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.
To Hush a Sick Transmission
Califone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drop of spend
Wrestling up against the mattresses
Takes the shine from off your forehead
Red food old heat
Honey down your legs
Honey down your wings
Oh, to hush a sick transmission
Oh, to hush a sick transmission
Oh, to hush a sick transmission
The lyrics to Califone's "To Hush a Sick Transmission" are enigmatic and somewhat difficult to interpret, but they seem to be exploring themes of decay, struggle, and a desire for transcendence. The opening line, "Dressed up in a bag of nails," suggests a kind of masochistic self-presentation, while the following lines about wrestling with mattresses and sweating take the image of a person struggling with everyday life and exaggerate it to an almost absurd degree. The lines "Takes the shine from off your forehead/ Red food old heat" invoke images of sickness and decay, while "honey down your legs/ honey down your wings" could be read as an attempt to find sweetness or pleasure amidst this struggle.
The repeated refrain, "Oh, to hush a sick transmission," is perhaps the most perplexing part of the song. It's unclear what the "sick transmission" refers to - it could be a literal reference to a failing radio signal or a metaphorical reference to a troubled or corrupted communication between individuals. Either way, the desire to "hush" it suggests a weariness with the state of things and a longing for some kind of peace or resolution.
Overall, "To Hush a Sick Transmission" is a haunting and atmospheric song that invites the listener to get lost in its ambiguous and dreamlike imagery.
Line by Line Meaning
Dressed up in a bag of nails
Adorning oneself with rough and hurtful elements which represent the struggles and pain one endures in life.
Drop of spend
A small amount of money or resources that have been decreasing constantly and impacting one's being.
Wrestling up against the mattresses
The physical and mental effort one puts into trying to get comfortable and rest, but constantly being disturbed by internal and external pressures.
Takes the shine from off your forehead
The worries and problems one faces every day can take away the youthful and lively appearance from one's face.
Red food old heat
Old and negative emotions such as anger and resentment that boil inside one's mind and body.
Honey down your legs
Sweetness and positivity that flows into one's movements and actions.
Honey down your wings
Positivity and enthusiasm that takes flight in one's dreams and aspirations.
Oh, to hush a sick transmission
Expressing the desire to silence the negative and toxic elements in one's life that disrupt peace and harmony.
Oh, to hush a sick transmission
Reiterating the yearning to silence the negativity that spreads and impacts one's well-being.
Oh, to hush a sick transmission
Repeatedly emphasizing the longing to silence the negative energy that affects one's mental and physical health.
Oh, to hush a sick transmission
Concluding with the same desire to silence the unhealthy and destructive elements in one's life.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Benedetto Massarella, Brian Deck, Temistoclas Hugo Rutili, Tim Hurley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind