Pulling from the influences of the blues, outlaw country, roots rock, early American folk, Gypsy and Eastern European music, Brown Bird offers harmonized voices, haunting lyrics and diverse rhythm and instrumentation, which surges in waves that often swell into high-spirited, foot-stomping madness.
Brown Bird began in 2003, as a solo project for David Lamb (guitar/vocals/banjo/percussion), formed in Seattle, Washington and was named after Lamb's dog, who was named "Bird" and was brown. After playing around solo for a few years and moving to Portland, Oregon, the band grew to include Jerusha Robinson (cello/vocals) and her husband, Jeremy Robinson (accordion/banjo), turning the once-solo act into a trio. With the Robinsons, Lamb would go on to record the first two albums: 2006's Tautology and 2007's Such Unrest.
On a solo tour in 2008, promoting The Bottom of the Sea Lamb met MorganEve Swain (fiddle/upright bass/violin/vocals) and Mike Samos (lap steel/dobro) and they were soon added to the lineup.
The Robinsons decided to depart in 2009, choosing to focus on their own project, South China, though they would be featured on some songs for 2009's The Devil Dancing. Samos stuck around for another year but would also depart in 2010, leaving the final lineup for Brown Bird as David Lamb and MorganEve Swain.
The band would tour extensively, as support for fellow folk/bluegrass acts, including Trampled By Turtles, The Devil Makes Three, Yonder Mountain String Band, and Horse Feathers. Lamb and Swain released two albums as a duo, 2011's The Sound of Ghosts EP and full length Salt for Salt and 2013's Fits of Reason.
In early 2013, David Lamb was diagnosed with leukemia, putting the band on hiatus during his recovery. After more than a year of successful recovery and an unfortunate relapse, David Lamb passed away on April 5, 2014.
Past members:
Jeremy Robinson (accordion, banjo)
Jerusha Robinson (cello, vocals)
Mike Samos (lap steel, dobro)
Special guest:
Micah Blue Smaldone (bass)
The Band has released seven albums and one EP to date:
‘Tautology’ (2006)
‘Such Unrest’ (2007)
'The Bottom of the Sea' (2008) (Peapod Recordings)
'The Devil Dancing' (2009) (Peapod Recordings)
'The Sound of Ghosts' (EP; 2011)
'Salt for Salt' (2011)
'Fits of Reason' (2013)
'Axis Mundi' (2015)
Their most recent albums are available for purchase on brownbird.net and Supply&Demand Music.
GOLD
Brown Bird Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Everything I touch turns to gold)
Through my mindless eyes I saw
(Everything I touch turns to gold)
A figure frail and fable
(Everything I touch turns to gold)
Long wooden arms and pants on
(Everything I touch turns to gold)
Serpents in her hair
(Everything I touch turns to gold)
Temptation draws my eye
(Everything I touch turns to gold)
To staring right between hers
(Everything I touch turns to gold)
I blame my name for the violence inside
(Everything I touch turns to gold)
With a long-winded curse
(Everything I touch turns to gold)
(Everything I touch turns to gold)
(Everything I touch turns to gold)
(Everything I touch turns to gold)
Golden tongue is her eye pretty feature
A filthy preacher of lies
And for the loudness of her voice
People believe her
With covered mouths and covered eyes
Well I wish for
A full sleep
Because this anger I harbor
Exhausts me
And I am growing sickly
Of the same sad times
She spits it out redundantly all day
If I had my way
I'd flood her veins with fire
If I had my way
Through my mindless eyes I saw
A figure frail and fable
With long wooden arms
Serpents in her hair
Temptation draws my eyes
To staring right between hers
I blame my name
For the violence inside
With one long-winded curse
With one long-winded curse
The song Gold by Brown Bird speaks of the destructive and alluring power of temptation. The lyrics repeat the phrase “everything I touch turns to gold,” which is often associated with great wealth and success, but is used here in a more sinister tone. The singer sees a figure with “long wooden arms” and “serpents in her hair,” and is drawn to her despite her obvious danger. He blames his own name for the “violence inside” him, suggesting that he is aware of his own destructive tendencies.
The second verse adds more context to the situation, describing the woman as a “golden tongue” and a “filthy preacher of lies.” Despite her deceit, people believe her “with covered mouths and covered eyes.” The singer wishes to escape the anger he feels, but is growing “sickly” of the same sad times. He fantasizes about harming the woman, saying “if I had my way, I’d flood her veins with fire.”
Overall, the lyrics of Gold paint a picture of a person struggling with their own destructive impulses, and grappling with the alluring and dangerous nature of temptation. The repeating phrase “everything I touch turns to gold” serves as a haunting reminder of the consequences of these actions.
Line by Line Meaning
Everything I touch turns to gold
The singer has a tendency to ruin everything they come into contact with.
Through my mindless eyes I saw
The singer is being careless and not paying attention to their surroundings.
A figure frail and fable
The singer sees an ethereal and delicate figure, but it may not be real.
Long wooden arms and pants on fire
The figure the artist is seeing is possibly a puppet or not really human.
Serpents in her hair
The figure has dangerous and misleading aspects.
Temptation draws my eye
The singer is drawn to the dangerous figure due to their tendencies.
To staring right between hers
The singer is captivated by the figure's gaze.
I blame my name for the violence inside
The artist is attributing their violent tendencies to something inherent within them.
With a long-winded curse
The artist is not happy with themselves and may be cursing themselves for their tendencies.
Golden tongue is her eye pretty feature
The figure has a feature that can be misleading and alluring.
A filthy preacher of lies
The figure is a deceitful and corrupt influence.
And for the loudness of her voice, people believe her
The figure can be persuasive and convincing due to their confidence and demeanor.
With covered mouths and covered eyes
The people around the figure may be unaware or denying the truth of the situation.
Well I wish for a full sleep
The singer is wishing for a break or respite from their struggles.
Because this anger I harbor exhausts me
The singer is struggling with their own anger and it is causing them harm.
And I am growing sickly of the same sad times
The artist is tired of struggling with the same issues repeatedly.
She spits it out redundantly all day
The figure is constantly repeating themselves and their harmful messages.
If I had my way I'd flood her veins with fire
The singer has violent and extreme thoughts towards the figure.
With one long-winded curse
The singer is angry and frustrated with the situation they are in.
Contributed by Jack N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
berils_crypto
gold