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Movies And Conversations

by Rider Where The Trees Are Low

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    10 tracks with overall 72 minutes of music. Includes a 12-Page digital booklet with all lyrics.
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    Jewelcase edition of the album, autographed on request. Comes with a 12-page booklet containing all lyrics, a band badge and stickers (while stocks last).

    Includes unlimited streaming of Movies And Conversations via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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1.
2.
Come a time when I change my mind And accept what can't be changed Sitting it out now The whole thing perfectly arranged Can you take my doubts away? Can you convince me to stay? The unease is wearing off But still I feel so strange Wonder how I shall treat this song Shall I rest or shall I dance Singing along now Ignoring every dissonance Can you take these notes away? Do you like this melody? No I don't but I don't want to Disappoint the fans A new chapter, a new start My worn out world's fallen apart I don't know where this journey takes me When I chase my liberty Reason can't keep pace with me And it's shouting "Don't be hasty!" I was there now I'm back again And the road made my feet hurt Taking a break now These old boots are stained with dirt Can you wash this dust away? Can you take my hand and say: "It's not an easy start But we will make it work" Up the corridor of stars Down the sound of passing cars From up here, I see their lights Afraid of losing control One step further and I'll fall I guess that's my fear, my fear of heights Looking up is easier Than looking down into the canyon that you came from The weather changes with your thoughts But still no need to hide the sun and let the rain come Answer me, and honestly: Do you want to fall back down? But you just sigh and look away Giving me a wordless frown Another change of scenery A single move and everything's as good as new It's a strange machinery You always think about what's in it for you The breakdown of a reverie You used to be lost in It will force you to accept Full responsibility for everything I hold on to this rock of trust And imagine someone claps My vision is blurred now I'm out of oxygen perhaps Can you take my breath away? Could this be my final day? Seems so much easier to let go and relapse It drags me down and it will hurt The gravity of a single word I can't climb these mountainsides There's always an excuse at hand That's the reason why I can't Get over my fear of heights Is it hopeless? I don't know I'm stuck inside this vertigo But they say a hero fights Slam shut all of my back doors And get the ship back on the course Maybe conquering my fear, my fear of heights Is there anything left to say Before I fade away now? Is there anything left to say Before I fade away? No.
3.
I've heard quite a few theories about the name I chose It's the strangest one you came across so far, I suppose Everybody's asking for the meaning and the cause So, to end the rumours, let me tell you how it was There was a concert in my town that I wanted to see Since I knew people in the band, I got the ticket free The singer was a friend of mine, he also played guitar A small giant with brown hair and a Scottish great grandma "Ride" on the drummer's t-shirt and my love for the outdoors Subconsciously combined into a name I liked because The words evoked a vague romantic image in my head And if you want to know exactly what I mean by that Come follow me into the woods, into a night unknown I'll take you to a secret glade where I leave you alone You wait a while in silence with the dancing fireflies And suddenly, the silvan songs unfold before your eyes Behold, behold The glow of the green light The trees, the trees The trees are singin' tonight And now, a tale. Once upon a time, there was a minstrel on a horse Riding through the forest (with his instrument, of course) And when he passed a tree whose arms hung low over the place His lyrics turned to swear words as the branches scratched his face But hit by inspiration, he takes out his lute and picks And comes up with The Ballad of the Rider and the Twigs A matter of material, I hope you've understood That this is not a rock song, it's a serenade of wood Behold, behold The glow of the green light The trees, the trees The trees are singin' tonight Behold, behold The leaves all look like gold The trunks turn to guitars and They strike up the songs of old Behold, behold The glow of the green light The trees, the trees The trees are singin' tonight Come on, come on Let's all join in the song The verses of the nightfall And the chorus of the dawn The shadows start to fade and we feel the morning breeze It's like a melody still rustles in the leaves Underneath a larch, we sit among the moss And the tree stump record player plays another song for us
4.
Doc Brown 08:59
