chris cunningham: guitar, piano, bass, violin, mandolin, x… Read Full Bio ↴Band Members:
chris cunningham: guitar, piano, bass, violin, mandolin, xylophone, paranoid words, intrusive gestures.
brantley duke: singing, xylophone, percussion, looking good
matt badger: Lt. Commander of percussion
Bio:
After teaching overseas in the Marshall Islands, Chris Cunningham returned to Seattle in 2008 and met Brantley Duke, a local record engineer and musician. Within two months of their introduction, the pair began writing and playing music together. They shared a common interest in darker sounding melodies combined with intricate vocal harmonies.
In the spring of 2009, a talented Seattle drummer by the name of Matt Badger was introduced to Chris at a show. After a 5 minute conversation, Matt was invited to join the project.
The trio spent the summer of ‘09 practicing and writing together, then began recording what would become their first full-length, a 14 track album titled “Demons and Lakes.”
Since the album’s release in January 2010, Ravenna Woods has been enjoying a large amount of local support, consistent airplay on Seattle’s KEXP 90.3, and very favorable press (local and international).
Ravenna Woods was awarded the title of ‘Best Acoustic Indie Band of 2010’ by Seattle Magazine, and got voted into KEXPs top 90 albums of 2010.
Ravenna is currently wrapping up their upcoming effort – “Valley of the Headless Men.”
The sound can best be described as innovative acoustic indie music that weaves together haunting vocal harmonies, complex finger picking, and unconventional percussion into complex song structures.
Graves
Ravenna Woods Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Finance, old cash, working class; no chance - they got the souls from the graves.
Hard lives, bad fights, patching up old lies - we got the souls from the graves.
False hope, black smoke, targets on tight ropes - we got the souls from the graves.
Good men and bad men working for both sides, just picking the lesser evil
(Buy the ticket, take the ride).
No matter which way you have turned your head - the king is dead, the queen is dead;
Money runs this government now.
The lyrics to Ravenna Woods's song Graves elucidate the corruption and immorality that exist within the government, economy, and society as a whole. The opening lines "Lined up, tied up, pull the strings right up - they got the souls from the graves. Finance, old cash, working class; no chance - they got the souls from the graves" suggest that the powerful elite control the lives of the masses, making them nothing but mere puppets in the hands of their oppressors. The "souls from the graves" could be a metaphor for the working-class people who are figuratively dead as they have no say in the decisions that affect them the most. The phrase "old cash" alludes to the fact that the wealthy remain wealthy by keeping their wealth within their families, making it difficult for the working-class to accumulate wealth.
The following lines "Hard lives, bad fights, patching up old lies - we got the souls from the graves. False hope, black smoke, targets on tight ropes - we got the souls from the graves" paint a bleak picture of the struggles and hardships that the working-class has to endure. They have to "patch up old lies" suggesting they are forced to cover up the lies of the government and the wealthy. Also, the phrase "targets on tight ropes" indicates that the laborers are always in a precarious position, struggling to make ends meet. The lines "Good men and bad men working for both sides, just picking the lesser evil (Buy the ticket, take the ride)" suggests that morality is relative in this society, and people are forced to choose the "lesser evil" for survival.
Line by Line Meaning
Lined up, tied up, pull the strings right up - they got the souls from the graves.
People are being controlled and manipulated to the point of having their souls taken away from them.
Finance, old cash, working class; no chance - they got the souls from the graves.
The working class is being kept down and unable to succeed due to financial struggle and lack of opportunity.
Hard lives, bad fights, patching up old lies - we got the souls from the graves.
People are fighting hard and struggling to make their lives better, but they are being weighed down by past mistakes and deceit.
False hope, black smoke, targets on tight ropes - we got the souls from the graves.
People have been given false hope and are in dangerous situations with little room for escape.
Good men and bad men working for both sides, just picking the lesser evil (Buy the ticket, take the ride).
Even those with good intentions can end up doing bad things, and people must choose between two bad options in a system that is corrupt.
No matter which way you have turned your head - the king is dead, the queen is dead; Money runs this government now.
Despite past rulers and leaders, the government is now run by those in control of finances and wealth.
Contributed by Kaylee C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.