Copyright Paul C Hanson and Chris Wagoner 2014
Lyrics and melody by Paul C. Hanson
Arrangement by Chris Wagoner
Musicians: Chris Wagoner (violin and vocals), Mary Gaines (bass), Doug Brown (guitar), Jordan Read (drums)
Sound engineer: Tom Blaine
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Lyrics
You left without a sound.
Not a ripple found.
Never plumbed the depths of your soul.
You left us wanting to know.
Millions more, spread a thousand score.
Azure hues, the only one is you.
We’re wanting to know the depth of your soul,
The mystery your surface denies.
But time hides the proof,
We can’t find the truth.
Just stories our memory belies.
Millions more, spread a thousand score.
Azure hues, the only one is you.
I never said good-bye.
You know the reason why.
I live on in that good that is you.
‘Twas best a father could do.
The title Azul Lago carries a layered meaning—”blue, like a lake”—a metaphor for the depth we see in another’s eyes. To me, it also reflects the sense of loss when someone close to us is gone and the challenge of piecing together the past in search of understanding.
The lyrics borrow an idea from science: “Time hides the proof, we can’t find the truth, just stories our memories belie.” Scientists often work with incomplete information, trying to reconstruct a narrative from fragments of evidence. Similarly, memory is imperfect—shaped as much by what we recall as by what remains unknown.
I wrote this song in honor of my father, Wallace Hanson, and for anyone who has lost a father before truly understanding him. My dad was intensely shy in a crowd but warm, open, and accepting with those he knew. You could see it in his blue eyes. He suffered from Alzheimer’s, and in the final months of his life, he slipped away quietly.
There are two recordings of Azul Lago. In both, Chris Wagoner brings out the song’s depth with violin and improvised vocals—captured in a single take. The solo section, framed by Erik Radloff’s driving drums, features Chris and Doug Brown, whose improvisation carries through to the song’s end. The 2015 version includes all three sections, featuring Jordan Read on drums, while the 2016 release focuses on the middle section.
The full piece unfolds as a journey: the rubato introduction mourns loss, the energetic middle reflects life’s momentum, and the closing (included only in the original) offers a resolution. The song’s 6/8 rhythm, reminiscent of the sea, nods to my father’s service in the Navy during World War II—a time of deep pride for him. In his final months, as Alzheimer’s took hold, he seemed to drift back to those days, returning to a time that felt more familiar than the present.
The credit for arrangement, like most of our pieces, goes to Chris.
-PC Hanson