Roots and Roads
Tracklist:
All music & lyrics by Yossi Sassi
Produced by Yossi Sassi
The Yossi Sassi band
Yossi Sassi – Vocals, Guitars (Electric, Nylon-String, Acoustic, 7-Strings), Bouzoukitara, Bouzouki, Charango, Oud, Saz, Chumbush, Keyboards on “Madame TwoSouls”, “Road Less
Traveled”
Or Lubianiker – Electric Bass
Shay Ifrah – Drums
Ben Azar – Guitar solos 2 and 3 on “Palm Dance”, Electric Guitar on “The Explorientals”
Sapir Fox – Vocals (“Road Less Traveled”, “Bird Without A Tree”, choir on “Wings”)
Roei Fridman – Percussion
Guest musicians
Zaher Zorgati – Vocals on “The Religion Of Music”
Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal – Guitar solos 1 and 4 on “Palm Dance”
Diana Golbi – Vocals on “Root Out”
Roy Zu-arets – Piano
Yoav Efron – Keyboards on “Wings”, “Rizes Kai Dromoi”, “The Religion Of Music”, “Thundercloud”
Bob Katsionis – Hammond and additional keyboards on “Rizes Kai Dromoi”
Ariel Qassis – Kanun
Daniel Hoffman – Violins
Itzhak Ventura – Arabic, Turkish and Persian Ney
Danielle Sassi – Flute
Yankale Segal – Fretless Bass on “Bird without a tree”
Assaf Perelmuter – Lap steel, Diddley bow
Harel Shachal – Clarinet
Dan Piloni Kark, Jonathan Jacobi, Liron Schaffer – Choiron “Wing”
Management & Production Management: Raya Kosovsky
Cover art sculpture: “Suspended orange tree” by Ran Morin,
environmental sculpture & planning
Cover, booklet artwork and photos by Irene Serrano Espejo
Cover art photo by Cobe Tamshes
Band photo by Ami Bornstein
Album Design by Guy Nakash
Legal consulting: Ivri, Kerner & Co .Law Offices
Special thanks to our families and Jeremy Shotts
Engineered and recorded by Liron Schaffer at Jaffa Sound Arts, Tel-Aviv Jaffa
Assistant engineer – Aner Baruch
Guitars technician – Benjamin Millar
Drums technician – Ami Bornstein
Zaher Zorgati recorded by Kevin Codfert @ X-Fade studio
Mixed by Liron Schaffer at Jaffa Sound Arts
Mastered by Jonathan Jacobi at Jaffa Sound Arts
Pre-production & additional recordings by Yossi Sassi at Simplyossi studios
“Thundercloud” is dedicated to anyone who lost a dear person.
In loving memory of Shmuel (Shmil) Yair (the biggest heart ever),
Shay Milstein (the midey lives forever) and Amira Salach, my
beloved grandmother. To my father David Sassi, recovering from a
hard stroke – You gave me all the wings I need.
Lyrics
WINGS
I wish I had my wings
I know I could fly high up in the sky
But trees have roots down deep
So I’m bound to fly up in my mind
I think I found my wings
I know I could fly high up in the sky
My roots are there somewhere
My wings are everywhere
On land and air
Now I have found my wings
I know I can fly high up in the sky
My roots are there somewhere
My wings are everywhere
On land and air
ROOT OUT
Missing rays of sun, its warmth against my leaves
Helping me feel as one, as roots go deep beneath
I hoped you would stay, to rest under my branches
I miss the days of endless bloom
Blossoming high, as you’re passing by
When harvest came you were prepared
I wasn’t aware of the sun and air I should kept spare
One by one we fall, failing to recall
What happened to the rest, before we took the test
Reaching in despair, hanging in thin air
You want so much to share what I can hardly bear
You say that life’s unfair, so don’t just stand & stare
It’s time to be aware of your darkest scare
You can easily be there; without the glasses you wear
Time to break this fear’s affair
Time to go, time to root out
Towards the sun, a full home run
At the end of the day, you earn to stay for another spin
Can’t always win
THE RELIGION OF MUSIC
We are all traveling trees
Roaming the lands of nature
Doing our best to live simple lives
To grow our roots and prosper
But when you cut the trees you don’t like
There’ll be no place for you too
There’s a flame burning all
It won’t stop till all trees fall
There’s no us and them, no right and no wrong
You’re a tree just like me
So don’t cut me down
History just keeps repeating
There’s nothing new under the sun
Pain is pain, sorrow is sorrow
No matter where your tree comes from
When it burns, it burns the same
Can’t you see it’s the same old flame
It keeps repeating, it’s never ending
It just changes its name
But when you cut the trees you don’t like
There’ll be no place for you too
THUNDERCLOUD
Seems like I can do it on my own
I feel like I can pull it off
You gave me all the wings I need
You gave me more than you could know
Time over time, I’m thinking what you would do
Getting used to who you are, how you are
And seems like I can do it on my own
Feels like I need no one
But I need you, I always needed you
Seems like I can do it on my own
You gave me all the wings I need
I feel like I can pull it off
You gave me more than you could know
ROAD LESS TRAVELED
Our whole notion of work-life balance is messed up
Actually our whole perception of life balance is distorted
Do you think day-care centers for children in workplaces
Help you feel closer to your loved ones?
Running around like mice in business labs
Squandering precious days for someone else’s interests
Life that’s based on recipes from broken shelves
We depend on everything except ourselves
Driving, texting, selfie-observing the landscape
Lab grown fruits yet no fruit tree around
Can’t avoid the truth, it’s simpler than it seems
The one that dies with the most money never wins
Running around like mice in business cage
Scattering your best days for someone else’s caprices
Life that’s based on recipes from broken shelves
We depend on everything except ourselves
Roads diverge, one known, the other less known
Take the road less traveled to make the difference
Make your trip count before it expires
RÍZES KAI DRÓMOI
Roots are always showing your truth
Will you ever set the path to be yourself
Live in peace with what’s left?
And the days, they seem so long now
Each tick tock on your clock shows you what is dear
Every day we are here
How can you live without a home
How can you live without yours
Roads, there are so many
How can you choose which is right and which is wrong
If you don’t know your song?
Choice is up to you now
Take the things you want to keep and lose the rest
Can’t you see we are blessed?
How can live without a home
How can live without yours
STRONGER THAN EVER
Now my leaves have fallen
My timber fades
And when they’ll cut me down
My roots are stronger than ever