Winter Passing (2014)
Release: May 9th 2014
Produced by Even Ormestad
Recorded in Albatross Recorders
Mixed by Bjarne Stensli
Mastered by Brad Blackwood
Lyrics and credits
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Stay a while, honey, I am tired of good-byes
Lay your head in my lap,
And I’ll sing you songs of good times to comeLook into my eyes and try to deny
That you and me, darling, we were meant to fly
If I can’t have you, I am bound for a fall
No, if I can’t have you, I want no one, no one at allWhy do you ponder so, remember we’re young and free
Even the greatest ocean
Couldn’t keep your heart from calling meIf the world would end, and if the sky came tumbling down
As long as you are mine
Together we will stand our groundLook into my eyes and try to deny
That you and me, darling, we were meant to fly
If I can’t have you, I am bound for a fall
No, if I can’t have you, if you won’t be true
I would be so blue, I want no one, no one at all(Mari Sandvær Kreken, Tor Egil Kreken)
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My name is Joy, and I’m in hell
That’s what they call my prison cell
For I have killed a man, who came to take my land
Papers from the bank was in his handHe found me in my patch of field
Flushing crows to make them yield
In a moment of despair, I fired in the air
As I saw him fall, I shed no tearWhatever goes up, must come down
And it might hit you to the ground
If it goes up, it will come down
And it might turn your life aroundWhen all is said and all is done
Mine was the hand that held the gun
So I will take the blame, for my lousy aim
At least my land no longer he can claim(Mari Sandvær Kreken, Tor Egil Kreken)
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Placed with no care on a load heading west
On a road too rough you fell
Under layers of dust you were laid to rest
But you still had tales to tell
Play for me a tune in a mournful key
Unveil another verse of the things you have seen
Share with me a song and I’ll try to hum along
Fiddle, tell your stories to me
Fate took a turn in a desolate place
As a wind revealed your grave
With no strings and no bow, in a worn out case
Holding secrets I could save
Old you may be, but you’ll stay when I’m gone
Adding tales along the way
All that I’m hoping for when my last day is done
A lament for me you’ll play
(Mari Sandvær Kreken and Tor Egil Kreken) -
North wind, north wind, please bring to me some tidings from back home
Cold, clear north wind, I’ll hide from you if you bear a heavy load
I’ll hide from you if you bear a heavy load
South wind, south wind, come stir me with your tales of foreign lands
Tell me, south wind, what have you seen on your travels far and wide
What have you seen on your travels far and wide
East wind, east wind, my heart belongs to another, but he’s gone
Cunning east wind, don’t lure me with your deceitful, tempting song
Don’t lure me with your deceitful, tempting song
West wind, west wind, forgive me for forgetting that you’re mine
Darling west wind, will you stay with me a little longer just this time
Please stay with me a little longer just this time(Mari Sandvær Kreken and Tor Egil Kreken)
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Back in my mining days, when I was digging for gold
I would spend all my waking hours in deep, dark holes
The deeper I dug, the clearer did I see
That rock and stone and solid ground could not take care of me
I was dreaming, dreaming of you
My home is where my heart is
And my heart’s right here with you
I’ve been on the other side of the mountain
I have seen the ocean blue
In every town I just kept feeling lonely, cause my heart was here with you
I was a drifter for too long, now I’ve made up my mind,
My restless days are buried in the years I’ve left behind
I’ll lay down my chisel, my hammer I’ll cast aside
No vein of gold can lure me away, by that I will abide
I will stay, stay with you
My home is where my heart is
And my heart’s right here with you
I’ve been on the other side of the mountain
I have seen the ocean blue
In every town I just kept feeling lonely, cause my heart was here with you(Mari Sandvær Kreken and Tor Egil Kreken)
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Fire’s burning low, winter’s growing old
Sing, child, sing
Sun is rising pale, a bleak and barren vale
Weep, sister, weep
Weakened by the cold, stories still untold
Walk, son, walk
Battles lost and won, more is yet to come
Stand, brother, stand
Years come and gone, forgotten and forlorn
Cry, mother, cry
From the other side
Across the river wide
Call, Father, call(Mari Sandvær Kreken and Tor Egil Kreken)
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Monday you were at my door, bragging of plans in store
Tuesday you’re already gone, leaving my heart undone
Wednesday you were back again, aiming to relight that flame
Thursday, oh that glorious day, I thought, “This time he’ll stay”
Friday I got too used to thinking you could be true
Saturday, the dream it broke, again your doubts awoke
Sunday I’m alone once more, keep waiting by that door
(Mari Sandvær Kreken and Tor Egil Kreken) -
O, Katy dear, go ask your mama
If you can be a bride of mine
If she says yes, come back and tell me
If she says no, we’ll run awayO, Willie dear, there’s no need asking
She’s in her room, taking a rest
And by her side’s a silver dagger
To slay the one that I love bestO, Katy dear, go ask your papa
If you can be a bride of mine
If he says yes, come back and tell me
If he says no, we’ll run away
O, Willie dear, there’s no need asking He’s in his room, taking a rest
And by his side’s a silver dagger
To slay the one that I love best
Then he picked up that silver dagger And stove it through his troubled heart Saying goodbye Katy, goodbye darling
It’s now forever me must part
Then she picked up that bloody dagger
And stove it through her lily-white breast
Saying goodbye mama, goodbye papa
I’ll die for the one that I love best(Traditional)
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Bragging, bold and bound for the shores of Mexico
A price on your hear and a bag full of gold
Tempted by a gambler and a chance to raise the score
Everything was won, but you still wanted more
Draw the cards that seal your fateShot in the back by a friend
Fingers tremble, it’s time to fold
When you hold the dead man’s hand
Sometimes you’re gonna win, and sometimes you’re bound to loseSometimes the hand you’re dealt gives you no chance to choose
Speaking of great fortune and of things that lie ahead
Telling tales of the living and the soon-to-be-dead
(Mari Sandvær Kreken and Tor Egil Kreken)
When Mari and Tor Egil Kreken started Darling West back in 2013, the project was intended as a way to give the married couple an opportunity to spend more time together. Tor Egil was one of Norway’s most critically acclaimed studio/live musicians, and he frequently toured the world with some of Norway’s biggest artists. Mari was hardly idle at home, and although she didn’t play any instruments at the time, her beautiful voice landed her gigs as a backup singer for artists such as Marit Larsen, Stein Torleif Bjella and Maria Solheim. After a few years of practicing the guitar, harmonica and other instruments behind closed doors, Mari was ready to enter the stage as the frontwoman of Darling West. In creating Darling West, Mari and Tor Egil combined their fascination for American songwriting traditions and their ability to write catchy and memorable melodies.
Having found a space in which they could create music together, Mari and Tor Egil asked their friend and guitarist Kjetil Steensnæs to join the team. Darling West quickly became one of the leading bands on the increasingly expanding Norwegian Americana and folk scene. Their first record «Winter Passing» was released in 2014, and resulted in a Spellemann nomination (Norwegian Grammy), in the country genre. (The country genre also covers traditional folk music, such as Americana, country, folk etc.)
Although Darling West is based in Oslo, they have always found their inspiration in the Old West of the U.S., as connotated in their band name. Their music is inspired by the thought of endless stretches on beaten tracks and back roads, with rolled down windows, of playing endless gigs at nocturnal barn parties, of bolo ties and wild rags, of tipping their hats upon meeting. Their music has been powerful, melancholic, poignant, and very beautiful, starting with the very first song they wrote together.