The Cinematic Orchestra built a home for you

Patrick Watson, who features in The Cinema Orchestra’s ‘To Build A Home’ is a piano genius. I’ve only come across The Cinematic Orchestra recently, but let me say I am so glad I did. Released by the amazing labels Domino and Ninja Tune, the song ‘To Build A Home’ (which is part of their Ma Fleur album) takes my breath away. I’m speechless. Wordless even. Watson’s intensity in this song reminds me of Chris Martin when he is playing ‘The Scientist’, especially in this live version.  

Click here for a special acoustic guitar version they played in Sydney in January (I think as part of the Sydney Festival)

The Cinema Orchestra has actually been around since the late 1990’s and was started by Jason Swinscoe. They describe themselves as a ‘Jazz and Electronic’ outfit on wiki which doesn’t really come across in ‘To Build A Home’ as much, but definitely shows itself in ‘Colours’, ‘Breathe’, and ‘Channel 1 Suite’, where I think the rest of the album does try and blend the Electronic and Jazz. More Electronic than Jazz I feel. A song like ‘To Build A Home’ would work better commercially, and does stand apart. Despite the experimentation in the rest of Ma Fleur, their work remains accessible, which reveals the band to be talented enough to take their listeners on a journey, rather than going off on their own creative tangents.  

Anyways I do want to emphasise the lyrics of  ‘To Build A Home’, because they do perfectly complement the soulful melody. It’s poetry, that does stand out independant of the song as a whole. I interpret it as a song about the end of  a relationship. A melancholy end, not an angry one. The kind where perhaps they faded apart, or one of the lovers died. The kind that makes you weep silently. Morbid as that sounds, there is beauty in the way the song unfolds its meaning.

There is a house built out of stone
Wooden floors, walls and window sills
Tables and chairs worn by all of the dust
This is a place where I don’t feel alone
This is a place where i feel at home

And I built a home
For you
For me

Until it disappeared
From me
From you
And now, it’s time to leave and turn to dust

(Instrumental)

Out in the garden where we planted the seeds
There is a tree that’s old as me
Branches were sewn by the color of green
Ground had arose and passed it’s knees

By the cracks of the skin I climbed to the top
I climbed the tree to see the world
When the gusts came around to blow me down
I held on as tightly as you held onto me
I held on as tightly as you held onto me

And I built a home
For you
For me

Until it disappeared
From me
From you

And now, it’s time to leave and turn to dust