Palace of Tears, by Ray Cooper

Palace of Tears

by Ray Cooper

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1.	A Line in the Sand 03:12	lyrics	buy track
A Line In The Sand (Ray Cooper) Somewhere there's a line in the sand Somewhere there's a map, there's a plan Hear the thunder roar The drums of war See the fires burn again The lines of marching men Someone has a a vision of how things should be So the black snake will wind through the valleys Through bones and empty farms and poppy fields Past the the tulips and wild flowers The barbed wire and the towers To the great ships waiting at the sea Somewhere there's a line in the sand Somewhere there's the death of a man Somewhere a decision is made far away Hear the sky scream again The whine of great engines Hear the thunder roar To pound the earth to pound the heart The power of steel the power of fire And the iron horse will go through The iron fist will rule Twisting in the old country And the fruit of all this toil The pipelines and the oil The railways and the roads to the sea Through the tulips and wild flowers The barbed wire and the towers To light the lamps of great cities
2.	Mountainside 04:25	lyrics	buy track
Mountainside (words and music: Ray Cooper) I was born by border where the forest meets the plain Before me were the roadways to fortune and fame But behind was the mountain with her valleys black as night That drew me like an ember away from the light. And I am bound I am tied I am chained to the mountainside I was warned of the autumn and the mist that comes with the dawn I was warned of the wolves in winter coming closer to the farm I was warned of the spring ice and the summer adder's bite But I still chose the darkness and the stars of the night I am bound I am tied I am chained Once I had a lover long long ago We parted in the valley by the green waterfall And sometimes I hear her singing on a warm summer's eve I know to never answer she's calling to me And I am bound I am tied And here beside the fountain with it's waters cold and clear I sit and watch the heavens the turning of the year And the creatures of the forest draw close to me at night I see their yellow eyes shining in the dying firelight And I am bound I am tied I am chained to the mountainside
3.	Palace of Tears 05:30	lyrics	buy track
Palace of Tears (words and music: Ray Cooper) The steel gate shuts behind me Like the bolt of a Russian gun Part of the wall around us That keeps us on the run Well it cuts right through this city It cuts right through my heart It cuts right through this country And keeps our worlds apart Past the grey stone walls Shattered by the marks of war The tide mark of a century So many died for And the statues were silent On that cold rainy day Waiting for the cranes To take them all away I remember your flat in it's faded grandeur You said that it suited you Well it suited me too I look back on those days with love and anger That we never dared dream We'd see the wall crashing down And the world rushing in We lay on the floor With the double doors open We didn't talk about time Our love was unspoken We knew that I would leave again tomorrow You could never follow We watched the rain coming down You walked me back to the checkpoint Back to the clamour And the lights of the western world And there by the sickle and the hammer We said goodbye my dear Like so many others here At the Palace of Tears Auf Wiedersehn mine hertz We said goodbye at the Palace of Tears Now the checkpoints are demolished The city has survived The losers and the winners Just get on with their lives If I talked about the good things From the bad old days You'd say it's nostalgia And I don't understand the time that's gone to waste You walked me back to the checkpoint Back to the clamour And the lights of the western world And there by the sickle and the hammer I said goodbye my dear Like so many others here At the Palace of Tears
4.	Sleeping Giant 04:51	lyrics	buy track
