1. A dark cabare… Read Full Bio ↴There are two artists with the name Vagabond Opera:
1. A dark cabaret project.
2. An electronic artist.
1. A dark cabaret project which was formed in 2002 in Portland, Oregon, USA by opera singer and composer Eric Stern.
It went on hiatus in 2015.
Current line-up:
Eric Stern (tenor vocals, accordion, piano), Robin Jackson (Saxophone, vocals), Ashia Grzesik (vocals), Skip Vonkuske (cello), Jason Flores (bass), Mark Burdon (percussion).
Past members:
Erin Pasco (oboe, backing vocals), Jay Harris (percussion, backing vocals, kazoo), Lesley Kernochan (vocals, alto saxophone), Jason Wells (vocals).
Discography:
- Get on the Train (LP, 2003)
- Vagabond Opera (LP, 2006)
- The Zeitgeist Beckons (LP, 2009)
- Sing For Your Lives (LP, 2011)
Vagabond Opera has performed all over the USA, including the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.
Their live concerts are notable for having theatrical performances.
They have been featured on NPR, in the Washington Post and Jazziz Magazine, and have shared stages and players with Pink Martini, The Decembrists, Al Franken and the Oregon Symphony.
Official Website
2. An electronic artist.
Two singles were released: My Friend Is Gone (2019) and Starfire (2020).
The Party
Vagabond Opera Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Vagabond Opera presents another episode of Heartbreak Radio Theatre.
This week's episode: The Party; A tale of love lost - and redemption.
Oh morning,
I wake to the silence in the air,
Something feels strange
But do I dare
You're not there
Old clothes and old photos
In messy piles around the room
Broken glass the scent of your perfume
Those bitter memories that seem to loom
Lipstick!
Smudged across the note that says you're gone
Not worth what it's written on
Why do I feel like such a pawn?
Will they find me hanging by dawn.?
Say, pal, life sure has given you a bag of lemons! Well,
When life gives ya lemons,
You sally forth and give life what for! Am I right?
Yeah, yeah, you're right, you're right. And anyway, I'm over it.
One, two, three
Oh! Free again,
I pour a glass and raise it to the air
Dance a Russian hopak on a chair
And scream "bohze moi!" without a care
Oh! Free again
Cutaway my shackles and my bounds
No longer is your chain pulling me down
Causing me to choke and finally drown
'Cause at last it's here,
This life I'm waiting for
Pack my "ça va faire"
I'm heading out the door
Dance among the stars
Toss roses to the whores!
Oh, la dee dee
Oh, drinks on me!
Oh, bring on all the dancers call me maître de l'amour!
Oh! Free again
I pour a glass and raise it to the air
Dance a Russian hopak on a chair
And scream "bohze moi!" without a care
Oh cover me in green
Call a limousine
Let's have some fun!
Fly to Spain and the Caribbean
Oh book me a room in the house of the rising sun
'Cause at last it's here
This life I'm waiting for
Oh pack my "ça va faire"
I'm heading out the door
(Sayonara! See ya later! Bye!)
Dance among the stars
Toss roses to the whores
I'll fill my bath with whisky
Man I'm feeling frisky
Slightly silly
Paint me red
Dance until I join the dead
Oh! Free again,
I pour a glass and raise it to the air
Dance a Russian hopak on a chair
And scream "bohze moi!" without a care
Oh! Free again
Cutaway my shackles and my bounds
No longer is your chain pulling me down
Causing me to choke and finally drown
Oh! Free again,
I pour a glass and raise it to the air
Dance a Russian hopak on a chair
And scream "bohze moi!" without a care
Oh! Free again
Cutaway my shackles and my bounds
No longer is your chain pulling me down
Causing me to choke and finally drown
Oh morning
I wake to the silence in the air
Something feels strange but do I dare
Call out your name (Mildred!)
