Forum

How about that! After posting my Video of the TOAD THE WET SPROCKET song All Right, Jeff (JCrocket) suggested I look at another song on the FEAR album, I Will Not Take These Things For Granted. I liked it but liked Pray Your Gods even more and started to try it out as it was a simple arpeggio on acoustic guitar. Well, I got hung up on this song too and saw a chance to get my daughter, Alessandra, to maybe sing the ethereal female vocals (by Ellen Turner) on the song. Only, I couldn't work out the lyrics. Sounded Latin. My Latin is not good! Searching the net for this missing information I came across TOAD's website and the email address of the lead singer and song writer, Glen Philips. So.... "what the hell" I thought, nothing to lose, let's ask the man himself. 36 hours later I received his reply (transcript below).
How about that! How many great singer songwriters can you casually ask... er, what were those lyrics again... and get an answer. My hat is off to Glen! Funny thing is, I reckoned he would answer... call me an optimist but my instincts serve me well!

On Nov 1, 2010, at 5:24 AM, Chris wrote:
Greetings from Switzerland Glen!
Many many thanks and congratulations on so many of your wonderful songs with Toad.
I really enjoy your vocals and have been trying out some of your songs recently such as All Right and now Pray your Gods.
I'd like to get my daughter to sing the ethereal sounds Ellen Turner sings on Pray Your Gods but can't work out what the words are.
Can you help me there... what are the lyrics Ellen sings.
Many, many thanks if you can help me here.
Best wishes from across the ocean.

Chris

On 02.11.2010 14:54, Glen Phillips wrote:

Chris: Hi there.Thanks for writing.
I believe the words are:

Dona nobis pacem, pacem
Et in terra pax

Be well
g

Pretty impressive! Looking foward to your video....

Looking forward to that,,really,can't wait,,,

Chris I could be wrong, but these lyrics I am sure come from the Mass In B Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach. I think they are found in the last section of the work , it has about 30 sections , the complete work has most likely never been performed as its rather long. JSB was originally Lutheran but had to change to Catholic and this was written about that time, maybe TTWS are a Christian band?

Look forward to you and Ale doing this. Good luck, not that you need it

Thanks for the info Chas... I'll check it out. I'd be surprised if they are a Christian band. They do have a couple of songs with a slant on religion but I see their lyrics as critical.

I may well need some luck getting Ale to sing... wild horses!

Willem, I hope it develops as far as a video... let's see....

PRAY YOUR GODS
I will give the secrets you request
And you will be the one to sacrifice
So lay your olive arms upon my breast
And sing the poems, free the butterflies

Pray your gods who ask you for your blood
For they are strong and angry jealous ones
Or lay upon my altar now your love
I fear my time is short
There are armies moving close
Be quick, my love

I feel my body weakened by the years
As people turn to gods of cruel design
Is it that they fear the pain of death
Or could it be they fear the joy of life?

Pray your gods who hold you by your fears
For they are quick and ruthless punishers
Or lay upon my altar now your love oh-oh
I fear my day is done
There are armies moving on
Be quick, my love

Dona nobis pacem, pacem
Et in terra pax
Dona nobis pacem, pacem
Et in terra pax
Dona nobis pacem, pacem
Et in terra pax

Dona nobis pacem, pacem Et in terra pax, This translates as 'Grant us peace , and peace on earth', it is in several poems and features in a quite a few Catholic Mass.

neverfoundthetime wrote:

Thanks for the info Chas... I'll check it out. I'd be surprised if they are a Christian band. They do have a couple of songs with a slant on religion but I see their lyrics as critical.

I may well need some luck getting Ale to sing... wild horses!

Willem, I hope it develops as far as a video... let's see....

PRAY YOUR GODS
I will give the secrets you request
And you will be the one to sacrifice
So lay your olive arms upon my breast
And sing the poems, free the butterflies

Pray your gods who ask you for your blood
For they are strong and angry jealous ones
Or lay upon my altar now your love
I fear my time is short
There are armies moving close
Be quick, my love

I feel my body weakened by the years
As people turn to gods of cruel design
Is it that they fear the pain of death
Or could it be they fear the joy of life?

Pray your gods who hold you by your fears
For they are quick and ruthless punishers
Or lay upon my altar now your love oh-oh
I fear my day is done
There are armies moving on
Be quick, my love

Dona nobis pacem, pacem
Et in terra pax
Dona nobis pacem, pacem
Et in terra pax
Dona nobis pacem, pacem
Et in terra pax

I'm really looking forward to this Chris. Good luck recruiting Ale.

Very, very cool, Chris. I will anxiously await the video, and I am really looking to hearing Ale again.

One of the interesting things I never expected when taking up guitar was exposure to artists, but I must say, there is nothing like learning from the pros. I feel some TTWS numbers coming on!