Sleeping Giant (Ray Cooper) I dreamed I saw a giant asleep upon the land The brown hills of the Highlands he cradled in his hands And I dreamed the giant had a smile upon his face For all the loves he thought he'd lost had never gone to waste No, they all came back to forgive him And to his great surprise They understood his passions From the fire in his eyes He left his giant footprints all over their white sand But they forgave his foolish ways and all that he had done When he loved he loved them truly and never meant to part And when he cried, he cried a river, with all his giant heart Now all these years and their players have passed away Like so many dreams of the hills of our childhood days He turned to face the morning, that way his journey lies He reached for the horizon, where the sun would rise And I dreamed the giant was never more to wake His lover was the sky now, she'd help him on his way And I watched until the dawn came And I saw him melt away Till all that's left was the outline Of the hills of our childhood days And we'll drink a glass to friendship and to home We used to say wha's like us, damn few, and they're all gone Now all these years and their players have passed away Like so many dreams of the hills of our childhood days
5.	Destroying Angel 04:39	lyrics	buy track
Destroying Angel (words and music: Ray Cooper) I met you in the forrest At the fading of the day You looked so sweet and innocent You were so innocent I thought that I could dally I thought that I could play Pure and almost holy I almost prayed Destroying Angel, dressed in white You tempt destruction with every bite Oh fair deceiver, you wait and call Dissolving hearts, the willing fall You stood there in the twilight With a smile upon your face You'd waited for a century For some fool to fall from grace Mirror to my weakness I tried to cry or run I felt my liver melting I knew what I had done Destroying Angel etc. I never thought that I would do that But I knew that I could fall Oh I never thought that I would do that But I knew that I could fall Is it me that brings corruption To this quiet wooded glade? To curse the fair deceiver And try and pass the blame? I knew what I was doing To taste the flesh so white I knew that it would take me As I took the second bite Destroying Angel etc. I never thought that I would do that But I knew that I could fall Oh I never thought that I would do that What else could I have done? Well I guess I should have run
6.	The King's Birthday (Maarit's Waltz) 05:37	lyrics	buy track
The King's Birthday / Maarit's Waltz (words and music: Ray Cooper) Her name was Karin And on the King's birthday She put on her best bonnet for the town parade You can see from this photograph From a very different time She wants you all to know this is her prime For she was a beauty of renown In this small market town She's a marriageable age She turned sixteen today Now that she's blossomed She can spread her wings and fly If only to the pine tree tops nearby She's on the threshold Of all that is to come She can feel her power she can be someone She might have that chance to choose To be a tradesman's wife And to wear the apron blue Or she might just fly away And the boys came down, they lined up to stare In their new suits and hats that they wear Ill fitting suits for ill fitting lives The choices are here, we all compromise And the band played a waltz for the King The courting began we're caught up and caught in If your luck is true and you catch the right eye You live with that choice for the rest of your life Her name was Karin And long ago she bloomed Like so many others a little too soon You can see from this photograph How she stood out from them all Even though she faded long ago And lost her lovely looks so young Or rather passed them on To another who will come to another town parade On another King's birthday
7.	The Tears of Isis 05:16	lyrics	buy track
The Tears Of Isis (words and music: Ray Cooper) Like the drawings, the drawings of dreams So incomplete, like the unseen I dreamed a dream, I thought we had spoken You smiled so sadly, that was enough Never nearer, than the shadow, Maybe that's all, we need to know I'd like to meet all my mothers and fathers All the way back through the shadows of time I'd like to tell them, tell them they did so well Just to survive, and I will survive And all the tears of Isis All the waters of the Nile They bring me their blessings I am their orphan child I went down, down to the river I felt the waters touch my skin I let my fingers break the tension Between the seen and the unseen Never nearer than the shadow, Maybe that's all...... And I carry, carry that river I feel it flowing in my veins And I'm riding, riding these rapids And I don't know where it will end And all the tears of Isis All the waters of the Nile Bring me bring me their blessings I am their orphan child Never nearer than the shadows Maybe that's all that is revealed Like finding the source of a great river Is just a muddy field I'll raise a stone in bonny Scotland I'll splash whiskey on the ground I'd like to do my very best for you And never let you down But I'm never nearer than the shadow But all the tears of Isis All the waters of the Nile They bring me bring me their blessings I am their orphan child Never nearer than the shadows Maybe that's all that is revealed Like finding the source of a great river Is just a muddy field
