The songs for her album, 'The Pirate’s Gospel', were written on a trip to Europe. They were recorded in her father’s studio and were initially self-released in 2004, in paper and lace sleeves with hand lettering. The album was issued in revised form by Holocene Music in October 2006, and received widespread critical acclaim.
A new song, "Dry Grass and Shadows", was issued on a compilation of Nevada City artists, and five more new songs were issued on a limited-edition 10" vinyl pressing, Songs Whistled Through White Teeth, released in the UK in October 2006. The Pirate's Gospel was released in the UK on Names Records in April 2007, garnering favorable reviews in The Times and NME.
Alela Diane has toured in the USA both solo and with Tom Brosseau, and has also opened for the Decemberists, Akron/Family and Vashti Bunyan. She performed in the UK in April and August 2007. According to a relatively recent interview, her second album is to be expected shortly. She now lives in Nevada City, California.
She toured Europe (UK, Ireland, France, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany) in March, April and May 2008.
Brown Dirt
Alela Diane Lyrics
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To scorch away the snow mounts
Creek bad veins
Can I light a match
To scorch away the snow mounts
Creek bad veins
She goes away
Too freely
She goes away
Flows from me
Too freely
I am brown dirt
Left upon the shore
Where boats they once came
To leave what now remains
I am brown dirt
Left upon the shore
Where boats they once came
To leave what now remains
And I am here
I am here
I came into it but real soon
Go to find some other tree bark
To unfold another concrete block
To sit on for a while
She goes away
Flows from me
Too freely
She goes away
Flows from me
Too freely
I am brown dirt
Left upon the shore
Where boats they once came
To leave what now remains
I am brown dirt
Left upon the shore
Where boats they once came
To leave what now remains
And I am here
I am here
I came into it but, will soon
Go to find some other tree bark
To unfold another concrete block
To sit on for a while
Until the days are done
The days are done
The days are done
Until the days are done
The days are done
The days are done
Until the days are done
The days are done...
The days are done
The days are done
The song "Brown Dirt" by Alela Diane appears to be about the passing of time and how everything eventually fades away. The repetition of the lines "She goes away/Flows from me/Too freely" could refer to the gradual loss of something - perhaps a relationship, a loved one, or simply time itself. The imagery of lighting a match to scorch away the snow could be a metaphor for trying to erase the past, as if to say that we can't forget what has happened before. The singer describes themselves as "brown dirt," which is a symbol of the impermanence of life - the fact that not even the once-proud boats that arrived on the shore can withstand the test of time.
Towards the end of the song, the singer seems to accept the transitory nature of life and their own fleeting existence. They acknowledge that they will soon move on to "find some other tree bark/To unfold another concrete block/To sit on for a while," as if to say that life goes on even though everything constantly changes around us. The repetition of "The days are done" at the end of the song could be a reminder to live in the moment and make the most of our time before it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
Can I light a match
To scorch away the snow mounts
Creek bad veins
Can I use fire to destroy the mountains of snow and melt the ice in the creek that's causing problems?
She goes away
Flows from me
Too freely
Something she has (emotion, feelings, energy) is leaving her too easily and effortlessly.
I am brown dirt
Left upon the shore
Where boats they once came
To leave what now remains
She sees herself as nothing more than dirt that's been left behind, where boats used to come and go, leaving behind what no one else wants.
And I am here
I am here
I came into it but real soon
Go to find some other tree bark
To unfold another concrete block
To sit on for a while
She's present in the moment and aware of her surroundings but knows she won't be staying for long. She'll soon move on to find something else to rest on, like a tree or a concrete block.
Until the days are done
The days are done
The days are done
She'll continue to move on and search for her place until the end of her days.
Contributed by Kaitlyn G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.