Washburn says she never set out to be a songwriter or a recording artist. In 2005 when she found herself on stage in a smoke-filled Beijing club playing her banjo and singing old-time Appalachian mountain music in Chinese to a packed house, she was as surprised as anyone. “A daring, definite talent, whose feel for the folk idiom results in moving material. Soulful is the word,” hailed the Wall Street Journal at the time. “On stage, her voice resonated with the power of a seasoned performer and her poetic hill tunes sounded all the more evocative in Chinese.”
It was in Tennessee in 2000 that Washburn met KC Groves, one of the founding members of the band Uncle Earl, and she went on to spend five years touring with the band. In 2005, in the midst of touring with Uncle Earl, Washburn released her first solo debut, and bilingual album, Song of the Traveling Daughter, (Nettwerk). At that point Washburn joined cellist, Ben Sollee, in performing her music around the globe. In 2005 Washburn, Sollee and a few friends—Béla Fleck on banjo, Casey Driessen on fiddle- toured China and recorded as Abigail Washburn & The Sparrow Quartet. In 2006, the US State Department and the American Center for Educational Exchange requested that the group come back to lead the first official tour of a US band in Tibet.
In 2010, Washburn released "City Of Refuge".
As a member of The Wu Force, they played their first show together at the Yugong Yishan music club in Beijing in late 2011 and came back together in early 2014.
Beginning in August 2013, Washburn began performing and recording as the duo Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn with her husband Béla Fleck.
In 2020, Washburn released an album as Wu Fei & Abigail Washburn.
City Of Refuge
Abigail Washburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I got a father
Diamond rations, stark white collar
She looks good
He makes the dollars
I'm just free to do what I wanna
I gotta run
I gotta run
Mama's at ease in socialite graces
Papa remembers the names with the faces
I can speak on the topic of religion
Just can't seem to make a clear decision
I gotta run
Run, run, run
Run to the City of Refuge
I gotta run
I gotta run
Mama's got a lover
Papa thinks he's sober
Pray on my knees, the clouds keep fallin' over
Torn down the lace
Booze on his collar
They never ask if the secret's boiling over
Under white sheets where all I do is wonder
When I'm gonna run
Run, run, run
Run to the City of Refuge
Where everyone is made new
I gotta run
I gotta run
Where there's a mother
Where there's a father
Adam's on the roof and Eve is in the gutter
Eden's on the far side
Where the circle started
To run with the gods, you gotta run harder
Run, run, run
Run to the City of Refuge
Where everyone is made new
Oh the City of Refuge
Where everyone is made new
Oh the City of Refuge
Where our burdens lay in the town
Where we came from
The first stanza of Abigail Washburn's "City of Refuge" introduces the singer's privileged upbringing, highlighting the distinct roles of her mother and father. The mother appears to indulge in high society by wearing diamonds and keeping up appearances, while the father earns a comfortable living. The singer contrasts her parents' lives and their expectations of her with her desire to be free and make her own choices. The refrain "I gotta run" emphasizes the urgency of her need to escape the restrictions of her upbringing.
In the second stanza, the singer discusses her struggles with religion and decision-making. Her parents may be involved in socialite circles, but she doesn't feel comfortable speaking on the topic of religion and is unsure of what she believes. The third and final stanza features more religious imagery, suggesting that the singer seeks refuge from her life in a city that represents a spiritual haven, perhaps even akin to the biblical city of refuge. The singer mentions her mother's lover, her father's possible substance abuse, and the secrets kept behind closed doors in their privileged household. All of these factors contribute to the singer's desire to escape.
Line by Line Meaning
I got a mother
I have a mother
I got a father
I have a father
Diamond rations, stark white collar
My parents are rich and wear expensive clothes
She looks good
My mother is beautiful
He makes the dollars
My father is successful and makes a lot of money
I'm just free to do what I wanna
I am free to do what I want
I gotta run
I need to run away
Mama's at ease in socialite graces
My mother is comfortable in high society
Papa remembers the names with the faces
My father is good at remembering people
I can speak on the topic of religion
I can talk about religion
Just can't seem to make a clear decision
I can't decide what I believe
Mama's got a lover
My mother has a lover
Papa thinks he's sober
My father thinks he is not drunk
Pray on my knees, the clouds keep fallin' over
I pray, but it feels like my prayers are not being heard
Torn down the lace
The lace is ripped
Booze on his collar
My father has alcohol on his collar
They never ask if the secret's boiling over
They never ask if I am keeping a secret that is tearing me apart
Under white sheets where all I do is wonder
Under the covers, all I do is think
When I'm gonna run
I am thinking about when I am going to run away
Mama's at ease in socialite graces
My mother is comfortable in high society
Papa remembers the names with the faces
My father is good at remembering people
I gotta run
I really need to run away
Where there's a mother
In a place where there is a mother
Where there's a father
In a place where there is a father
Adam's on the roof and Eve is in the gutter
Referring to a biblical story, Adam is above and Eve is below
Eden's on the far side
The idea of paradise is far away
Where the circle started
Referring to the beginning of life, where it all began
To run with the gods, you gotta run harder
To achieve a better life, you need to work harder
Oh the City of Refuge
A place of safety and comfort
Where everyone is made new
A place where everyone can begin again
Where our burdens lay in the town
A place where people leave their burdens behind
Where we came from
A place of origin
Contributed by Cooper C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@TonyfromBham
Abigail Washburn & Miles Davis are, in my opinion, the two artists who have shown the highest levels of artistic creativity in the area of modal music.
@cliffsandifer3877
Enchanting lady and skill ...
@Ukulele_am_Limit
AMAZING! One of the best contemporary banjo players: Excellent technique supporting the song. Not the other way round.
@yaboi-km2qn
There’s only like two contemporary banjo players. She is very good though.
@pattipants
I 💕 LOVE💕 this song and the way she sings it❣️ I listen to it often. 💗💗💗💗💗💗
@bkz
She is simply superb
@IIVVBlues
You can't beat simple unadorned banjo in the hands of someone who can play it.
@nemitahi161
Keep coming back to this video like it's home for me. The sound's running from a thumpin heart beat and a breathing and she is making this all happen in that alley. And I love she's sitting like that there... friggin gorgeous woman really
@pattipants
I am addicted to this! Abagail is now on my list of fave banjo players, along w/her hubby Béla Fleck❣️She has an awesome sultry voice & is super sexy😊
@pattipants
AND ❤️🔥Richie Stearns❤️🔥