Doc Brown. Yesterday, I was sitting here And suddenly, I had a strange idea I reached for some paper and a pen Before I would forget it again I wrote down the exact time and date Followed by my hallway's coordinates Finally, above the things I wrote An underlined big sentence as a note: Travel back to this scene When they invent the time machine Behind the time, I wrote a small +5 To control the moment I arrive Just recall the film with Michael Fox We don't want to cause a paradox I pasted the note into a book In which I would occasionally look Feeling as excited as a kid I closed my eyes and let go of it The noise of an explosion Followed by sudden silence Hello, hello Anybody home? Those moments of weakness I try to hide Fear of the future, not willing to decide If I don't hold on to the present day The tide of progress will sweep me away From the hallway I heard someone shout I recognized the voice without a doubt But between his loud words I could sense The subtle sound of fading confidence 'though I still asked myself how could we Play a trick on relativity I gradually began to understand That science fiction came true in the end So I opened the door And introduced myself to me I took a walk around my future self Checking out my shape and state of health Whispering words of old Doc Brown again Look at me, I'm an old man I excitedly chewed on my thumb When he told me about the days to come I could also tell you what he said But I don't want to burst your bubble yet
5.
The New Way 07:36
I met this guy in Poitiers, I had seen him once before We got into conversation about music and much more He said, "There are two things about which you can always sing It's girls and work and the perpetual trouble that they bring" And then a question came up that still lingers in my head He asked me, "Do you really think that people who are sad Want to have their spirits raised by a sentimental song?" I thought I knew the answer then but maybe I was wrong And now I think again Suppose the times are rough and you are feeling really bad Because your girlfriend ditched you or your dear old dog is dead Isolation - you don't want to talk to anyone Rather listen to a stranger so you put a record on Now if a song is sad what do you listen to it for? Is it supposed to cheer you up or floor you even more? Or maintain the melancholy that you're in so deep Self-torture with melodies until you fall asleep When you're in a mess and in your head it looks like rain You don't want to hear of that the sun will shine again And when you sit down on a chair to contemplate the course You don't need someone who tries to pull you up by force You want to hear: Old buddy, I know exactly how you feel I don't mean to bother you but let us make a deal Give me your attention and I will agree with you This life just ain't worth living, yeah, we both know that it's true When your missing peace of mind is like a needle in a stack When you're still alive but kicking like a beetle on the back When you feel like you're going to a funeral every day (with a heavy heart) When they ask you what is wrong and you don't know what to say (or where to start) You take your problems to the pub and drown them in the drinks But very soon you find out that they brought their water wings The powerful solvent that never solved anything (oh, my heart sinks) There's got to be another way to take your mind off things A shopping tour, a bath, a longer visit to your mom Over-eating, over-sleeping, over-and-undone In desperate search for a distraction, you can't help thinking: "Now that my floor is made of mud I might as well sink in" So if you're in the doldrums you should spend some time alone Leave the shutters closed and don't answer the telephone For that's the only good thing about being in a bad mood It's the aqualung for diving into solitude Retreat into your shell and then make sure that no one hears How you celebrate your pain and wallow in your tears But like everything that's aqueous they will dry in the end Sometimes scientific facts are comforting, my friend Hang in there, old buddy, I know exactly how you feel I don't mean to bother you but let us make a deal Throw away those razorblades and I will see you through ('cause I can see through you) I will be the prism that spreads out your shades of blue Maybe an experiment or maybe the new way No more silly songs that praise belief in the next day However, we are indie or at least we want to be And I'll be damned if I do what someone expects from me No matter what you've been through or what you had to endure You will get over it and actually, I'm sure That once this song is over and the last bar's ringing out You look out of the window and start wondering aloud How you feel today
6.
