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.
Vampiring Again
Califone Lyrics
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Strung tight
Wheel along the artery the streetlights drift the eye-beams collide
Slow dissolve the car-chase draining gasoline shines a skin
Across the water
Barely touching now sad eyes when you're vampiring again
carry your violence light carry the moonlight seed the sleep in
Mask maker herat fire eater throat rice water brain perfect stray perfect stray
Dead friends shade your sad eyes when you're vampiring again by
The cold unflattering light
carry the glass in your jaw carry the flatlands in the base of your
Spine the city is rusting there
The weather never cared barely touching now spilling down the
Stairs for this time around
Tight pretend imperfection imperfection imperfection
carry your violence light carry it like a lost limb itches and aches
A second you can't forget
carry your violence light carry the mooonlight seed the sleep in
Your eye the city is rusting there
The lyrics of Califone's "Vampiring Again" paint a picture of a dark and desolate cityscape, where the moonlight and streetlights collide to create a foreboding atmosphere. The imagery of a "clean line moonlight" bending a "collarbone drink strung tight" suggests a sense of tension and restraint, while the "wheel along the artery" and the "car-chase draining gasoline" allude to a dangerous and fast-paced lifestyle. The singer seems to be in a state of emotional turmoil, caught between the desire to escape and the pull of their own destructive tendencies.
The repeated phrase "when you're vampiring again" underscores the theme of addiction or obsession that runs throughout the song, as the singer struggles to free themselves from their own destructive impulses. The line "dead friends shade your sad eyes" suggests a sense of loss and grief, perhaps stemming from the consequences of their own actions. But despite the darkness of the subject matter, there is a glimmer of hope in the final lines, as the singer urges themselves to "carry your violence light" and to "carry the moonlight seed" in their eyes.
Overall, "Vampiring Again" is a haunting and evocative song that captures the complexity of human desire and the dangers of succumbing to our own dark impulses.
Line by Line Meaning
A clean line moonlight bends a collarbone drink strung tight
The bright light of the moon casts a sharp shadow on a tightly-strung drink, highlighting the tension in the moment.
Wheel along the artery the streetlights drift the eye-beams collide
As the car drives down the street, the lights create a dizzying effect, almost like the eye is fighting to keep up with them.
Slow dissolve the car-chase draining gasoline shines a skin across the water
The slow motion of a car chase creates a surreal image that shimmers across the water's surface.
Barely touching now sad eyes when you're vampiring again
When someone is caught up in their own emotions, they often withdraw and become distant, leading to a sense of sadness in themselves and those around them.
carry your violence light carry the moonlight seed the sleep in your eye the blue of the pilot light
Despite the darkness of their emotions, the person has to carry them lightly, with an awareness of the beauty around them such as the blue light of a pilot.
Mask maker herat fire eater throat rice water brain perfect stray perfect stray
This line is difficult to interpret, but it offers a vivid image of the turmoil and confusion that comes with overwhelming feelings.
Dead friends shade your sad eyes when you're vampiring again by the cold unflattering light
The pain of loss and grief can feel overwhelming, casting a shadow over everything and creating a sense of coldness and bleakness.
carry the glass in your jaw carry the flatlands in the base of your spine the city is rusting there
The person carries the weight of their burdens with them, and the world around them seems to reflect the decay and emptiness they feel inside.
The weather never cared barely touching now spilling down the stairs for this time around tight pretend imperfection imperfection imperfection
The elements of the natural world are indifferent to our struggles, and the person has to pretend to be unaffected even though they are falling apart inside.
carry your violence light carry it like a lost limb itches and aches a second you can't forget carry your violence light carry the moonlight seed the sleep in your eye the city is rusting there
The repetition of this chorus-like verse reinforces the idea that the person is carrying their pain with them constantly, like a part of their body that they can't shake off. Despite this, they still try to see the beauty in the world around them, but it's a struggle.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: TEMISTOCLAS HUGO RUTILI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind