Song of the Week - Dragonfly - Mar. 8, 2010

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KarenZ
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Song of the Week - Dragonfly - Mar. 8, 2010

Postby KarenZ » Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:08 am

Hi everyone,

Dragonfly

Who let
The dragonfly
Into my bedroom
Was it you?
Cause it’s buzzing
‘round my head
like a hurricane
Was it you?

Moonlight
On my windowsill
Did it fly from the cornfield
Or up over the hill
Cause it’s buzzing
‘round my head
Got me spinning here
Was it you?

(Chorus x2)
Don’t know why you
Don’t know why you
Don’t know why you
Came to me

Red dress
On my doorstep
Honeysuckle blooming
Through a front porch screen

Perfume
on my pillowcase
Empty bed
In an empty room
There’s a dragonfly flying
And a red dress
Hanging from the moon

(Repeat chorus x2)

Who let
The dragonfly
Into my bedroom
Was it you?


It was a pretty special road trip last May that took me to The Blue Door in Oklahoma City for a benefit show for Don Conoscenti who had been seriously injured in a biking accident. One of the memories I have of that night is being with BeckyG behind the merch counter while the musicians warmed up in the green room - just behind us. We could hear Ellis and Sam Baker working on a new song.....then Monica Taylor joined them....and they sang the song repeatedly - in particular the chorus. Becky and I looked at each other and laughed at one point when we heard "don't know why you" for the hundreth time or so. :) Monica told me later that her contribution to the song was the word "honeysuckle". During the benefit Ellis performed the song publicly for the first time - with Sam and Monica helping out. Monica and I both lobbied that the song be titled "Was it You".....but our efforts were not successful. ;)

After the show, I caught them on video - once again singing the new song. There's lots of background noise and it's pretty raw....but it captures a special moment in time. When they decided to run through it a second time, you will also see/hear Chris O'Brien. (Chris actually posted a similar YouTube video last year, but my video has been private until today.)

Dragonfly - May 11, 2009 - The Blue Door

As you can imagine, this beautiful song holds a special place in my heart and memory. I suspect it's probably the shortest amount of time between EP having written a song and the song being recorded for a CD.

KarenZ
"Some people are born to make great art and others are born to appreciate it. It is a kind of talent in itself, to be an audience, whether you are the spectator in the gallery or you are listening to the voice of the world's greatest soprano. Not everyone can be the artist. There have to be those who witness the art, who love and appreciate what they have been privileged to see." -- Ann Patchett in Bel Canto.

monicar
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Location: Norwell, Massachusetts

Re: Song of the Week - Dragonfly - Mar. 8, 2010

Postby monicar » Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:12 am

Love the tune. Love the video. Love Monica's voice!

Love, love, love ..... enough said.

Monica R. :D

monicar
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Location: Norwell, Massachusetts

Re: Song of the Week - Dragonfly - Mar. 8, 2010

Postby monicar » Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:23 am

Ooops ... forgot Sam ........ one more love!

Patti
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Re: Song of the Week - Dragonfly - Mar. 8, 2010

Postby Patti » Mon Mar 08, 2010 7:37 pm

Sweet Story Karen, special memories for sure. Witnessing a new song in the making.. Love the story Love the song. Love Sam Baker...

sometimes simple is the sweetest..

here is what Ellis blogged about it..
Dragonfly" is a little zen love song written about a dragonfly that makes it's way into a bedroom after a woman leaves a man's house, The dragonfly represents the woman: how did she come to me? It was written with Sam Baker, an Americana star down in Austin. I recorded this one in my bedroom. "Red dress on my door step/ honeysuckle blooming through the front porch screen/ perfume on my pillowcase/ empty bed in an empty room/ there's a dragonfly flying and a red dress hanging from the moon"
"Embrace what you have in common, celebrate what sets you apart" Ellis Paul

paddyinthepub
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Location: Philadelphia

Re: Song of the Week - Dragonfly - Mar. 8, 2010

Postby paddyinthepub » Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:48 pm

Ellis and DonCon and Mike Clem and Chris OBrien onstage at Tin Angel last time thru town and I'm in the back getting beers and thinkin damn what a time to be at the far end of the room so far away from the singers then lo and behold the woman seated next to where I'm standing adds her audience singalong participatory voice to the mix and heaven is wherever you are and folks are sharing great music. Amazing..
"once we're inside, it's a carnival ride" ~ ellis paul
paddy

Richard + Jela
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Re: Song of the Week - Dragonfly - Mar. 8, 2010

Postby Richard + Jela » Fri Mar 12, 2010 7:29 pm

I love the gentleness of this song and was fortunate enough to see Karen's video as soon as it was posted, shortly after the actual recording.

Then at WoodyFest I got to hear it live when Monica Taylor joined Ellis on stage for it.

At NY sitting chatting with Karen, Sue Ellen, Dean and Elaine, I asked what they thought the underlying story in the song was - I had my take on it:

I think that the dragonfly is an incarnation of the woman who is no longer there, the man is comforted by the appearance of the dragonfly as it reminds him of her. I think that she has not only left him but has passed and the significance of the 'red dress hanging on the moon' suggests to me, that she's now in heaven.

The line 'there's a red dress hanging on the moon' is so visual and I picture a long, sleeveless, red dress hanging on a crescent moon, by one shoulder - I just love that line.

The fact that the song is a co-write with Sam Baker has nothing to do with the fact that this is one I can listen to again and again :wink:

Jela

paddyinthepub
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Re: Song of the Week - Dragonfly - Mar. 8, 2010

Postby paddyinthepub » Mon Mar 15, 2010 10:29 pm

"once we're inside, it's a carnival ride" ~ ellis paul
paddy

Richard + Jela
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Re: Song of the Week - Dragonfly - Mar. 8, 2010

Postby Richard + Jela » Tue Mar 16, 2010 12:11 am

Just beautiful! Thanks for posting PITHP!

Jela


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