And find you're not there
The Party by Vagabond Opera tells a story of heartbreak and redemption. The singer wakes up to a strange silence in the air, realizing that the person they loved has left them. The room is filled with old clothes, old photos, and the scent of their perfume. Memories of their time together start to loom, and the singer finds a note smeared with lipstick saying that the person they loved is gone. The singer feels like a pawn in a game they didn't know they were playing and questions whether they will be found hanging by dawn.
However, the tone of the song changes in the second verse. The singer realizes that they are free from the chains that once bound them, the ones caused by the person they loved. The singer gets excited about the life they have been waiting for and decides to have fun. They pour themselves a glass of whatever they can find, dance a Russian hopak on a chair, and scream "bohze moi!" without a care. The singer is excited about their newfound freedom and screams "drinks on me!" and "Oh, bring on all the dancers call me maître de l'amour!" They feel free to travel the world and do whatever they want without anyone holding them back.
In conclusion, The Party is a song about love lost and redemption. The singer starts the song with a sense of loss, but as the song progresses, they find freedom in being alone. They decide to live their life to the fullest and do whatever they want, without anyone holding them back.
Line by Line Meaning
Good evening ladies and gentlemen.
Vagabond Opera welcomes you to Heartbreak Radio Theatre's presentation of The Party; a story about love and redemption
Oh morning,
I wake to the silence in the air,
Something feels strange
But do I dare
Call out your name and find
You're not there
Waking up to an empty room with memories of lost love and wondering if the person is still around
Old clothes and old photos
In messy piles around the room
Broken glass the scent of your perfume
Those bitter memories that seem to loom
The remnants of past relationship and the painful memories associated with it
Lipstick!
Smudged across the note that says you're gone
Not worth what it's written on
Why do I feel like such a pawn?
Will they find me hanging by dawn.?
The message of goodbye written in lipstick and feeling used and alone, as if there's no way out
Say, pal, life sure has given you a bag of lemons! Well,
When life gives ya lemons,
You sally forth and give life what for! Am I right?
A conversation with oneself about the challenges of life and how one can respond positively to them
Yeah, yeah, you're right, you're right. And anyway, I'm over it.
Accepting the past and moving beyond it with a positive attitude
One, two, three
Oh! Free again,
I pour a glass and raise it to the air
Dance a Russian hopak on a chair
And scream "bohze moi!" without a care
Expressing the joy of being free from the past relationship and celebrating life with dancing and drinking
Oh! Free again
Cutaway my shackles and my bounds
No longer is your chain pulling me down
Causing me to choke and finally drown
Breaking free of the emotional chains and finding liberation from the past
'Cause at last it's here,
This life I'm waiting for
Pack my "ça va faire"
I'm heading out the door
Dance among the stars
Toss roses to the whores!
Embracing the new life with excitement and looking forward to the adventures and happiness to come
Oh, la dee dee
Oh, drinks on me!
Oh, bring on all the dancers call me maître de l'amour!
Being the life of the party and enjoying the pleasures of life
Oh cover me in green
Call a limousine
Let's have some fun!
Fly to Spain and the Caribbean
Oh book me a room in the house of the rising sun
Indulging in luxuries and traveling to exotic places to enjoy the beauty of life
'Cause at last it's here
This life I'm waiting for
Oh pack my "ça va faire"
I'm heading out the door
(Sayonara! See ya later! Bye!)
Dance among the stars
Toss roses to the whores
Celebrating the new chapter in life and bidding farewell to the past with joy and hope
I'll fill my bath with whisky
Man I'm feeling frisky
Slightly silly
Paint me red
Dance until I join the dead
A carefree attitude towards life and making the most of every moment with fun and adventure
Oh! Free again,
I pour a glass and raise it to the air
Dance a Russian hopak on a chair
And scream "bohze moi!" without a care
Repeating the chorus to emphasize the joy of being free from the weight of the past
Oh morning
I wake to the silence in the air
Something feels strange but do I dare
Call out your name (Mildred!)
And find you're not there
Ending the song with a reminder of the past and the realization that it's time to move on
Contributed by Hannah I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.