8.	Calling of the Dove 04:11	lyrics	buy track
Calling of the Dove (words and music: Ray Cooper) I do believe in the simple life And when you find the right one you need never part again We found each other here in the dust Among the towers of steel and rust It was love in the dockland till night turned to day And now I hear the calling of the dove again The cobbled streets look just the same Glistening wet in the morning rain As I followed the lights till the end of the street And I found the bar where we used to meet It's 4.00am and the lamps are low They're playing the same music on the radio Tamla Motown never gets old But chances come and chances go And oh, so much time has passed Another show has another cast And other actors fill our shoes And the harbour town sings the harbour blues Things can never be the same Ships move on but the docks remain And I can hear the calling of the dove again The ice ship lies sleeping by the harbour wall How I long to hear those diesels roar And cut me a channel through this pack ice That locks our hearts come back to me tonight I used to believe I had only cold blood in my veins And now I hear the calling of the dove again I found your letter in a box one day And reading it again in another way I can see maybe we had a chance But we gave up on that big romance There were ties, I couldn't see I didn't know what you meant to me But I'll just say thanks memories like this Have been a comfort in the wilderness And now I'm back in this harbour town Think I'll take the time and look around I can see not much has changed Ships move on but the docks remain And I can hear the calling of the dove again
9.	This Foolish Dream 03:59	lyrics	buy track
This Foolish Dream (words and music: Ray Cooper) It's the middle of the day and I'm still dreaming I don't feel a rush to leave this mood Well I think I got myself into believing I'm touched by something good In a few more hours, I'll be right as rain Your familiar friend But just for now, I'll be living in This foolish dream It's not the blade of pain or sorrow That got to me today It's a taste so rare I don't want to swallow If I can let it just fade away A taste of love, rarely comes along But it came my way today And it could be wrong, but it's oh so wrong to waste....the taste As a feather falls, I will touch the ground In my own good time Then I'll turn around, never looking back At this foolish dream These shapes of coloured glass moving in my window Will have to be enough for now I think I fell a little in forbidden love I can let it last a little while And then leave behind what almost had to be Another song unsung I'm not such a fool, as truly to believe In foolish dreams
10.	When The Curtain Falls 06:04	lyrics	buy track
When The Curtain Falls (Ray Cooper / Grinds Hans' jässpödspolska från Rättvik efter Börjes Olle) When time divides a point is passed Never can unsay those words A mood can change from light to dark When the curtain falls I saw my friend so happy there His tears were tears of laughter The candle burned it's brightest flame As we watched the dancer So I guess I'll take you home Then you're on your own I'll say it again It's for the last time Come on and take a bow We'll get you back somehow When the curtain falls They say that sometimes drunk man's words Are thoughts he has when sober The hell hound's never far away His muzzle's on your shoulder And sure we had a good time here Until the dark clouds gathered The parting glass is empty now It never really mattered So I'll take you home again My special friend I'll say it again it's for the last time The demons of the day All come back to bay When the curtain falls And now we're floating down the street The music's getting fainter The hardest part of every day Is knowing when it's over And thank you beer, thank you wine For all of our times together Everybody stand Raise a glass in hand A toast to better weather

