There is no doubt that Damien Rice is one of the best and most interesting singer-songwriters of all time. His music has influenced countless musicians both independent and mainstream, including pop sensation Ed Sheeran and 2014 breakout artist Hozier. Damien Rice has been a huge influence on my life and my music, and his sudden return to the music scene this year inspired me to go back and listen to his catalog to find “The Greatest Damien Rice Songs of All Time”. “.

This wasn’t easy and you may not agree, but here goes.

5. Song: Trusty and True (Album: My Favorite Faded Fantasy)

Trusty and True was the track that struck me the most on Damien’s most recent release as something different, it has a very traditional sound and its message of uniting with your worst enemies is noble. Seeing Damien play this live at his Chicago show was an amazing experience. Damien explained the premise of the song before the start, opening it with this statement: “It’s a song about the Irish and the English, it’s a song about men and women, it’s a song about the person in you that you like and person inside you that you hate.

He then ended up placing his guitar on stage as he backed into the mist as the crowd sang along to the lyric “Come, let yourself be mistaken, come, it’s already begun” which stuck with me and is part of the reason I’ve added it to this list. . Call me an optimist, but the idea of ​​people coming together regardless of differences is always a lovely concept.

4. Song: The Professor (Album: Caras B)

It seems strange that one of the best songs of an artist is a B-side, although for an artist like Damien Rice it may not be so strange. The lyrics to this song are some of the most beautiful words I have ever heard. Relationships as a theme has to be one of the most overused in music, which, while it makes a lot of sense, can seem a bit boring. Every artist has songs about a breakup, or a connection, or… well, you get the picture, but this one is different. This song often says the things we all think about relationships but don’t actually say out loud. My favorite line in this song is “Loving is okay if you have a lot of time, to walk on stilts at the edge of your mind.” That line alone can sum up about half of the adult relationships I’ve had. The lyrics and the charming inclusion of the French song “La Fille Danse” (translation “Dancing Girl”) at the end are part of what makes this number fourth on my list of the best Damien Rice songs of all time. .

3. Song: The Box (Album: My Favorite Faded Fantasy)

Speaking of songs that sum up about half of the adult relationships I’ve ever had, drop in another track from Damien’s latest release, “The Box.” This track is the perfect example of Damien’s writing style and his ability to build a song to an exploding point. The lyrics to this song are again perfect, so it’s hard to pick a favorite line, but mine would have to be “So don’t give me love with an old rule book. That kind of love is only for suckers, and I I’m about it” that’s just perfect.

The strings on this track also set the perfect stage, conjuring up visions of an old black and white scene from countless movies, just brilliant.

2. Song: Volcano (Album: O)

Volcano was one of the first songs I heard from Damien and it’s still one of my favorites. The alternating vocal parts, perfectly placed cello line, and Lisa Hannigan’s haunting backing vocals make this song just perfect. This was one of Damien’s most popular songs and often sounds familiar to people who have no idea who Damien Rice is. Favorite Lyrics “Don’t throw yourself like that, in front of me. I kissed your mouth and your back, is that all you need?”

1. Song: The Blowers Daughter (Album: O)

Well, we’ve made it to number one on Damien Rice’s all-time greatest songs list and if you’re still reading this, I appreciate it.

The Blower’s Daughter, I heard this song for the first time when I came across the video. I had no idea what it was. I just saw Natalie Portman with pink hair swinging around a stripper pole, so I stopped by and took a look. Quickly, the sight of Portman prancing around in her lingerie quickly became secondary as the sound of this painfully repetitive line said “I can’t take my eyes off you, I can’t take my head off you.”

There was so much love, obsession and pain in those lines that I was instantly drawn to it. This song took me to Damien and countless hours of listening to O over and over wondering how anyone could write music like this. My favorite line from this song is actually the final words that are said at the end, the statement that changed what I felt the song was about. “Until I find someone new” After the lyric “I can’t stop thinking about you” is sung over and over again, that phrase comes out and completely changes how I feel about the song.

Well, whether you agree with my picks for the best Damien Rice songs of all time or not, there’s no denying Damien’s songwriting and his unique ability to draw listeners into his world making them feel a part of it. .