Among the hundreds of artists he's worked with include Phil Ochs, Tim Buckley, Haruomi Hosono, The Byrds, Rufus Wainwright, Harry Nilsson, Randy Newman, Ry Cooder, U2, Joanna Newsom, Inara George, Keith Moon, Frank Zappa, Harpers Bizarre, Little Feat, Ringo Starr, Silverchair, and Skrillex.
In addition to producing, Parks has released seven studio albums of his own recordings: Song Cycle, Discover America, Clang of the Yankee Reaper, Jump!, Tokyo Rose, Songs Cycled, and with Brian Wilson, Orange Crate Art. He has also released a live album, Moonlighting: Live at the Ash Grove. His first official release was the 1966 single Number Nine, a modernized version of Beethoven's 9th backed with Do What You Wanta.
Parks has also established himself in film scores, and over the years has directed, arranged, produced, and composed soundtracks for a great number of motion pictures and television shows.
During his childhood, Parks became extremely fond of old-style American music, most notably the sounds of Tin Pan Alley. This interest in Depression-era songwriting would correlate heavily with his artistic goals and interests during the 1960s and beyond. He was also deeply affected by musicians Spike Jones and Les Paul, which led him to develop an interest with studio experimentation in the form of pop music.
Spanish Moon
Van Dyke Parks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was the night that the rain, it froze on the ground
Down the street I heard such a sorrowful tune
Comin' from the place they call the Spanish Moon
Well I stepped inside, and stood by the door
While a dark-eyed girl sang, and played the guitar
Hookers, and hustlers, filled up the room
One false step, you get done in
It's a cold situation
If that -- that don't -- kill you soon
The women will down at the Spanish Moon
I pawned my watch, and I sold my ring
Just to hear that girl singing, (hear that girl sing)
Don't take long, to wake up ruined
The women will down at the Spanish Moon
The song "Spanish Moon" talks about a traveler who reaches a town on a night where the rain has frozen all around. He hears a sorrowful tune coming from a place called the Spanish Moon and decides to enter. In the dim-lit room, he finds a dark-eyed girl strumming a guitar and singing. The room was filled with hookers and hustlers, but he couldn't take his eyes off the girl. The traveler is so awed by her performance that he pawns his watch and sells his ring, just to hear her singing. The traveler knows that the Spanish Moon is a cold and dangerous place - one false step, and you could end up being hurt. The women there are not to be taken lightly, and they could ruin you in no time.
The song portrays a sense of tragedy and danger that surrounds the Spanish Moon, but it also has a sense of attraction that pulls people towards it. The melancholic tune and the dark-eyed girl's singing only add to the eerie atmosphere. The Spanish Moon could be a metaphor for life itself, where one can experience both beauty and peril at the same time. The traveler's willingness to risk everything for hearing the girl's music reinforces the idea of being drawn towards temptation and not being able to resist it.
Line by Line Meaning
Well the night that was high, we got into town
The night we arrived in town, there was a sense of excitement and anticipation in the air.
Was the night that the rain, it froze on the ground
The weather was cold and rainy, causing the ground to freeze over.
Down the street I heard such a sorrowful tune
I could hear a sad song being played somewhere nearby.
Comin' from the place they call the Spanish Moon
The song was coming from a place called the Spanish Moon.
Well I stepped inside, and stood by the door
I entered the building and stood near the door, taking in my surroundings.
While a dark-eyed girl sang, and played the guitar
A girl with dark eyes was singing and playing guitar onstage.
Hookers, and hustlers, filled up the room
The room was crowded with prostitutes and people looking to make quick money.
I heard about this place they call the Spanish Moon
I had heard about this establishment before, known as the Spanish Moon.
One false step, you get done in
It's easy to make a mistake that could result in harm.
It's a cold situation
The atmosphere is chilly, both figuratively and literally.
If that -- that don't -- kill you soon
If the cold or some other danger doesn't kill you, there are other threats to beware of.
The women will down at the Spanish Moon
The women who work there can be dangerous or damaging to those who get too involved with them.
I pawned my watch, and I sold my ring
I was willing to part with my possessions just to hear the music and be in the presence of the performers.
Just to hear that girl singing, (hear that girl sing)
My desire to listen to the music was strong enough to make me give up material possessions.
Don't take long, to wake up ruined
It doesn't take much time or effort to find yourself in a difficult or problematic situation.
The women will down at the Spanish Moon
Once again, the women at the Spanish Moon are seen as a potential source of trouble.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: STEVEN KRIKORIAN, CHARLIE SEXTON, DOYLE BRAMHALL, CHRIS LAYTON, TOMMY SHANNON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Red Bull Music Academy
You can read more about Van Dyke Parks here...
► https://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/lectures/van-dyke-parks
Anime Fan
VDP needs to do another one of these and talk about his experiences with the japanese music scene... hardly any info about his relationship with ryuichi sakamoto and haruomi hosono.
enroll The Barclay Classes
Mr. Parks is an American treasure, and my hat's off to RBMA for hosting him - AND for posting this wonderful lecture so that we all could see it.
Tom W
The way VDP speaks is pure poetry
R.D. Dragon
I had no idea he worked for Disney on the Jungle Book. Amazing. He later worked on the Disney movie "The Brave Little Toaster" and has done a lot of other film work!
Gizmotechno
Damn, that was easily on of the best RBMA lectures I've ever seen. So well articulated and absolutely inspiring.
Human Being
His arrangements on Joanna Newsom's 'Ys' are the best string arrangements I've ever heard on any album outside of traditional classical music.
Zbigniew Piesiewicz
Van Dyke Parks! A true genius.
Amazing, nod off to RBMA
Alistair Clarke
As somebody who loves Americana, I have nothing on this man! He gave thousands of dollars worth of lessons away free of charge.
burlingtonbill1
Never a dull moment with VDP !