Bowerbirds is an American folk band formed in Raleigh, NC, United States, i… Read Full Bio ↴Bowerbirds is an American folk band formed in Raleigh, NC, United States, in 2006.

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.

Slow Down
Bowerbirds Lyrics

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My sweetheart and I will retire,
Will retire to the tide pools.
And we'll fix our meals of crabs and krill in the long afternoon.
And we'll shed our skin,
For a shell from a wise old snail who is singing:

Slow down.

At the base of the dunes with the algae bloom and the heron,
Here we sit all day and wait and wait for the tide to come crashing.
And we'll shed our skin because we know where it's been,
And we know this hymn:

Slow down.

Lost, lost, in this torrent,
Drowned in the deep of this over-sweet porridge,
Blind to to all of the blood and carnage.

Slow down.

Overall Meaning

The song "Slow Down" by Bowerbirds is a solemn meditation on the beauty of nature and the importance of appreciating its simple pleasures. The lyrics describe a couple who retire to the tide pools, where they spend their days collecting crabs and krill and waiting for the tide to come in. The image of shedding their skin for a shell from a wise old snail is a metaphor for the process of slowing down and becoming more attuned to the rhythms of the natural world.

The chorus of the song repeats the simple refrain "Slow down" as a reminder to take things more slowly and appreciate the beauty of the present moment. The repetition of the phrase creates a sense of peace and tranquility that is echoed in the gentle strumming of the guitar and the soft harmonies of the vocals. The bridge of the song takes a more somber turn, describing the feeling of being lost in the chaos of the world and the need to find a way to slow down and find peace amidst the "blood and carnage" of everyday life.

Overall, "Slow Down" is a beautiful and poignant song that reminds us to slow down and appreciate the simple pleasures of life. Its gentle melody and heartfelt lyrics create a sense of peace and tranquility that is all too rare in today's hectic world.

Line by Line Meaning

My sweetheart and I will retire,
My lover and I will take our time,

Will retire to the tide pools.
We will go to the tidal pools,

And we'll fix our meals of crabs and krill in the long afternoon.
And in the afternoon sun, we'll prepare our meals of crabs and krill,

And we'll shed our skin,
We will shed our old selves,

For a shell from a wise old snail who is singing:
And we'll get a wise old snail's shell who sings,

Slow down.
Telling us to slow down our pace.

At the base of the dunes with the algae bloom and the heron,
At the base of the dunes where algae blooms and the heron hunts,

Here we sit all day and wait and wait for the tide to come crashing.
We wait all day for the crashing waves of the tide.

And we'll shed our skin because we know where it's been,
We shed our skin because we know where we've been,

And we know this hymn:
And we know this song,

Slow down.
Telling us to slow down our pace.