I hadn't listened to this in a long time until Dana put it up on his wicked site. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://thumpmedia.com/dana">http://thumpmedia.com/dana</a><!-- m -->
Gord sounds earnest, almost sad, with his post adolescent high pitch and the old Van Morrison style of vocal expression. The inflection in his voice when he signs "It was my duty as an honest man... doing what I can" is phenomenal.
His frustration comes through with "I've got my old mans eyes and a dusty old picture of you."
The stagger in the line "I can feel you in the marrow... of ma bones" is just killer.
Bobby's (I assume it's Bobby) strumming almost adds another layer of percussion, and Paul's vocals are, well like always, the real essential element.
It's also cool to hear the "fields of lavender" verse Gord took to singing at the end of Little Bones in 1998.
This is a kick ass blues rock song that has just leaped over Get Back Again and Montreal as my favourite of the unreleased.
Ya gotta check it out if you've never heard it.
Glad I could put it up there for you guys.
But, that is not my site - that is Chris' site.
He is kind enough to host all my past downloads.
You are right though Stephen - great song.
Stephen Dame Wrote:This is a kick ass blues rock song that has just leaped over Get Back Again and Montreal as my favourite of the unreleased.
Perhaps this is the wrong place to post this, but I'll ask anyway: where can I find a high-quality MP3 of Montreal? I understand it was studio-recorded and all that, but the only MP3s that I've been able to track down have been ultra-low bootleg of a bootleg of a bootleg quality.
Stormlobster Wrote:Stephen Dame Wrote:This is a kick ass blues rock song that has just leaped over Get Back Again and Montreal as my favourite of the unreleased.
Perhaps this is the wrong place to post this, but I'll ask anyway: where can I find a high-quality MP3 of Montreal? I understand it was studio-recorded and all that, but the only MP3s that I've been able to track down have been ultra-low bootleg of a bootleg of a bootleg quality.
Unfortunately, even the "best" versions of Montreal leave something to be desired. The out-take studio version is really muddy and the 2000 bootleg version from Montreal is low quality. I can't remember off the top of my head if they played it at the Misty Moon.
Anybody know of any quality Montreal bootlegs?
soquester Wrote:Where's this from?
As far as I know, the only available version of "Wait So Long" (the one Dana has up) is from Barrymore's Music Hall, about 1km from where I'm sitting right now: on Bank Street in downtown Ottawa. It was recorded in the fall of 1988. Gord returned there in 2003 as part of K-OS's anti-war concert.
Wait So Long and Get Back Again, How did they not make the cut for any studio album? Last week my fav was Wait So Long. This week its Get Back Again form the Phantom Accoustics Collection.
Stephen, I've listened to Wait So Long 50 times or so trying to write down the lyrics but can't seem to make them all out. Do you know what they are. They are not on lord brazzle's site.
Radio Show is another from phantom accoustics that should not be overlooked as great song.
Great song. Thanks Dana/Chris.
tim_mac Wrote:Stephen, I've listened to Wait So Long 50 times or so trying to write down the lyrics but can't seem to make them all out. Do you know what they are. They are not on lord brazzle's site.
I'm trying to get them together for the unreleased
page. I'll send you what I've got and maybe our collaboration can solve the mystery. I find that the "fields of lavender" verse is slightly clearer on the '98 rant.
Perhaps...ahem...
somebody who works for the band and also posts here could ask nicely.
I'd e-mail "the band" @thehip.com but I'm pretty sure they're sick of me by now.
Here's what I was able to make out:
Wait So Long
I thought is was my duty as an honest man
Raving about my country, doing what I can
a luxury... ???... just a stand
she wore me down into the road
she laughed til she cried and she turned to go,
she said, "i think of you and your feeling in the night"
we're about to see
oh why you want to wait so long
if we've gone this long, well you gotta know he'll not come
you've been building up your fences and remembering your dances just so you'll stay strong
why you want to wait so long
it seems i've been up for a
two things now tell me what i got to do
i got my old mans eyes and a dusty ol' picture of you
i don't know how long i've been shuffling my headstone
one more healing i'll be coming on home
i can feel down in the marrow of my bones
I'm about to see
why you want to wait so long
if we've gone this long, well you gotta know he'll not come
you've been building up and remembering your dances just so you'll stay strong
why you want to wait so long
oh ho ho
oh ho ho
ooh yeah
oh ho ho
wel i've been jumping on a fences
running across... ???... fields of lavender
one more hill and I'll be coming on home
one more hill and I'll be home
oh baby
baby please hurry home
baby please hurry home
baby please hurry home
ooooooh why you want to wait so long
if we've gone this long, well you gotta know he'll not come
you've been building up your fences and remembering your dances just so you'll stay strong
why you want to wait so long
i hope i know
why you want to wait so long
oh ho ho
why you wait so long
wait so
wait so
wait so
The London bootleg helps clarify the "gone this long/he's long gone" and "fresh cut fields of lavender" bits. I get a "woman waiting for her soldier" vibe.
I base the "vultures sing" bit on the fact that apocryphal birds perched over long roads eventually made their way into "At The Hundredth Meridian" and many rants since then. Plus, vultures seem to fit with the death imagery elsewhere in the song.
Wait So Long
I thought it was my duty as an honest man
Raving about my country, doing what I can
Luxury I had inside, I suppose it was just a stand (?)
She walked me down to the end of the road
She laughed till she cried as she turned to go
She said I’ll think of you and your feeling every night
The vultures sing: why’d ya wanna wait so long
If you’re gone this long, well ya gotta know he’s long gone
You’ve been building up your fences and memorized dances
Just so you’re still strong
Why’d ya wanna wait so long
It seems I’ve been offered for a life or two (?)
Two things now tell me what I gotta do
I’ve got my old mans eyes and a dusty old picture of you
I don’t know how long I’ve been shouldering my head stone
One more hill and I’ll be coming on home
I can feel ya down in the marrow of my bones
And the vultures sing: why’d ya wanna wait so long
If you’re gone this long, well you gotta know he’s long gone
You been up building up your fences and memorized dances
Just so your still strong
Why’d you wanna wait so long
Well I’ve been jumping over fences
And running through fresh cut fields of lavender
One more hill and I’ll be coming on home
One more hill and I’ll be coming on home
Baby please hurry home
Why’d ya wanna wait so long
If you’re gone this long, well you gotta know he’s long gone
You been up building up your fences and memorized dances
Just so you’re still strong
I hope I know why ya wanna wait so long.