I. I MEAN NO HARM I'm walking through the silent garden On a summer evening In the twilight, I am starting To remember everything There's a subtle smell of fire From a nearby barbecue But the neighbourhood's quiet Like the people all hide From my view With the impressions that I get It's easier to find A way to weed the herbal bed That's overgrown with time These joyful memories Should bring me some relief But I stole them from the past So I tiptoe through the grass Like a thief Do you still remember? We were so young and wild I meant no harm to you I simply was a child I simply was a child but I have grown I'm walking through the silent garden In the night of my return Wish that I could beg your pardon My lessons I have learned It is time for something new For I cannot conceal The cue marks on my hand I guess I've reached the end Of the reel On that day in December I had to say good bye I meant no harm to you But I was aiming high Yes, I was aiming high but now I'm home And I'm singing low Dream on now Indians attacking Load my wooden gun The tree house is surrounded In the rising sun Are we lost? Conquering a mountain While the wild winds blow The shack on top will give us Shelter from the snow Sitting where the gallows stood Oh, how I wish that I could Fly high Through the chimney into the sky I try to turn the light on But the switch is dead So I know I'm dreaming It's all in my head Then I realize the Consequence of this And with a smile, I step Into the abyss Dream off now White noise on the TV screen Ripples on the surface of my mind In the racks around the couch The books are all carefully aligned Two plates with crumbs of bread And three empty bottles of wine We're getting nostalgic, it seems Moving along a fine line Because I'm still waiting For the first bomb to hit my face Calm before the storm What would you have done If you had been in my place? But family ties cannot be torn The story is so long, you know I've seen the bad luck letter on a stranger I've seen oranges as signs of danger I've seen movies and conversations fading But I've been enthusiastic even after I've seen on-cue crying and canned laughter I've seen movies and conversations fading II. NINE FEATHERS CAME OFF When I was a fox and chased a goose Nine feathers came off I put them in my pocket and carried them around All these years So I brought them back and laid them to rest In a pillow soft and white The red hunter in me is dead 'though I still wear his hide When I was asleep and out in the streets The people caught fire The wind turned them to ashes and carried them away One by one / So I trotted back to my part of town To burn in my own flame And hide inside my anonymous flat Where no neighbour knows my name Many years I wasted In this hive so far from home Flowers I have tasted Long distances I have flown I've seen the honey but I could not make my own I went down the village road Straight into the fields of oat Only weeks 'til harvest time Clouds like stains on the sunshine I passed by our primary school Looking back is sometimes cruel Owing to the many sides Of attic days and basement nights Cellar door Cellar key Cellar door C'est la vie Look at me now, standing here My back against the wall A storm is coming, far away The thunder starts to roll A tired house with eyelids down Waits for the night to fall The yawning of the doors Echoes in the entrance hall Do you still remember? When the sky was scarred and loud You sang into my ear Trying to create a sound That no one else could hear 'though it was just a clever way To cover up your fear It always seemed to work I never saw a single tear In your eyes, in your eyes And besides, it was night III. U'G'K I climb up the walls again Back into each frame From which I disappeared The family is calling my name Where have you been boy and what have you done? I reached for the stars but was burned by the sun I climb up the stairs again Back into my place Teddy bears, toys and books Still carry the smell of yesterdays Each night I visit this room in my dreams This time it's real - or so it seems After the years on the playboard I finally returned to square one So afraid and not knowing what I would find But I would have never expected That you'd welcome me with open arms Oh, you are uncommonly gentle and kind I go back in time again Four decades at least Our mother still smiling then Not yet a sign of the disease Father he whistled in the staircase and said Now it is time that we go to bed Here in this house that they left us There's nothing that doesn't remind Me of them and the life that I had long ago Say, what remains of our childhood But keepsakes that gather the dust? Anyway, being home feels so good, you know The curtain falls again I'm tired and old My conscience calls again I've put it on hold long enough I am an artist and I am alone When the film is over, it is time to go home And the credits roll Where we put them all On a pedestal Pride will have a fall Friends who turn away Golden figures stay That's the price you pay For all your fame Movies and conversations fading I look out into the garden So silent in the night I can see the curtains swaying As the cool air streams inside The waning copper moon Shines on my silver smile The peace in here is golden But only for a while
7.
