Formed out of the nucleus of a squatter community living in abandoned buildings and greenbelt treehouses in Santa Cruz, CA, in 2004, the members began to learn to play folk instruments from each other and other members of the train-hopping squat culture. The band members had played in anarcho-punk, indie, metal, and ska bands and then, learning traditional music from jams, contradances and festivals, made music in the middle of punk, metal and folk. Their repertoire includes folk songs with Appalachian influenced time signature gymnastics that owe much to crust, hardcore, and metal and slower, drone influenced folk pieces with three, four, and five-part vocal harmony.
Avoiding the retro aesthetic of many other folk punk bands, they write music that addresses abusive police, modern alienation, ecological devastation, creeping ambiguity and vague fear, but also stories of resistance, mythology, a strong sense of community, and a deep love of a natural world constantly on the verge of collapse.
Critics began to take more notice when 2013's "False Weavers" saw the band change their sound. They incorporated more adventurous studio elements, bringing in many more instruments than on previous records. The earlier split with Hail Seizures saw the addition of fiddle and galician pipes, but "False Weavers" brought synthesizer, resophonic baritone guitar, bouzouki, and post-recording manipulation. There were also stylistic changes of Crass-influenced shouting interludes, and traditional folk passages in the style of Irish folk bands like Planxty and American traditional fiddlers like John Salyer.
In 2015, Blackbird Raum's fifth full-length "Destroying" continued to experiment and, after multiple tours of the US and Europe with them, included many contributions from Dublin's Lynched including spoken word passages, uilleann pipes, concertina and large amounts of Irish traditional influence. Later that year, Mars left the band to focus on activism and her side project Pale Robin. After Mars left, the band took a short break before a short tour followed by the release of an EP titled "Nevermind The Ballads" in 2016.
Members:
Caspian (2004 - ): Banjo, Fiddle, Resophonic Baritone Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Zack Religious (2004 - ): Accordion, Piano, Pump Organ, Vocals
David (2005 - ): Washtub Bass, Vocals
Allen D'Generate (2012 - ): Washboard, Percussion, Vocals
Former Members:
Mars Goetia (2005 - 2015): Musical Saw, Resophonic Mandolin, Accordion, Piano, Pump Organ, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
K.C. (2005 - 2011): Washboard, Vocals
Honey in the Hair
Blackbird Raum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
honey in the hair, honey in the hair
I fill my life up with time, asleep in the vines, whiskey and wine
whiskey and wine
Who makes the wind blow,
I don’t care, my eyes roll back in my head
Who makes the wind blow,
I don’t care, my eyes roll back in my head
I’m just walking in circles
I see the lines in chalk on the ground
I’m just walking in circles
I see the lines in chalk on the ground
I fill my mouth up with air, honey in the hair,
honey in the hair, honey in the hair
I fill my life up with time, asleep in the vines, whiskey and wine
whiskey and wine
Who makes the wind blow,
I don’t care, my eyes roll back in my head
Who makes the wind blow,
I don’t care, my eyes roll back in my head
I’m just walking in circles
I see the lines in chalk on the ground
I’m just walking in circles
I see the lines in chalk on the ground
One day this will all come down
Someday this will all come crashing right down
So go on with your life
We will bring you down
One day this will all come down
Someday this will all come crashing right down
So go on with your life
We will bring you down
The lyrics to Blackbird Raum’s “Honey in the Hair” express feelings of being lost, disconnected, and aimless. The repeated refrain of “honey in the hair” could refer to a desire to be sweet and pure in a world that seems bitter and corrupted. The imagery of “time” filling up the singer's life could indicate a sense of being trapped or suffocated by the routines and expectations of society. The alcohol references could represent an escape mechanism or a temporary attempt to numb the pain of the singer’s existence.
The repeated question of “who makes the wind blow” suggests a feeling of powerlessness and indifference towards the forces that control our lives. The fact that the singer’s “eyes roll back in their head” reinforces this feeling of detachment and disorientation. The final stanza, with its warning of impending doom, is a bleak reminder that even in the face of change or upheaval, the singer still feels helpless and adrift.
Line by Line Meaning
I fill my mouth up with air, honey in the hair, honey in the hair, honey in the hair
I take a deep breath and enjoy life's sweet moments and pleasures.
I fill my life up with time, asleep in the vines, whiskey and wine, whiskey and wine
I spend my time indulging in pleasures and distractions like wine and sleep.
Who makes the wind blow, I don’t care, my eyes roll back in my head
I am unconcerned with questions of fate or destiny and lose myself in the moment.
I’m just walking in circles, I see the lines in chalk on the ground
I am lost and directionless, unable to find my way and following the paths laid out before me.
One day this will all come down, someday this will all come crashing right down, so go on with your life, we will bring you down
Everything in life is fleeting and temporary, and eventually, it will all come crashing down. Don't let this worry you, because we are all in this together and will share in the ruins.
Contributed by Riley A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.