Both as a standalone and as part of the DSOTS album, you can take this lyric as read. As a matter of public record, Jourgensen's drug intake was legendary even in the 1980s. By the late 90s, in his own words, he was grappling with massive addiction issues and had lost almost everything: friends, spouse, money and had nearly died more than once. "Dark Side of the Spoon" is a both funny & sad title for an album made by a musical genius who was losing the plot; and this song is a message to his fans & friends saying he knows it. It's painful to listen to so I'm glad the "Keith Richards of industrial metals" wised up and cleaned up. Well done sir.
It was a cold night
And the snow lay 'round
I pulled my coat tight
Against the falling down
And the sun was all
And the sun was all down
And the sun was all
And the sun was all down
I am a poor man
I haven't wealth nor fame
I have my two hands
And a house to my name
And the winter's so
And the winter's so long
And the winter's so
And the winter's so long
And all the stars were crashing 'round
As I laid eyes on what I'd found
It was a white crane
It was a helpless thing
Upon a red stain
With an arrow its wing
And it called and cried
And it called and cried so
And it called and cried
And it called and cried so
And all the stars were crashing 'round
As I laid eyes on what I'd found
My crane wife, my crane wife
My crane wife, my crane wife
And how I helped her
And how I dressed her wounds
And how I held her
Beneath the rising moon
As she stood to fly
As she stood to fly away
As she stood to fly
She stood to fly away
And all the stars were crashing 'round
As I laid eyes on what I'd found
My crane wife, my crane wife
My crane wife, my crane wife
My crane wife arrived at my door in the moonlight
All star bright and tongue-tied, I took her in
We were married and bells rang sweet for our wedding
And our bedding was ready when we fell in
Sound the keening bell
And see it's painted red
Soft as fontanel
The feathers in the thread
When all I ever meant to do was to keep you
My crane wife
My crane wife
My crane wife
We were poorly, our fortunes fading hourly
And how she avowed me, she could bring it back
But I was greedy, I was vain and I forced her to weaving
On cold loom, in a closed room, with down wove
Sound the keening bell
And see it's painted red
Soft as fontanel
The feathers in the thread
When all I ever meant to do was to keep you
My crane wife
My crane wife
My crane wife
There's a bend in the wind and it rakes at my heart
There is blood in the thread and it rakes at my heart
It rakes at my heart, heart, heart, heart
Heart, heart, heart, heart
Heart, heart, heart, heart
My crane wife
And the snow lay 'round
I pulled my coat tight
Against the falling down
And the sun was all
And the sun was all down
And the sun was all
And the sun was all down
I am a poor man
I haven't wealth nor fame
I have my two hands
And a house to my name
And the winter's so
And the winter's so long
And the winter's so
And the winter's so long
And all the stars were crashing 'round
As I laid eyes on what I'd found
It was a white crane
It was a helpless thing
Upon a red stain
With an arrow its wing
And it called and cried
And it called and cried so
And it called and cried
And it called and cried so
And all the stars were crashing 'round
As I laid eyes on what I'd found
My crane wife, my crane wife
My crane wife, my crane wife
And how I helped her
And how I dressed her wounds
And how I held her
Beneath the rising moon
As she stood to fly
As she stood to fly away
As she stood to fly
She stood to fly away
And all the stars were crashing 'round
As I laid eyes on what I'd found
My crane wife, my crane wife
My crane wife, my crane wife
My crane wife arrived at my door in the moonlight
All star bright and tongue-tied, I took her in
We were married and bells rang sweet for our wedding
And our bedding was ready when we fell in
Sound the keening bell
And see it's painted red
Soft as fontanel
The feathers in the thread
When all I ever meant to do was to keep you
My crane wife
My crane wife
My crane wife
We were poorly, our fortunes fading hourly
And how she avowed me, she could bring it back
But I was greedy, I was vain and I forced her to weaving
On cold loom, in a closed room, with down wove
Sound the keening bell
And see it's painted red
Soft as fontanel
The feathers in the thread
When all I ever meant to do was to keep you
My crane wife
My crane wife
My crane wife
There's a bend in the wind and it rakes at my heart
There is blood in the thread and it rakes at my heart
It rakes at my heart, heart, heart, heart
Heart, heart, heart, heart
Heart, heart, heart, heart
My crane wife
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Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
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No Surprises
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
These lyrics are pretty straight forward to me, probably because I remember being read "The Crane Wife", or a story close to it, in grade school. Basically, a poor man finds a crane in his yard with an arrow through it - The man helps the crane get better, then sends it off. Shortly after, A woman shows up at his door - they get married, and to help with the money, she weaves cloth. However, she makes her husband promise to never enter the room while she weaves her cloth. One day, the man gives in to his curiosity and enters the room, only to find the woman is in fact the crane, plucking feathers out of herself to weave in to cloth. She then flies away, never to be seen again.
That covers the 3 parts - It's not quite perfect, but something like that.
Thank you, my friend. I didn't know if it was a metaphor or what! But I very much like this story better. So beautiful.
When I first looked over the lyrics, I thought it was a metaphor for a lonely boy, who found a heartbroken girl, took care of her and nursed her back to happiness, then became greedy and wanted to control her, then she left him..
But the Japanese folk tale works better. Ha.
It is just so amazing to me how Colin can sit down and take a Japanese folktale and turn it into the most beautifully written, just fkn amazing song. It makes me cry EVERYTIME I listen to it, and that has to be at least once a day, anytime I'm in the car...or the shower, haha. But seriously, if you don't know the story and you like the song, Google it, damnit! And it will change EVERYTHING. I used to ask my boyfriend, 'What is a 'Crane Wife'?' and he said he didn't know...I looked it up, listened to the the songs again and was so moved. GENIUS!
My favorite, the most moving part...
Sound the keening bell (bell for a funeral) To see it's painted red (her blood) Soft as fontanel (soft spot on a newborn's head) The feathers in the thread (the feathers she plucked out) When all I ever meant to do was to keep you (MAKES ME CRY LIKE A BABY!!)
Oh, and also...
There's a bend in the wind and it rakes at my heart There is blood in the thread and it rakes at my heart It rakes at my heart
PROBABLY THE MOST AMAZING SONGS I HAVE EVER HEARD...PART II IS MY FAVORITE AS WELL...DAMN THIS IS GREAT STUFF!
"and then colin cried so." ha.
The best lyric on the whole album...
"There is blood in the thread and it rakes at my heart"
the end of this song is so emotional and brilliant...
"I was listening to it for the first time in my car and had to pull over because I was bawling!"
Im glad it not just me then! I havnt bawled (I'm a man you know) but powerful is certainly is. In fact I have only just got into the decemberists and have the last two albums. Amazing. This track has so many meanings and could be adapted to any story in any genre. Colin has done a great job, adding a bit more detail to the most basic parts of the song.
But I was greedy, I was vain and I forced her to weaving On a cold loom, in a closed room down the hall
Should be: "Now I helped her And I dressed her wounds"
Even rhymes better...:)
Part 1 is definitely my favorite song on the new album!
Doesn't he give the twist away too early with:
As I laid eyes on what I'd found My crane wife, my crane wife
Though I suppose he's singing retrospectively. Great song