Troubadours

"Can you hear that sound?"

Mark Isham's ringing trumpet lifts us away from mundane matters as Toni Marcus' strings elevate to the realms of dreamt romantic love. The clarity of the playing by the musicians on this track amplifies the purity of Van's own declaration told through this tale from the "days of yore." The three part solo section seems to echo the early stages of  romance, the initial heart skipping swoon before the excitement of reciprocity and finally seduction itself to the sound of Pee Wee's tenor saxophone but all of this virtuosity only leads to the true climax of the song.  

The moment when it is transformed from fantasy to reality as Van changes from outwardly describing the troubadours, to setting himself in their place "lift your window high, turn your lamp down low, oh baby don't you know? I love you so." and the questioning of whether she hears that sound, "Do you hear that sound? Do you dig that sound?" I'm standing below your balcony.  I'm playing this for you, do you hear that sound?  The knocking of his heart. 

From the ancient sun to the old hearth stove sang the troubadours

From the city gates to the castle walls come the troubadours

On a sunlit day it was bright and clear

And the people came from far and they came from near

To hear the troubadours

Do do do do, do do do do, do do do

If the troubadours sang their songs of love to the lady fair

She was sitting outside on a balcony in the clear night air

It was a starry night and the moon was shining bright

And the trumpets rang and they gave a chime

For the troubadours

Do do do do, do do do

And for everyman all across the land and from shore to shore

They come singin' songs of love and chivalry from the days of yore
Baby lift your window high, do you hear that sound?
It's the troubadours as they go through town
With their freedom song, do do do do

Oh baby lift your window high, do you hear that sound?

It's the troubadours with their freedom sound

Do do, do do, do do, do do, do, baby, baby

Baby lift your window high, turn your lamp down low

Oh baby don't you know? I love you so

Do you hear that sound?

Do you dig that sound?

It's the troubadours, coming through town

Two remarkable live versions.

Did you hear that sound?