Rando, an Australian singer-songwriter, was helped along by a scholarship grant to the National Guitar Summer Workshop held in Connecticut, New York.
It was there that Tommy was guided to seek out the ingredients that shaped his artistic style. Following his time in New York, Tommy toured the US for BMI hooking up with industry greats such as Jeff Cohen, Seymore Stein and ex-manager to Elton John, John Reid.
Back at home, Tommy has played with Australia's best including: "Taxiride", "Boomcrash Opera" and "Invertigo". He has written songs for Vanessa Amorosi, Lee Harding, Alan Fletcher and Kirsty Crawford to name just a few. With a growing catalogue, Tommy has his tunes playing regularly on the television show "Neighbours" as well as co-writing the number one ARIA hit "Wasabi" for Australian Idol's Lee Harding.
Early inspiration came from artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Steve Ray Vaughan, The Beatles, Jeff Buckley, Elton John, Cats Stevens, Joni Mitchell, John Hiatt, Miles Davis, Radiohead, The Dave Matthews Band, soul, blues and gospel singers. Tommy explains: "The importance of music is to portray yourself as honestly as possible and to touch the soul..." "...let the words and emotions tell the story...we are story-tellers."
There is no doubt that anyone in the audience of one of Tommy's shows will see a brilliant singer/songwriter who truly wears his heart on his sleeve. His ageless songs are executed with vision and clarity and delivered with heart-felt reflection and passion.
Winter Sky
Tommy Rando Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's 9am
And Cath's making breakfast
For the two of us
She wants to add flavour, to the day
Doing things different
Why, she would not say
It's kind of funny, she never smokes
Why the sudden change, hey
I see fear in her eyes
She's hiding from the truth
She can no longer deny
Holds her beads, to her heart
And say's I want forget about Jesus, faith and all that
Cause nothing's gonna help me now
She's sinking lower, than ever before
An all I want to do
Is come home to you
And keep you there on solid ground
How can I live? With anything between you and me
Why couldn't I see? You falling to your knees
How can I make
A winter sky, slow, sad, song
Just blow away, everyday
Now all her signs read for sale
Says she moving on from Buckley St,
Don't bother forwarding mail
Seem she wants to forget
Everything she loves, she knows
Not live a life of regret
Theres nothing I can say
She's made herself believe
Shes going away
An all I want to do
Is come home to you
And keep you there on solid ground
How can I live? With anything between you and me
Why couldn't I see? You falling to your knees
How can I make
A winter sky, slow, sad, song
Just blow away, everyday
The song Winter Sky by Tommy Rando tells a story about a woman named Cath who is struggling with some unknown fear or issue, which is causing her to push away the people and things she loves. The song starts with Cath making breakfast for herself and another person, and although she is trying to do things differently, there is a sense of unease and uncertainty about her behavior. She lights up a cigarette, which is out of character for her and indicates that something is not right. As the song progresses, we see that Cath is trying to distance herself from her faith and beliefs, as she believes they will not be able to help her cope with whatever she is going through.
The lyrics also convey the frustration and helplessness of the other person in the song who is watching Cath suffer and wants to help her. They want to keep Cath grounded and support her in any way they can, but Cath is determined to distance herself from everyone and move on. There is a sense of confusion and loss in the song, as the other person struggles to understand why Cath is pulling away from them and what they could have done differently to help her.
Overall, Winter Sky is a poignant and emotional song that deals with themes of fear, loss, and the struggle to connect with others in times of turmoil.
Line by Line Meaning
It's 9am
The time is 9 o'clock in the morning.
And Cath's making breakfast
Cath is preparing breakfast for the singer and herself.
For the two of us
The breakfast is intended for the singer and Cath only.
She wants to add flavour, to the day
Cath desires to make the day more enjoyable by preparing a tasty breakfast.
Doing things different
Cath is doing things differently than usual.
Why, she would not say
Cath does not explain the reason why she's doing things differently.
She lights up a cigarette
Cath starts smoking a cigarette.
It's kind of funny, she never smokes
The artist finds it amusing that Cath is smoking as she doesn't usually do so.
Why the sudden change, hey
The artist inquires as to why Cath has abruptly started smoking.
I see fear in her eyes
The artist observes a look of fear in Cath's eyes.
She's hiding from the truth
Cath is avoiding a harsh reality.
She can no longer deny
Cath can't pretend anymore.
Holds her beads, to her heart
Cath clutches her beads to her chest.
And say's I want forget about Jesus, faith and all that
Cath states that she wants to forget about religion, including Jesus and faith.
Cause nothing's gonna help me now
Cath believes that nothing can help her at this point.
She's sinking lower, than ever before
Cath is feeling worse than she ever has.
An all I want to do
The artist's only desire is to
Is come home to you
The singer wants to return home to the person they care about.
And keep you there on solid ground
The singer wants to support their loved one and help them feel stable and secure.
How can I live? With anything between you and me
The artist is questioning how they can continue to live with anything coming between them and their loved one.
Why couldn't I see? You falling to your knees
The artist wishes they had noticed their loved one's pain earlier.
How can I make
The artist wants to know
A winter sky, slow, sad, song
How they can create a 'winter sky', a melancholic song.
Just blow away, everyday
In the hopes that the feelings of sadness will dissipate each day.
Now all her signs read for sale
Signs placed by Cath indicate that her belongings (or possibly her house) are for sale.
Says she moving on from Buckley St,
Cath has declared her intention to move on from Buckley St.
Don't bother forwarding mail
Cath has instructed people not to forward her mail to her new location.
Seem she wants to forget
Cath seems to want to forget something or someone from her past, possibly linked to her religious faith.
Everything she loves, she knows
Cath recognizes that she loves many things in her life.
Not live a life of regret
Cath wishes to avoid living with regrets.
Theres nothing I can say
The singer is at a loss for words.
She's made herself believe
Cath has convinced herself of something potentially damaging.
Shes going away
Cath is leaving, and it's unclear if she's returning.
Contributed by Charlotte H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.