Califone is the musical project of former Red Red Meat frontman Tim Rutili. Its regular and rotating contributors include many former members of Red Red Meat and some members of other Chicago bands, such as Tortoise. Their music is less rooted in blues-rock than Red Red Meat and is more directly inspired by experimental music and early American folk music as can be found on Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music.
Califone's current lineup includes Joe Adamik (drums), Jim Becker (banjo, violin), Ben Massarella (percussion), and Tim Rutili (vocals, guitar, keyboards). Each member is a multi-instrumentalist.
Tim Rutili has collaborated with a number of other artists as well. He joined up with Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock and others in 2002 to release the album Sharpen Your Teeth under the band name Ugly Casanova. Some members also toured with Freakwater and served as a backing band to record the album Thinking of You in 2005. In 2006, Tim Rutili teamed up with Wil Hendricks and Michael Krassner under the name The Unseen Hand to record the soundtrack for Rank, a documentary about bullriding. In the same year Califone worked with animator/musician Brent Green on a series of performance art pieces featuring animation, live music, and spoken word. They are also featured on the soundtrack for the movie Stranger than Fiction.
Dime Fangs
Califone Lyrics
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Can't wait to lose you now
Say grace and roll aside
Gave your lower lip and tried to steal it back
Speeding in your palm all powder fleece and tame for you
Lit machines the motor streams
A fine goodbye again
Fell in between the stations
Dime store fangs and dirty wings
Lap dance from the boys choir
One by one
Petticoats and pails
The milk maid up the back seam
Ghosts against your sun drugged horses
It only rains for you
Your name was on the mortar
Maced and still amused
A fine goodbye again
Fell in between the stations
In the first verse of Califone's song "Dime Fangs," the singer seems to be desperate to escape a situation or person. The phrase "out to seed" could be refering to a plant that has stopped flowering and is now past its prime, implying the singer is at the end of their rope. They are impatient to "lose" whoever is causing them difficulty or misery and are ready to move on without them. The line "Say grace and roll aside" is ambiguous, but it could imply a certain resignation or acceptance of their fate or of the fact that they are giving up something important.
The second half of the song continues to paint a picture of desperation and unwillingness to accept one's fate. The line "Gave your lower lip and tried to steal it back" could imply a sexual encounter where one party is reluctant to participate or is having second thoughts. The reference to "powder fleece" could suggest drugs or other forms of escapism that the singer is indulging in. The phrase "dirty wings" is also repeated, possibly implying a sense of surrender or degradation.
Line by Line Meaning
Out to seed for the slow entire
I'm leaving this place, drifting away from the mundane life.
Can't wait to lose you now
I'm happy to be cutting you out of my life.
Say grace and roll aside
Accept my departure with dignity.
Gave your lower lip and tried to steal it back
I gave you a kiss but immediately regretted it and tried to take it back.
Speeding in your palm all powder fleece and tame for you
Drugs and pleasures are yours for the taking.
Lit machines the motor streams
Machines work tirelessly to produce the endless cycle of modern life.
Down your kitchen throat
You consume everything that's offered to you.
A fine goodbye again
This is not the first time I've said goodbye to you.
Fell in between the stations
I'm lost and between places, having no solid sense of direction.
Dime store fangs and dirty wings
You have a cheap sense of danger and edge, but in reality you're still stuck in the dirt.
Lap dance from the boys choir
You receive attention from people who have no business giving it to you.
One by one
In a methodical order.
Petticoats and pails
Traditional women's clothing and accessories.
The milk maid up the back seam
A maid carrying milk, obscured from view by a seam in fabric.
Ghosts against your sun drugged horses
In an altered reality, figures seem to rise against your horses.
It only rains for you
You're the only one who experiences any sense of sadness or loss.
Your name was on the mortar
You've left your mark on everything you've touched, for better or worse.
Maced and still amused
Even though you've been attacked, you still can find a twisted sense of humor in things.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Temistoclas Hugo Rutili
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind