- published: 06 Jul 2008
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Damien Rice (born 7 December 1973) is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician and record producer who plays guitar, piano, clarinet and percussion.
Rice was raised in Celbridge, County Kildare, Ireland and began his musical career as a member of the 1990s rock group Juniper. After leaving the band he worked as a farmer in Tuscany and busked throughout Europe before returning to Ireland in 2001 and beginning a solo musical career.
In 2002 his debut album O reached #8 on the UK albums chart, won the Shortlist music prize and generated three top-30 singles in the UK. Rice released his second album 9 in 2006 and his songs have appeared in numerous films and television episodes.
Rice's personal activities include musical contributions to charitable projects such as the Songs for Tibet, Freedom Campaign and the Enough Project.
Rice was born to George and Maureen Rice and raised in Celbridge, County Kildare, Ireland.
Rice began his music career using the stage name "Dodima" Rice[citation needed] and formed the rock band Juniper along with Paul Noonan, Dominic Philips, David Geraghty and Brian Crosby in 1991. The band met whilst they were attending Salesian College secondary school in Celbridge, Co. Kildare as students. After touring throughout Ireland the band released their debut EP Manna in 1995.
Based in Straffan, Kildare the band continued touring and signed a six album record deal with Polygram. Their recording projects generated the singles “Weatherman” and “Single of the Fortnight” which received favorable reviews.
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car." With this trademark growl, his incorporation of pre-rock music styles such as blues, jazz, and vaudeville, and experimental tendencies verging on industrial music, Waits has built up a distinctive musical persona. He has worked as a composer for movies and musical plays and has acted in supporting roles in films including Paradise Alley and Bram Stoker's Dracula; he also starred in the 1986 film Down by Law. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his soundtrack work on One from the Heart.
Lyrically, Waits' songs frequently present atmospheric portrayals of grotesque, often seedy characters and places—although he has also shown a penchant for more conventional ballads. He has a cult following and has influenced subsequent songwriters despite having little radio or music video support. His songs are best-known through cover versions by more commercial artists: "Jersey Girl", performed by Bruce Springsteen, "Ol' '55", performed by the Eagles, and "Downtown Train", performed by Rod Stewart. Although Waits' albums have met with mixed commercial success in his native United States, they have occasionally achieved gold album sales status in other countries. He has been nominated for a number of major music awards and has won Grammy Awards for two albums, Bone Machine and Mule Variations. In 2011, Waits was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Three people I dont know, their stairwell, my wheelcahir, their needle, the basement, 6 inches of cold water
I begged them, I pleaded, don't do this, I'm not dreamin'
No nightmare, nobody can hear me, my wheelchair, this basement is flooding, 12 inches of cold water
I begged them, I pleaded, don't do this, I'm not dreamin'
It's cool to get the feelin' that you have gone through it without assistance
Just leave one hand against the wall and you can lead yourself out of the labyrinth
6 inches of cold water
Three people I dont know, their stairwell, my wheelcahir, their needle, the basement, 6 inches of cold water
I begged them, I pleaded, don't do this, I'm not dreamin'
No nightmare, nobody can hear me, my wheelchair, this basement is flooding, 12 inches of cold water
I begged them, I pleaded, don't do this, I'm not dreamin'
It's cool to get the feelin' that you have gone through it without assistance
Just leave one hand against the wall and you can lead yourself out of the labyrinth
I've done this twice and I was amazed at the ease of delivery
And if you lose contact you'll be stuck and I doubt you'll be leaving