9/11 all over again. One of the most heart-rending songs on the Rising is Empty Sky. The narrator has lost his fiancée and with her a lot more. The atmosphere is sad.
The song, which is depending on three chords, their effective using and an almost haunting melody, is a personal story that works not only as a band version like on the studio take but also with performed just with an acoustic guitar and harmonica.
”Empty sky” is a pairing of words describing the view in New York after the Twin Towers vanished from the landscape after 9/11 and all that was left just an empty sky. The song starts more personally however with a scene from a morning in which the narrator wakes up in his bed with nothing on his side but a empty impression of a spot where once slept a wife. There’s no longer a chance to meet her. Other have gone as well and there’s blood running on the streets.
I woke up this morning
I could barely breathe
Just an empty impression
In the bed where you used to be
I want a kiss from your lips
I want an eye for an eye
I woke up this morning to the empty sky
Empty sky, empty sky
I woke up this morning to an empty sky
Empty sky, empty sky
I woke up this morning to an empty sky
Blood on the streets
Yeah blood flowin' down
I hear the blood of my blood
Cryin' from the ground
Empty sky, empty sky
I woke up this morning to an empty sky
Empty sky, empty sky
I woke up this morning to an empty sky
“Plains of Jordan” of course refer to The Bible describing the narrator’s faith like does the mention of the tree of good and bad and leaning on both. Times are tough and the direction in which things are going isn’t unambiguous. All our narrator wants is to get his wife back…
On the plains of Jordan
I cut my bow from the wood
Of this tree of evil
Of this tree of good
I want a kiss from your lips
I want an eye for an eye
I woke up this morning to an empty sky
Empty sky, empty sky
I woke up this morning to an empty sky
Empty sky, empty sky
I woke up this morning to an empty sky
Empty sky, empty sky
I woke up this morning to an empty sky
Like I earlier have mentioned The Rising was one of the first albums I bought from Bruce’s catalogue. The melody of Empty Sky made an impression right on. Because of the nature of the song it hasn’t got played a lot after the album-accompanying tour but the acoustic version rarely heard is always beautiful..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b-zxmuhfS8Albumilta The Rising (2002).
9/11 all over again. The Rising-albumin riipaisevinta materiaalia on Empty Sky. Kertoja on menettänyt puolisonsa ja samalla paljon enemmän. Tunnelma on surullinen.
Kolmeen sointuun, niiden tehokkaaseen käyttöön sekä liki kummittelevaan (koska sanalle ”haunting” ei löytynyt parempaa suomennosta) melodiaan perustuva laulu on henkilökohtainen tarina, joka toimii paitsi levyversion bändisovituksena myös erityisen komeasti akustisella kitaralla ja huuliharpulla esitettynä.
”Empty sky” kuvaa sananmukaisesti maisemaa New Yorkissa, kun WTC-tornit terrori-iskujen seurauksena poistuivat maisemasta ja tilalle jäi ainoastaan tyhjä taivas. Laulu alkaa kuitenkin henkilökohtaisemmin kuvauksella aamusta, kun kertoja herää sängystään yksin vierellään ainoastaan tyhjä paikka, jossa joskus nukkui puoliso. Enää ei ole mahdollisuutta kohdata. Muitakin on mennyt, kaduilla virtaa veri.
I woke up this morning
I could barely breathe
Just an empty impression
In the bed where you used to be
I want a kiss from your lips
I want an eye for an eye
I woke up this morning to the empty sky
Empty sky, empty sky
I woke up this morning to an empty sky
Empty sky, empty sky
I woke up this morning to an empty sky
Blood on the streets
Yeah blood flowin' down
I hear the blood of my blood
Cryin' from the ground
Empty sky, empty sky
I woke up this morning to an empty sky
Empty sky, empty sky
I woke up this morning to an empty sky
“Plains of Jordan” eli Jordanian tasangot viittaavat Raamattuun kuvaten kertojan uskoa kuten kuvaus hyvän ja pahan puusta ja molempiin nojaamisesta. Ajat ovat raskaat eikä suunta ole yksiselitteinen. Kertoja tahtoisi vain rakkaansa takaisin…
On the plains of Jordan
I cut my bow from the wood
Of this tree of evil
Of this tree of good
I want a kiss from your lips
I want an eye for an eye
I woke up this morning to an empty sky
Empty sky, empty sky
I woke up this morning to an empty sky
Empty sky, empty sky
I woke up this morning to an empty sky
Empty sky, empty sky
I woke up this morning to an empty sky
Kuten jo aiemmissa teksteissä on tullut todettua, The Rising oli ensimmäisessä satsissa jonka Bruce-levyjä aikoinaan hommasin. Empty Skyn melodia tenhosi välittömästi. Biisin luonteen takia se on ollut harvoin soitossa keikoilla, mutta harvoin kuultu akustinen versio päästää kuulijan kertojan iholle hienosti.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b-zxmuhfS8
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