Earlier this year, I was introduced to the music of Ray LaMontagne through the song “In My Own Way.” I was struck by the lazy vibe and ethereal beauty of the music. “In My Own Way” is from the album “Ouroboros”, so I decided to check it out. The term ouroboros comes from Greek and refers to a serpent eating its tail; it represents eternity or the cycle of death and rebirth. I found myself captivated by the lush soundscape and rich chordal movement of the songs so I bought the whole album.
My favorite song on “Ouroboros” is “Another Day.” My interest was first piqued by the chromaticism and surprising chord changes. Then the lyrics grabbed my attention because of the comprehensive way they express the album’s theme. On the surface, it talks about the change of seasons: spring comes, then summer (complete with a snake slipping through the grass). Fall and winter come with a sense of aging: “Summer stay, summer play for awhile at least ‘til autumn’s gray gives way to winter’s rasp.” So our own life cycle is layered over the imagery of the seasons.
The second verse describes a green mountain spring. Considering how streams wind and wriggle, this again evokes the thought of a snake.
The chorus (repeated twice) goes, “Under the moon so round, the moon so round. Anyway, there’s really not that much to say it’s just another day.” The cycle of seasons and aging is overseen by the circle of the moon. The song ends with the refrain of “just another day” so that the listener is left with the sense of cycling.
When all of this hit me I was stunned by how well LaMontagne integrated the layered imagery with the album theme. It is really masterful. The song is brief so I hope you’ll take a few minutes to listen.
A Wandering Minstrel 