FALLEN - Lauren Wood, 1981

FALLEN - Lauren Wood, 1981 Fallen, written and performed by Lauren Wood. Arguably one of the most intriguingly structured love song. Behind a deceptively simple rhythm, the song weaves a luminous field of wide, mesmerizing associations of love and loved ones. A true masterpiece. “Fallen“ is and always will be Lauren Wood's song. And the song has undoubtedly been a steady companion for a good part of Lauren's life. Although Lauren Wood had written the song as early as 1979, she recorded it for the first time in 1981 for her second solo album “Cat Trick“. Being known as a somewhat experimental and eccentric songtress, it was not surprisinging, that “Fallen“ appeared to be out of place on an album that was otherwise caracterized by a typical bombastic eighties sound. Yet the core of the beauty of “Fallen“ lies in its unsurpassed simplicity paired with a singing that is nothing short of extraordinary : beautiful beyond words. The lyrics are deceptively simple but at the same time so skillfully structured that “Fallen“ holds an enduring appeal for both male and female listeners. Strikingly enough, both women and men respond in a similar way to the highly emotional content of “Fallen“. With all these elements of success in place, it may be surprising that “Fallen“ and the corresponding album “Cat Trick“ fell completely through in 1981. Something was obviously missing from the formula for success. With hindsight the missing piece consisted of a visual link, strong enough to build a bridge between a quirky and unconventional singer with a penchant for real strange cover artwork and an emotionally loaded song that seemed to be totally out of place in such a freewheeling context. Overnight sensation is not the only form of success: Lauren Wood had to wait for eight years before she was finally given the missing visual element that would make FALLEN unforgettable. In the meantime, Lauren Wood was quickly dumped Warner Bros. and her album “Cat Trick“ ended even more quickly in the cut-out bins. In 1981 “Fallen“ remained an unearthed gem.