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.
Trick Bird
Califone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The lyrics of Califone's "Trick Bird" are abstract and poetic, creating a haunting and surreal atmosphere. The song seems to explore themes of identity, transformation, and hidden desires. The first couplet, "bet your eyes you're a broke law onions and bread born fine born late wait in the reeds" creates a sense of uncertainty and unease, as the listener is not sure what the singer means. The language is cryptic and enigmatic, leaving the interpretation up to the individual.
The next couplet, "peels your face and wears it for a crown walk into my mouth and tongue marsh's mine enemy" is equally opaque. It could be interpreted to mean that the singer is hiding their true identity, wearing a different face to gain power or acceptance. The mention of the "marsh" as an enemy adds to the sense of danger and unpredictability.
The chorus, with its repetition of the phrase "my enemy my enemy my trick bird," only adds to the feeling of unease. The use of the word "trick" suggests deceit or manipulation. As the song progresses, the imagery becomes increasingly surreal and dreamlike. Overall, "Trick Bird" is an enigmatic and thought-provoking exploration of identity and desire.
Line by Line Meaning
bet your eyes
You're confident and sure about what you see
you're a broke law onions and bread
You're poor, struggling, and not making enough money
born fine born late wait in the reeds
You were born well but not at the right time or in the right place so you wait and hide
peels your face and wears it for a crown
You pretend to be someone you're not and use that false image to further yourself
walk into my mouth and tongue
You want to be consumed and swallowed by someone else
marsh's mine enemy my enemy my enemy
The swamp is your enemy, and it represents everything that holds you back
my trick bird shoulder wing one leg fine gentle dead
You're a manipulative and cunning person, using your charm to get what you want, even if it means hurting others
water laps upon the edge temptation open whats shut
You're tempted by things that you know you shouldn't be doing and you're willing to take risks to satisfy that craving
trick bird enemy my enemy my enemy me
You're your own worst enemy and your manipulative ways will eventually come back to haunt you
screamers luck old faced baby our cocaine years trick bird
You rely on the high of success and the rush of drugs to conquer your goals, making you feel invincible
just yours and mine enemy my enemy my enemy my enemy my enemy
We are both each other's enemies, and we are both self-destructive in our ways
Contributed by Lucas V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.