Royal Wood - Tall Tales

Story

Choosing to once again record at Blank Spaces studio in Toronto with Dave Misner in 2004, Tall Tales was an over the top pop record to please all the senses. Each song weighed in at under 3-4 minutes and was all about the production. "I used every trick I could think of. Every instrument that was in the room I tried. It was totally an experiment in layers. I added track upon track of vocals and instruments. I even used the clunkiest upright piano I have ever played - just because it fit the sound."

Moving from sweet ballads to pop rock grandiose numbers, Royal planned a voyage of sweet bliss. "I wanted it to be a throwback to the days of the Beatle's and the Beach Boys".

Released on Maple/Unniversal in June 2004, the finished product won national praise and critical success across Canada and set the stage for what was to come.

Credits

Produced by Royal Wood
Written, arranged and performed by Royal Wood
Strings arranged by Royal Wood.

The guest players included:
Kevin Fox - cello
Adam Hay - drums
Sarah McElcheran - trumpet
Valery Gore - background vocals

Recorded at Black Spaces by Dave Misener
Mixed by Royal Wood and Dave Misener
Mastered by Fedge

Lyrics

The Spirits and I

Trippin’ on cinnamon and peppermint seas
Singin’ oh…
Where a mermaid and me are happily sex'in
Oh…
Then the thunder wakens
Then I’m back in a flash the spirits and me

The wind-demons have bitten the sky
Singin’ oh…
When a paper-bag princess catches my eye
Oh…
The window open ajar the water seeps in
I’m back in a splash the spirits and I

Ahh…

The soldier and his knapsack take a rest
Thinking oh…
Living of a stone and the things gone past
Oh…
Then the canons waken
He’s back in a crash the spirits and him

Ahh…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once

Truth in the honey comb
Sweet in the singing
Up to the moment that
The telephones ringing
Take the bee away
You’re left there stinging
Hey…

Love in a battle cry
A lion roaring
Up to the moment that
The bird sets soaring
Take the prey away
The beast gets boring
Hey…

Well we all must feed the lions
Once, once, once…
Be the pigeon quickly dyeing
Once, once, once

Why do you have to think?
You’re a timeless story
With fairies and towers high
And all things gory
Waiting for rescues by
Night full of glory
Hey…

Well we all must pay the piper
Once, once, once
Be the pie-eyed candy-stripers
Once, once, once

We all must be the lovers
Once, once, once
Be the hiding one under the covers
Once, once, once

Well we all must drain the bottle
Once, once, once
Let our towers slowly topple
Once, once, once

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sway

We can be the way we used to be if we want to be
Fold our ears and hold the sirens at bay
Needing gods around we’ll hit the ground
We’ll have to let the bullet’s ricochet

Oh we can be together
We can be together any way
Oh…

We can be the way we used to be if we want to be
Close our fists and hold the ships all in place
Blind to think we’ll hit the drink ‘till we fully sway
And blur the images away

Oh we can be together
We can be together any way
Oh…

Oh we can be together
We can be together any way
Oh…
Oh we can be together
We can be together any way
That’s all that matters today

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suzanne

I let the words come out
To hear how they would sound
Rolling off my tongue
All we heard was the subway pulling round…

Suzanne you missed them it’s a sin
I don’t see them popping up again
Oh Suzanne you missed them it’s a sin
I don’t see them popping up again
See them popping up again

I think I missed by shot
My stomachs in a terrible knot
My dying alcohol
Now seems to lack the where-with-all

Suzanne you missed them it’s a sin
I don’t see them popping up again
Oh Suzanne you missed them it’s a sin
I don’t see them popping up again
See them popping up again

May be we should build a house
And live in it ‘till we’re old
My intentions sailed right past you ears
The words did not take hold
The words did not take hold

Suzanne you missed them it’s a sin
I don’t see them popping up again…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Weigh me down

We’re swimming in the sea my lover
We’re fluid in our own embrace
If this will mark the end of our days
Weigh me down…

You’re going to have to hold my head up
In a whisper you will hear me say
If this will mark the end of our days
Weigh me down…

I knew we might not be so lucky
So luck to outlast the few
If this will mark the end of our days
Weigh me down…

Oh let me pass slowly
Let me linger here in you hands
Promise I will sink wholly
When you release me from you hands
With love (drowning in love)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Under the Years

Turing tales with me
In those pages we were free
And I’ll always love you then
Always love you

Parading in our bed
I’m a pillow for your head
Saying I’ll always love you
And always love you
And you would say
You’ll always love me
And always love me

Come take a walk with me
To the graveyard there
Where we’ll lye together and be
Six feet under the years

Saying I’ll always love you
And always love you
And you would say
You’ll always love me
And always love me

Come take a walk with me
To the graveyard there
Where we’ll lye together and be
Six feet under the years

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Wonder

There’s less now in my view
The simple things are few
The woods have altered too
For the boy now in mans shoes

I’ve put away my toys
And organized my joy
And all of this destroys
The man that once was boy

Oh…

The garage stores my bike
The trading cards I liked
So I’ll close the door and hide
With the wonder that was mine
So I’ll close the door and hide
With the wonder that was mine

Oh…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Scene

How the light from the street breaks the scene
In my room as the car passes by
And my thought choosing now to take leave
Tag along for the ride

Goodbye…baby bye

Now I am alone with my scene
Empty room and an empty mind
And my heart is breaking it seems
But my lungs keep on changing there mind

Goodbye…baby bye

It’s not easy… no… to take leave
When you do not know the recipe
Hats off to you thoughts now…

Goodbye…baby bye

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Roaming Sky

Professing to the Roaming sky
Turning round in salt I’d lye
For I’m not always the surest one
I ask the heavens what should be done

Should I wait for your return?
Or snuff the candle so no wicked burn
Or maybe I should encourage it
To bring about the sun

Sun…sun come out

Surely that will bring the spring
For winter is the grayest thing
Hands move slower then and…
Than the flesh that’s eaten off the man

Sun…sun come out

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Balloon

Wait wanted to be
Sailing and free
Up in the air a balloon
And oh life settles in
A jab at the chin
Where to begin from here

Life has a funny
Way of creeping up
I should have been a better man

Wait steadfast and true
The plans that I’d do
If not for the schedule
Oh not my bravest of times
I choked on my pride
Ring her up later meanwhile…

Life has a funny
Way of creeping up
I should have been a better man
I should have been all right
I should have been
I could have been

We all have to fade
Worms in our fate
They are just waiting
Waiting for us
So let loose all the lust
Blow off the dust
We are all waiting
Waiting to feel
Rage for a while
Uncover a smile
On the face of a child
Laughing with grace
Beauty in place
The light we contain
From our living I’m saying
We’re all built for love

Da…

Wait wanted to be
Sailing and free
Up in the air a balloon

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Perfect Ending

Moonlight brings silhouette, silhouette fills…it thrills the room
Casting our shadows, our shadows…they seem to raise a tune

Here we go a melody rings
Holding you so the night it does bring

Moonlight and silhouette, silhouette fills, it thrills the room
Casting our shadows, our shadows, they seem to raise a tune

Here we go a melody rings
Holding you so the night it does bring
Arrows to targets, a phrase fit to sing
And in the words you’ll find us a perfect ending