Now it’s one thing for an artist from Copenhagen to enjoy success at home and in a few adjacent countries. But the release of Too Many Roads saw the seven-piece combo fronted by singer and guitarist Risager gaining widespread notoriety in the U.S. and being invited to play in locales as far away as Mumbai, India. The album took home the Danish Music Award as the Top Blues Album of 2014 and also earned Germany’s illustrious “Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik,” but perhaps even more impressively, it was selected as one the year’s best by Britain’s influential The Blues magazine, right alongside international stars like Robert Cray, Walter Trout and Joe Bonamassa. Clearly, Risager and his mates had taken their exhilarating mix of blues, soul and rock ‘n’ roll to the next level.
Early in 2015, Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado celebrated that triumph by returning to one of their favorite nightspots – the Harmonie in Bonn, Germany. They would treat local fans to a one-of-a-kind spectacle, hitting the stage as a ten-piece mini-orchestra. After Thomas Ruf of Ruf Records introduces this deluxe edition of the band – including a three-man horn section and backing vocalists Ida Bang und Lisa Lystam – the colossal sound of Risager’s semi-hollow body spearheads the all-out attack of opening number “If You Wanna Leave.” He and his Black Tornado are off to the races…
The succeeding 100-minute concert, captured on CD and DVD for the newest addition to Ruf’s Songs from the Roadseries, shows off every facet of this unique conglomeration of musicians. There’s the sinuous funk of “Paradise” and the furious boogie of “The Straight and Narrow Line” (featuring big-time playing by piano man Emil Balsgaard and saxophonist Hans Nybo). There’s the twin-guitar blues of “Too Many Roads” and the rough-and-tumble attitude of “Rock ‘n’ Roll Ride.” There’s the chilling “China Gate” and the dark drama of “Long Forgotten Track.” Finally, the band whips the crowd into frenzy with their ultra-groovy take on the classic “Baby Please Don’t Go” and the timeless party anthem “Let The Good Times Roll,” the latter track showcasing the talents of lead guitarist Peter Skjerning. The funk workout “Opener” and the charming “I Won’t Let You Down” (performed as a duet with Lisa Lystam) offer some welcome after play.
More than anything, Songs from the Road shows that the success of Too Many Roads was no fluke. Thorbjørn Risager and his highly skilled accomplices have perfected a spicy blend of musical ingredients. The hundreds of shows they’ve played during the past few years have them running like a well-oiled machine. More great things can be expected of them in the future – but until then, we have this brilliant document of a band that is quietly revolutionizing the way we look at the blues.
The Black Tornado band
Thorbjørn Risager – leadvoc, gtr
Emil Balsgaard – keys
Peter Skjerning – gtr,voc
Kasper Wagner – alto-/barythonsax
Hans Nybo – tenorsax, voc
Peter Kehl – trumpet, perc, voc,
Søren Bøjgaard – bass
Martin Seidelin – drums, perc, voc,
The Tornadettes (guest appearance on “Songs from the road” and on special occasions!)
Ida Bang – voc
Lisa Lystam – voc
BAND FACTS
● Nominated for a British Blues Award 2014 & 2015
● Winner of the Danish Music Award 2013 & 2014
● The band was founded in 2003 and 5 of the band members have been there
since the start.
● In 2005 their cooperation with Annika Westman started who has booked
more than 700 concerts for them in 21 countries.
● Songs From The Road is their 10th album in 10 years!
Burning Up
Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
HOW MANY TIMES
HAVE I ASKED MYSELF
WHERE IS THE LOVE
WHAT IS IT COMING TO
HOW MANY HEARTACHES
HOW MANY YEARS OF PAIN
SOMEBODY TELL ME
'CAUSE I'M BURNING UP
BURNING UP
YES I'M BURNING UP
BURNING UP
HOW LONG MUST I WAIT
HOW MANY MILES
TO THE PROMISED LAND
MY HEARTS ON FIRE
MY SOUL IS BURNING UP
JUST LET THE RAIN FALL
RIGHT OUT OF THE SKY
'CAUSE I'M BURNING UP
BURNING UP
YES I'M BURNING UP
BURNING UP
Thorbjørn Risager's song "Burning Up" is about an individual in search of love and happiness. The song is primarily about the frustration and pain experienced by someone who is looking for love, but finds none. The opening lines of the song, "How many times have I asked myself, where is the love, what is it coming to?" captures the essence of the song's theme. The singer reaches out for someone to help him understand love and its meaning.
The verses reveal the singer's struggle and how much they yearn for love. Risager emphasizes the pain and heartaches that the singer has experienced over the years. "How many heartaches, how many years of pain, I wanna know, somebody tell me," is a cry for help, and Risager's powerful voice captures the intensity of the song's emotional content. The chorus, "Cause I'm burning up, burning up, yes, I'm burning up, burning up" emphasizes the singer's desperation to find love and how important it is for him to have it.
In conclusion, "Burning up" is a song about the search for love and how important it is for each individual to find it. The song's theme is relatable to anyone who has experienced the pain of lovelessness, and Risager's powerful voice captures the emotion required to bring the song's message home.
Line by Line Meaning
HOW MANY TIMES
The singer questions how many times they have contemplated their current situation.
HAVE I ASKED MYSELF
The singer acknowledges that they have repeatedly asked themselves questions about their life.
WHERE IS THE LOVE
The singer questions the existence or presence of love in his life.
WHAT IS IT COMING TO
The artist wants to know the direction his life is heading towards.
HOW MANY HEARTACHES
The artist wonders how many times he has experienced heartaches in his life.
HOW MANY YEARS OF PAIN
The singer contemplates the amount of pain he has been experiencing for years.
I WANNA KNOW
The singer expresses a desire to obtain knowledge and understanding.
SOMEBODY TELL ME
The artist is asking for someone to share their insight and wisdom with him.
'CAUSE I'M BURNING UP
The artist uses the metaphor of 'burning up' to describe how overwhelmed they are feeling.
BURNING UP
The artist rephrases again how he feels- extremely overwhelmed.
YES I'M BURNING UP
The singer confirms again how intense his feelings are.
BURNING UP
The artist repeats once more, how overwhelming their situation is.
HOW LONG MUST I WAIT
The singer questions how much longer he will have to endure his current situation before things improve.
HOW MANY MILES
The singer metaphorically questions how long the journey to a better place will be.
TO THE PROMISED LAND
The singer uses the metaphor of the Promised Land to represent a better and happier life in the future.
MY HEARTS ON FIRE
The artist uses the metaphor of 'heart on fire' to describe how passionate their desire for change is.
MY SOUL IS BURNING UP
The artist is feeling deeply troubled and feels like his soul might give up.
JUST LET THE RAIN FALL
The singer is asking for guidance and relief of his emotional burden to come naturally to him, like the falling of the rain.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: EMIL OLIVER BALSGAARD, KASPER MICHAEL WAGNER, MARTIN SEIDELIN, PETER J SKJERNING, PETER WEIENDORP KEHL, SOREN BOJGAARD, THORBJORN RISAGER
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