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.
On the Steeple With the Shakes
Califone Lyrics
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When the power lines are down for days straight
Your filthy eyes and sugar mouth
Left on the steeple with the shakes
Sea glass wheels
You folded under
Mercury slides along the tiles
Frozen ladders on the phone
Sets you on the other shore
With silverfish along the tiles
Left on the steeple with the shakes
Sea glass wheels
You folded under
Mercury slides along the tiles
Stepford wives and christmas tigers (2x)
The lyrics to Califone's "On the Steeple With the Shakes" paint a surrealistic picture of a world in disarray. The first line, "Yellow lions and winter sleep," is an enigmatic opening that sets the tone for the rest of the song. The reference to winter sleep could suggest a period of hibernation, while the yellow lions may symbolize a fleeting moment of courage or strength that dissipates in the face of adversity. The next line, "When the power lines are down for days straight," suggests a scene of chaos and powerlessness, perhaps in the aftermath of a natural disaster or other catastrophic event.
The lyrics then shift to a more personal focus with the line, "Your filthy eyes and sugar mouth." This line can be interpreted in a variety of ways, but it may suggest a sense of duplicity or deceitfulness. The lyrics then return to the steeple mentioned in the title, where the subject of the song is left "with the shakes", which could refer to a physical tremor or a sense of fear or anxiety.
The lyrics continue with more surrealistic imagery, including "sea glass wheels" and "mercury slides along the tiles." These lines create a sense of disorientation, where mundane objects take on a dreamlike quality. The final line, "Stepford wives and Christmas tigers," is another image that defies logic or explanation, but it adds to the overall feeling of unease and confusion.
Overall, "On the Steeple With the Shakes" is a song that resists easy interpretation, but its vivid imagery and use of surrealistic language create a haunting and memorable mood.
Line by Line Meaning
Yellow lions and winter sleep
Imagery of yellow lions and hibernation during winter, setting the tone for a dreamlike or surreal scenario
When the power lines are down for days straight
Describing a situation of no electricity for an extended period of time, adding to the surreal atmosphere
Your filthy eyes and sugar mouth
Contrasting imagery of dirty eyes and sweet mouth, hinting at deceit or dishonesty
Left on the steeple with the shakes
Feeling of isolation, nervousness or confusion up high on a steeple
Sea glass wheels
More dreamlike imagery, hinting at a sense of fragility and delicacy in the situation
You folded under
Describing a sense of giving up or collapsing in the face of challenges
Mercury slides along the tiles
Evocative description of liquid mercury flowing across a surface with a sense of ominousness or foreboding
Stepford wives and christmas tigers (2x)
Cultural references to the deceptively perfect Stepford Wives and the traditionally joyful tigers associated with Christmas, adding to the sense of surrealism and potential danger
Frozen ladders on the phone
Imagery of cold or icy ladders leading to nowhere or to something uncertain
Sets you on the other shore
Sense of crossing over to something unfamiliar or unknown
With silverfish along the tiles
More unsettling creepy crawlies present in the surreal setting
Left on the steeple with the shakes
Reiteration of the earlier feeling of isolation and nervousness, amplifying the sense of unease
Contributed by Emma H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.