
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Written by: RAY LAMONTAGNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@0rganicall3Produced
As a farmer the love I share with the plants I grow is within me when I consume them after they are productive. Love is forever. It’s a cycle and it never ends. Thank you Ray for describing it so well in this song.
@elianasantos6166
Eu amo vc,cê não vê, cê não entende, vc é o amor da minha vida, não sei deixar vc... Derek e Meredith❤
@vaibhavgupta7584
this is arguably the most perfect song that one would ever hear.. walk out on the road and have it in your head. smile at the less fortunate. smile, because nothing else would do. talk to them. get a laugh. shake a hand perhaps.
we are all living beings and we are all gonna die.
so smile often.
shake hands often.
talk often
and then
move on.
keep walking
@aaravshera
Not quite possible during coronavirus
@Marcmv329
Very true
@Marcmv329
AaravS funny
@donnapirnat5313
You can smile, without a mask, at 6 or more feet apart. We can be safe without losing our humanity.
@Marcmv329
Masks! What a joke isn’t it
@pradiptabista2240
The depth ,the tranquility and the sadness .
I could listen to this song till the end of time.
@rishicreation3639
This song is more of a meditation. ❤️❤️