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.
The Way We Fall
Alela Diane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drinking whiskey from the bottle
It was an indian summer
Wild fires were burning
I didn't know it was the last time
You never know when it's the last time
I didn't know it was the last time
I walked miles after midnight
To a filthy attic room
I can still evoke the stale smoke
Of his cigarettes, cigarettes, cigarettes
I didn't know it was the last time
You never know when it's the last time
I didn't know it was the last time
Tim was on the sidewalk
With his empty, ocean eyes
He was smiling like a shadow
And would never age, never age, never age
I didn't know it was the last time
You never know when it's the last time
I didn't know it was the last time
A vision blurred through colored glass
The white washed walls of summer's passed
The smoldering I do recall
The hopeless fade, the way we fall
The way we fall
The way we fall
The way we fall
The lyrics of Alela Diane's song "The Way We Fall" tell the story of a memory of a night out in the singer's hometown. The scene is set with imagery of whiskey, Indian summer and wild fires burning, alluding to the heat and passion of the situation. There is a sense of nostalgia in the way the memory is presented, with the repeated refrain of "I didn't know it was the last time" emphasizing how we often do not fully appreciate moments until they are gone.
The singer then describes walking alone in the early hours of the morning to a "filthy attic room" where she can still smell the stale smoke of cigarettes. Again, there is a feeling that the moment is one of the past, and the memory is important because it is one of the last times she shared the experience with the person she was with.
The song then takes a more melancholy turn with the introduction of a character called Tim, whose "empty ocean eyes" and ageless smile suggest a sense of sorrow and regret. The repeated refrain of "you never know when it's the last time" highlights how fleeting relationships and experiences can be, and that it is important to cherish them while they last. Finally, the song ends with a poetic commentary on the inevitably of time passing, and how even the brightest summer memories will eventually fade away.
Line by Line Meaning
It was back in my home town
The singer is reminiscing about a past memory that happened in their hometown.
Drinking whiskey from the bottle
The singer and others were drinking whiskey directly from the bottle during this memory.
It was an indian summer
The event that took place happened during a hot, dry period in their hometown.
Wild fires were burning
During the Indian summer in the artist's hometown, wildfires were raging.
I didn't know it was the last time
The artist did not realize that the event being reminisced about would be the last time they would experience it.
You never know when it's the last time
The singer reflects on the idea that people never know when they are experiencing something for the last time in their life.
I walked miles after midnight
After the event being reminisced about, the singer walked a long distance during the nighttime.
To a filthy attic room
The artist went to an unpleasant, dirty room in an attic after walking for a long time.
I can still evoke the stale smoke
The artist can still remember and bring to mind the smell of cigarette smoke from this memory.
Of his cigarettes, cigarettes, cigarettes
The person in the memory was smoking many cigarettes.
Tim was on the sidewalk
A person named Tim was present during this memory and was on the sidewalk.
With his empty, ocean eyes
Tim had empty, unfeeling eyes that resembled the ocean.
He was smiling like a shadow
Tim was grinning, but it was as if he was just a shadow of himself and not truly happy.
And would never age, never age, never age
The singer believed that Tim would never age, as if he was stuck in a state of youth forever.
A vision blurred through colored glass
The singer has a hazy, unclear vision of this memory as if looking through colored glass.
The white washed walls of summer's passed
The memory took place in a bright, summery setting with white walls.
The smoldering I do recall
The artist remembers something smoldering during this memory.
The hopeless fade, the way we fall
The singer reflects on the idea of losing hope and the way people inevitably fall, both literally and metaphorically.
The way we fall
The theme of falling is repeated, likely symbolizing an eventual, unavoidable decline.
The way we fall
The way we fall
Contributed by Aria O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ananda Sampaio
I love this album with all my heart. Alela is a poet!
Mats Frånlund
I heard this song on a compalation CD with a lot of other tunes. This and Diana Jones "Satan" stayed.
Mats Frånlund
Oh how I love this song!
Eva Rodriguez EPTX
OMG this chick !!! Absolute beauty from such a young person! A lot of her early stuff amazed me right off, an old sound, if you haven’t, check them out!
Mats Frånlund
...one o the most intaking songs ive heard. I love it!. thank you!
lune atik mars
Merveilleuse .........