about

Ray Cooper is a singer/songwriter and multi instrumentalist currently residing in the depths of Sweden where he moved in 2000. He left Oysterband in 2013 after a year in which they picked up 3 BBC2 Folk Awards and appeared live on the "Later..with Jools Holland' show. Since then he has carved out a successful solo career.

His second solo album Palace Of Tears which will be released in May 2014 is unashamedly romantic. It is a bittersweet album about living and working in Northern Europe over the last quarter century, 'I tried to avoid nostalgia, but many songs deal with the past and how it can never be reclaimed. My first album Tales Of Love War and Death by Hanging has a strongly historical theme, this one is about more recent history , more personal history'…'The sound of the album is placed firmly in Northern Europe too, with the addition of Swedish musicians, and some songs that reference Sweden, Scotland, and my roots'. All this seen through the prism of the Swedish winter as I look out from my studio.

The title track Palace of Tears was inspired by my memories of working in the former East Germany. The Berliners had a nickname for one of the checkpoints in the wall, this was a tube station in Friedrichstrasse and was used to visit their relatives in the East. On the way back it was a place of goodbyes, hence the ironic name 'Der Tränenpalast', The Palace Of Tears.
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Mit seinem zweiten Soloalbum "Palace Of Tears" verpflichtet sich Ray Cooper (Ex-Oysterband) endgültig der ehrwürdigen Singer/Songwriter-Tradition und rückt eigene Texte und Kompositionen in den Fokus. Hatte das Debüt "Tales Of Love, War And Death By Hanging" noch eine starke historische Komponente, weht nun ein frischer Nordwind durch das Album. Cooper, seit einigen Jahren Wahl-Schwede, schöpft textlich zum Teil aus skandinavischen Quellen und bedient sich der schwedischen Fiedel und der Kantele aus Finnland. Doch auch Cello, Gitarre, Harmonika, Mandoline und Bassgitarre kommen zum Einsatz. Alle Instrumente werden von Cooper selbst gespielt, lediglich ein Pianist und zwei zusätzliche Streicher unterstützten ihn bei den Aufnahmen.

Auch thematisch ist "Palace Of Tears" ein sehr persönliches Album, auf dem der Musiker kein Blatt vor den Mund nimmt. Bereits der erste Song "A Line In The Sand" prangert zum Himmel stinkende politische Missstände an, denn Cooper setzt sich kritisch mit den Kriegen, die im Nahen Osten wegen des Erdöls geführt werden, auseinander. Im Lied "Palace Of Tears", das dem Album seinen Namen geliehen hat, verarbeitet der Künstler einen Teil deutsch-deutscher Geschichte.

Er war im Juli 1989, also kurz vor dem Fall der Berliner Mauer, zu Gast in der DDR und erinnert sich: "Dieses Land war so vollkommen anders als alle anderen Länder, in denen ich gewesen bin. Ohne Werbung, fast ohne Kriminalität, aber auch ohne Alternative." Besonders nachhaltig hat den Schotten die innerdeutsche Grenze im geteilten Berlin beeindruckt. "Es gab einen Grenzübergang am Bahnhof Friedrichstraße, an dem die West-Berliner für einen Tag in den Osten der Stadt gehen konnten, um Verwandte zu besuchen. Auf ihrem Weg zurück kam es dort zu großen Abschiedsszenen, weshalb das Gebäude des Grenzübergangs vom Volksmund den ironischen Beinamen Tränenpalast erhielt." Seine schottischen Wurzeln besingt er in "Sleeping Giants". Wiewohl Cooper seinen Lebensmittelpunkt nach Skandinavien verlagert hat, verbringt er jedes Jahr einige Zeit in Schottland - leider immer häufiger bei Begräbnissen.

Den größten Raum auf dem Album nimmt Coopers Wahlheimat Schweden ein. Inspiriert von der Weite der Landschaft und der Tiefe der Wälder spürt der Musiker fantastischen Sagengestalten nach, die dort gestern wie heute ihr Unwesen treiben. Manchmal bringt aber auch ein simples Foto den Künstler dazu, einen Song zu schreiben. So wie dieses 1985 aufgenommene Bild, das eine Menschentraube vor dem Rathaus in Coopers Wohnort Malmköping zeigt. Die jungen Leute haben ihre guten Kleider an, vermutlich werden sie am Abend tanzen gehen und vielleicht lernen sie ja dort ihren zukünftigen Lebenspartner kennen. Im Lied "The King's Birthday/Maarit's Waltz" geht es um die junge Frau in der Mitte des Fotos. Was wohl aus ihr geworden ist?

credits

released August 29, 2014

Ray Cooper - lead vocals, cello, guitar, kantele, harmonicas, mandolin, percussion, harmonium, bass guitar.
Gustav Andersson - piano, organ, harmonium and string arrangement and programming on Palace Of Tears
Rowan Godel - vocal harmonies.
Jenny Tidman and Patrik Andersson - violins

Recorded and produced at the Love Shack Malmköping by Ray Cooper
Song file transfers Studio Ambassaden Eskilstuna, engineer Patrick Taunu
Mixing and executive production by Al Scott at The Metway, Brighton

Photography Volker Neumann and Judith Burrows

license

about

Westpark Music Germany

Label, Production- and Publishing Company, founded 1987, based in Cologne, Germany. Releases are CDs, Vinyls, DVDs, sheet music and biographies. Mainly concentrating on music from North of latitude 40. - means: roughly the area above the latitude that goes through Paris. ... more