Arborea is an American Indie Folk duo based in Maine and consisting of wife… Read Full Bio ↴Arborea is an American Indie Folk duo based in Maine and consisting of wife and husband Shanti Curran and Buck Curran. Shanti provides lead vocals, banjo, banjimer harmonium, ukulele, sawing fiddle, and hammered dulcimer, while Buck provides vocals, guitar, slide guitar and sawing fiddle. They both share songwriting duties, arrangements, and production.

Since 2005, Maine based wife and husband Avant Folk duo Shanti and Buck Curran have released 5 albums, curated two various artist compilations ('Leaves of Life' and 'We Are All One, In the Sun': a tribute to Robbie Basho), and performed throughout the US, UK, and Europe...including sessions on the BBC, NPR, WNYC, and WXPN. Arborea's 4th album 'Red Planet' was released in 2011 and received critical praise; making Rolling Stone 'Best Under-the-Radar Albums of 2011'', 'Editors Top Pick' Guitar Player Magazine, 'Top Vinyl Pick' Mojo Magazine, Uncut Magazine 'Top 100 Albums of 2011', and Portland Phoenix 'Top Ten Albums of 2011'. Arborea's 5th album 'Fortress of the Sun' was released April 29th, 2013 on Esp-Disk' coinciding with the label's 50th Anniversary and made AllMusic's 'Favorite Singer/Songwriter Albums of 2013', Acoustic Guitar Magazine's 'Best Acoustic Albums of 2013', textura's 'Top Ten Albums of 2013', and Best Of Echoes 2013 Listener Poll.

Discography
2013 'Fortress of the Sun'. Released on ESP-Disk'
2011 'Red Planet'. Released on Strange Attractors Audio House
2010 'We are All One, In The Sun': a tribute to Robbie Basho. Compilation curated and produced by Buck Curran and released on Important Records
2009 'House of Sticks' (Remastered) Worldwide digital release only
2009 Beautiful Star: The Songs of Odetta. Benefit compilation cd curated by the UK magazine 'Wears the Trousers.
2009 - 'Leaves of Life', World Food Program benefit compilation cd curated by Arborea released on Borne! Records
2009 'House of Sticks' released on Borne!/Acuarela Records. U.S. Distribution through Darla Records
2008 self-titled album 'Arborea' released on Fire Museum Records
2007 TEA-1 Compilation Cd, 2007,Terrascope Online (UK)
2006 - 'Wayfaring Summer' released on Summer Street Records

Live session and interview on the BBC 'World on 3' program. 5 June 2009
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/artists/b9fc8100-9653-4a7c-82e3-67fc69bd1ef5
Live set on WFMU/Irene Trudel's show 28 May 2007 archived on www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/23308
September 2008 Arborea feature on NPR
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94426447
NPR World Cafe May 2011
http://www.npr.org/2011/05/02/135924916/arborea-on-world-cafe-next
NPR Tiny Desk Concert May 2012
http://www.npr.org/event/music/152709325/arborea-tiny-desk-concert

Black Is The Colour
Arborea Lyrics

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Black, black, black is the colour of my true love's hair
His face is something wondrous fair
The clearest eyes and the strongest hands
I love the ground whereon he stands

I love my love and well he knows
I love the ground whereon he goes
And if he on earth no more I see

My life would quickly wean, wean

I go to the Clyde to mourn, to weep
For satisfied I ne'er can sleep
I'll write you a letter in a few short lines
I suffer death ten thousand times

Black, black, black is the colour of my true love's hair

Black, black, black is the colour of my true love's hair

His face is something wondrous fair
The clearest eyes and the strongest hands
I love the ground whereon he stands

I love my love and well he knows

I love the ground whereon he goes
Black, black, black is the colour of my true love's hair

Overall Meaning

The song "Black Is the Colour" by Arborea is a traditional Scottish folk song that has been covered by many artists over the years. The lyrics describe the physical appearance of the singer's true love, who has black hair and a wondrously fair face. The singer loves everything about their love, including their strong hands and clear eyes, even the ground upon which they stand. The depth of the singer's love is evident throughout the song, with lines such as "I love my love and well he knows" and the declaration that their life would quickly wean if they were to never see their true love again.

The second stanza takes a melancholy turn, with the singer traveling to the Clyde river to mourn and weep. They state that they cannot be satisfied without their true love and that they would suffer death ten thousand times. The final stanza repeats the opening lines, emphasizing the central theme of the song: the deep love and admiration the singer has for their true love, whose black hair is the color of night.

Overall, "Black Is the Colour" is a simple yet powerful love song that has resonated with audiences for generations. The song's emotional intensity and focus on the physical attributes of the beloved make it a timeless classic.

Line by Line Meaning

Black, black, black is the colour of my true love's hair
The hair of the person I love is jet black in color

His face is something wondrous fair
My beloved's face is incredibly beautiful

The clearest eyes and the strongest hands
My lover has the most beautiful eyes and strongest hands

I love the ground whereon he stands
I love everything that my lover touches or stands on

I love my love and well he knows
I am deeply in love with my partner and they are aware of it

I love the ground whereon he goes
I love everything that my lover does and the places they go to

And if he on earth no more I see
If I never see my love again on this earth

My life would quickly wean, wean
My life would quickly fade away

I go to the Clyde to mourn, to weep
I go to the river Clyde to express my sadness and cry

For satisfied I ne'er can sleep
I can never fall asleep feeling satisfied without my lover by my side

I'll write you a letter in a few short lines
I will write a letter to express my feelings in a few simple words