Little Village

Raining in the forest ...

As soon as this song starts, I start to smile because I know what's coming.

Magic.

A dash of plucked strings, a turn of phrase and Van just turning it on, transforming a lovely song into something so much more.  I have no idea how it happens. It just does. The song shuffles into consciousness with Van urging us to get "away from the city" to where you can hear the "voice of the silence." As soon as that hits you know it could be in the air. 

Van is in some kind of declarative mood and the hints are there, silence, truth, bells, voices singing but lulled as we are by the soft strings and mandolin it isn't until deep into the song when it is "Raining in the forest just enough to magnetise the leaves" that the magic comes down.  I can't explain what happens, a combination of the plucked strings echoing the raindrops as they fall and Van opening up with that voice of his, I don't understand. 

I might not understand but I do know. 

Magic. 

Little Village baby, ain't large enough to be a town

From a little village baby ain't large enough to be a town

Gotta get away from the city it's gonna bring you down

Heard the voice of the silence, in the evening

In the long cool summer nights

Heard the voice of the silence, in the evening

In the long cool summer nights

Telling me not to worry, everything's gonna be alright

There's only two kinds of truth

Baby let's get it straight from the start

There's only two kinds of truth

Let's get it straight from the start

It's all what you believe

Baby in your head and your heart

Heard the bells ringing

Voices singing, soft and low

Heard the bells ringing,

Voices are singing soft and low

Way up in the mountain, little village in the snow

Raining in the forest just enough to magnetise the leaves

Raining in the forest just enough to magnetise the leaves

We'll go walking in the moonlight shining down through the trees

Little village, way up on the mountainside

Little village baby, way up on the mountainside

Way across the ocean with you by my side

A quite extraordinary live version. Luxuriate in this.

Just enough to magnetise the leaves ...