Winnipeg by Orit Shimoni
Canadian songwriter releases a lovely new song.
«Winnipeg» is an autobiographical song that depicts the deep longing I felt upon suddenly being stranded and forced out of the life I had built and loved as a traveling musician. I had been on the road for over a decade straight, and had arrived in Winnipeg by train to play a few small concerts, with the plan of boarding the train again and heading east for the rest of my tour and travels. The sudden announcement of the pandemic lock-downs occurred in those very same days. The train was cancelled, and the «shelter at home» orders came, (but, having been nomadic for so long, I didn’t have one to shelter in!). I directed and filmed this video to depict the sense of isolation and waiting, with the dream-like train in the background haunting me as both a reason for my misery but also a guide to stay hopeful about being able to move again.
LYRICS
Well, the sign at the station said “Winnipeg” when I got off that weary train,
And the woman who came to greet me was friendly, but you were buzzin’ round in my brain,
She showed me the room I would sleep in, I put down my suitcase and sighed,
The room was alright, but I knew that I would not fall asleep if I tried
I was down on my knees I’ll admit it, I was willing to moan and beg,
But no matter how I look at it I’m stuck in Winnipeg,
And who knows how long I’ll be here and if they’ll open up the track,
And when they do which way I’ll ride and which way is forward or back
And I’m not sure if it’s fate or a ticket that wound me up in this town,
I’ve been scratching my head tryin’ to figure it out while the whole world turns upside down,
I’m stuck in Manitoba, but I’m dreamin’ of that train,
And of the day I’m gonna pack my bags and see my baby again
I don’t know how much longer, don’t know how long it’s been,
I wake and eat and sleep and breathe and the world still seems to spin,
But one thing is for certain, you still buzz ‘round in my brain,
And lord have mercy, I do pray you ain’t buzzin’ round there in vain
Not sure if it’s fate or a ticket that wound me up in this town,
I’ve been scratching my head trying to figure it out as the whole world turns upside down,
I’m stuck in Manitoba but I’m dreaming of that train,
And of the day I’m gonna pack my bags and see my baby again.
CREDITS AND THANK YOUS
Orit Shimoni – acoustic guitar and banjo, lead vocals
Glenn Radley – drums, backing vocals
Brynn Herperger – bass, backing vocals
Scott Duncan – fiddle
Special thank you to Bart Groenendijk and Helma Quaak for letting me film inside their beautiful home in Rotterdam!
Thank you too, to the wonderful people of Winnipeg who took me in and took care of me during the lock-downs, and to Manitoba Film and Music for helping support the promotion of this song and video.
https://www.instagram.com/oritshimonimusic
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3z7R6i4IhcSKcPOx6Gd1JC
promo@lucindarecords.com
