Comprising Philip Moore (vocals, guitar), Beth Tacular (accordion, vocals) and Mark Paulson (violin, vocals), their début album, Hymns for a Dark Horse (2007), was released on Burly Time Records, followed by their second album, Upper Air in July 2009 and album number three, The Clearing in March 2012.
Whereas the first two albums were recorded on the quick and the cheap, the songs sounding like "old, familiar campfire anthems sung by a couple clinging to very deep love". For the recording of The Clearing they had more time and better resources, making it a bigger sounding record, with bolder sounds, a broader scope, and more complicated songs. It was more than a third record for Bowerbirds. Between 2009 and 2012, Beth Tacular nearly died after a mysterious illness that put her in the hospital.
Beth and Phil even ended their long relationship but began it again after realizing that, despite their own shortcomings, they didn’t want to be with anyone else. Mostly, though, they returned to their cabin in the woods of North Carolina to nest—to make soup and walk dogs, to make art and write songs, to realize that this was their life and find contentment in it.
From 2012 to 2020, they did not release anything until the release of a string of digital singles in 2020 (they were compiled on Endless Chase: 20 Singles) and a long overdue new studio album, becalmyounglovers, in 2021.
Crooked Lust
Bowerbirds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An apparition
Filled with holes and contradiction
And I fear I'm the only one
So I wake early
Watch the leaves quake
And the first light braze the trees
Here I know my heart
I know it's careless
But darling, you seem like you're fearless
And maybe you're my perfect fix
My conscience is, my conscience is an avalanche
Majestic, bewildering and holy and careless
Crooked lust, crooked lust
My conscience is an avalanche
I live with the tides
I live in reverence
And know the days are endless, endless
But darling, you seem like you're anxious
My conscience is, my conscience is an avalanche
Majestic, bewildering and holy and careless
Crooked lust, crooked lust
My conscience is an avalanche
My conscience is an avalanche
Majestic, bewildering and holy and careless
Crooked lust, crooked lust
Crooked lust, crooked lust
The lyrics to Bowerbirds's song Crooked Lust are about the singer's inner struggle and the contradiction within themselves. They explain how the singer feels like a ghost, filled with holes and contradiction. They express their fear of being the only one who feels this way. The singer finds solace in waking up early and watching the leaves quake as the first light braze the trees. This is where they feel like they can be themselves and understand their heart. They explain that their heart is careless but sees something fearless in their partner. The singer believes that their partner may be their perfect fix.
The chorus of the song explains the singer's inner conflict. They describe their soul as an avalanche - majestic, bewildering, and holy but at the same time careless. They use the phrase 'Crooked Lust' to explain their struggle, which is a reference to the lust that exists within them for their partner. Overall, the lyrics to this song showcase the fight that exists within the singer's soul between their fear and their desires.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born a ghost
I feel like I am invisible and insignificant
An apparition
Like a ghost, I seem to come and go without anyone noticing
Filled with holes and contradiction
I have many flaws and inconsistencies that make it hard to understand me
And I fear I'm the only one
I worry that no one else can relate or understand what I'm feeling
So I wake early
I start my day before anyone else does
Watch the leaves quake
I observe the natural world and its movements
And the first light braze the trees
I witness the sunrise and the way it illuminates the foliage
I hide myself in a secret place
I retreat to a private location where I can be alone with my thoughts
Here I know my heart
In solitude, I am able to connect with my emotions
I know it's careless
I am aware that my actions and feelings may not always be responsible or well-considered
But darling, you seem like you're fearless
However, you, my love interest, appear brave and unafraid
And maybe you're my perfect fix
Perhaps you are the solution to my problems and insecurities
My conscience is, my conscience is an avalanche
My moral compass can be overwhelming and unstoppable like an avalanche
Majestic, bewildering and holy and careless
It is awe-inspiring, confusing, sacred, and reckless all at once
Crooked lust, crooked lust
My desires and intentions are twisted and distorted
I live with the tides
I am adaptable and constantly changing like the ebb and flow of the ocean
I live in reverence
I have a deep respect and admiration for life and the world around me
And know the days are endless, endless
I understand that time can seem to drag on endlessly
But darling, you seem like you're anxious
However, you, my love interest, appear nervous and uneasy
Crooked lust, crooked lust
My desires and intentions are twisted and distorted
Crooked lust, crooked lust
My desires and intentions are twisted and distorted
Contributed by Annabelle S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.