Live like a teapot Peaceful and calm Hot water in your stomach And sugar in your palm To remove the bitterness That sometimes occurs The spoon of life and love It eternally stirs A trustworthy fellow Who sticks with his friends Although they use him And drop from their hands Your skin looks so battered So rusty and red If I were in your spot I'd surely be dead However This could be my favourite spot This could be my favourite spot And if I decide that it's not It will still be a daydream that I've got Strange ideas fill me On this my last day Sitting in a café In downtown Poitiers This French adventure Will come to an end What a great experience For a little German band I send my attention To where it belongs Five people speaking In three different tongues Why so ambitious Of getting it all Enjoy the fun and The sun of the fall This could be my favourite spot This could be my favourite spot And if I decide that it's not It will still be a memory that I've got Oh, this could be my favourite place This could be my favourite place I know that there are many ways And I try to find the right one in this maze I photographed the teapot In the fading daylight Before we payed and left to leap Into the final night Monday morning drive home It was a smooth end To a rough exciting crazy Journey with a friend Literal translation Is harder than you think You can't reach me the water But you can pass me a drink We wait for the next band To hit the stage soon How are you drunk again It's not even noon This could be my favourite spot This could be my favourite spot And if I decide that it's not It will still be a daydream that I've got Oh, this could be my favourite place This could be my favourite place I know that there are many ways
8.
I came here from far away and soon I will move on But before I hit the street again I'll sing a song Of that constant wanderlust which brought me to your place This relentless restlessness is written in my face Since I've started music I have never owned a car But I've learned my sneaker feet can take me really far It is a desire that drives me across the land I'm walking down the highway with my guitar in my hand I'm seeking inspiration where nobody ever goes Where the trees are low I light a fire and compose Trying to transcribe the gentle twittering of a bird Writing lyrics until I've used every English word I have to go again I have to grow again I've been to lots of cities and the countryside I've roamed I feel like I've seen the world Now I want to go home I think it is only fun to take leave and make tracks If you have a safe place to return to and relax
9.
I never trust the tabloids Or a gullible friend Because they tend to take a rumour for a fact See this big-letter headline At the newspaper stand? Where there's no content there is graphics to attract I have my opinions And I like to insist Although this sometimes takes its toll Still there is one thing I just can't accept Although it might be true after all I refuse to believe that a cucumber can kill a man Unless it hits you at two hundred miles per hour I know I will die someday But that's not the way I leave this world, I say I was not scared of 12/21 And the world did not end But with our help it will perish all the same And although this might offend you I think there is no god And so we have to look for someone else to blame Another incident Cannot convince me that All the food out there is bad Another mass hysteria Caused by strange bacteria But yet I refuse to believe that a cucumber can kill a man Unless it hits you at two hundred miles per hour I know I will die someday But that's not the way I leave this world, I say Nothing but lies and flimsy excuses When nobody knows what the truth is All these lessons are so useless If I'm unwilling to learn So I turn off the TV and the internet, too Look through the newspapers and keep just a few 'cause I don't want to get caught on the flypaper glue Of adverts and commercial breaks that always tell you What to wear, what to eat, what to buy, what to break What to love, what to hate, what to drink, what to take What to fear, what to say, what to think, what to strive for, What to die for I refuse to believe that a cucumber can kill a man Unless it hits you at two hundred miles per hour I know I will die someday But that's not the way I leave this world, I say
10.
Fading 02:37

credits

released July 9, 2015

All words and music written by Jan Thiede. Artwork and photos by Jan Thiede. Band photo by J. Oelerich. Hitchcock font by M. Terich.
Copyright © 2015. All rights reserved.

Musicians:
S. Freitag. lead guitar on "Doc Brown" and "Live Like A Teapot"
S. Thiede. piano on "Doc Brown"
M. Stett. bass on "Still In Denial"
Jan Hendrik Thiede. everything else

Instruments recorded in several long sessions between August 2012 and January 2014 in The Living Room, The Kitchen and The Office, Marburg. Vocals recorded in September/October 2014 and January/February 2015 in The Living Room and The Bedroom, Marburg.
Mixed by D. Hoffmann at 51st Woodhouse Lane between February and June 2015.
To preserve the natural dynamics of the music, this recording was not mastered. Please use your volume knob.

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Rider Where The Trees Are Low Marburg, Germany

RWTTAL is singer​/songw​riter Jan Thiede from Marburg, Germany. In his songs, he explores the possibilities of acoustic yet progressive music where folk miniatures and complex conceptual longtracks enjoy equal rights.

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