Mat Brooke and Jenn Champion formed Carissa's Wierd out of Seattle in 1995, and released three albums before their 2003 breakup. Their plaintive, melancholy, beautiful music won over many who were exposed to it. The band's lineup changed throughout the band's existence. Mainstays in the band included violinist Sarah Standard, drummer (and later bassist) Ben Bridwell, drummer Sera Cahoone, drummer Creighton Barrett, and keyboard/accordian player Jeff Hellis. Their final album, Songs About Leaving, was a modest success in the Northwest, topping many critics charts and leaving fans hungry for more. Sadly, the band decided to go their separate ways in September of 2003. Jenn is now performing under the name S and Brooke and Bridwell went on to create Band of Horses. Brooke has since moved on to become part of Grand Archives and Sera Cahoone has launched her solo career. As of April 2007, both Grand Archives and Sera Cahoone have been signed to Sub Pop Records. In March 2010, Hardly Art announced that it would release a compilation of Carissa's Wierd material, with songs picked by Brooke and Champion, followed by reissues of the group's first three full-length records. The band played a reunion show on July 9, 2010 to support the compilation.
On August 2, 2011, Hardly Art announced pre-orders for a new 7", called 'Tucson,' and would include two new songs, the band's first recordings in over seven years featuring the original lineup. The 7" would include the songs 'Tucson' and 'Meredith & Iris,' and on August 4, 2011, Meredith & Iris was put up for stream on soundcloud. It was also announced that the band would be playing another reunion show in Seattle on September 24, 2011.
Blankets Stare
Carissa's Wierd Lyrics
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and now i have to, have to go to sleep now
its 2 a.m. and i feel like
i might have done something wrong
finally made an end to all the backwards notes
now we all are standing in line
so change your clothes again
how can i convince you
another one of those times
when i blanket stare
so this is a note, its been a long month
and now i have to, have to go to sleep now
its 2 a.m. and i feel like
i might have done something wrong
finally made an end to all the backwards notes
i'll try and catch a cold, close the window
so change your clothes again
how can i convince you
to change your mind again
another one of those times
when i blanket stare
tell me now
tell it all
tell me when your ready
dont tell me when i'm wrong
wait til we all ...
tell apart the lies and all the blanket stares
and tell it to the wives and we'll all...and thats the way it goes
The lyrics of Carissa's Wierd's song Blankets Stare seem quite ambiguous, and it isn't clear what the song is about. The singer, who seems to be the singer of the song, is struggling with something and seems to be experiencing feelings of guilt and remorse. He mentions it's been a long month, and it's 2 a.m. and that he feels like he might have done something wrong. He has managed to finally make an end to all the "backwards notes," but it's not clear what that means.
The singer seems to be struggling to convince someone (possibly a lover) to change their mind again, but we don't know what he is trying to convince them of. He then mentions having another one of those times when he blanket stares, which could imply he is spending lots of time alone in bed, wrapped up in blankets, thinking about all his problems.
The lyrics reach double entendre and cryptic echelons when he says, "tell apart the lies and all the blanket stares, and tell it to the wives, and we'll all...and that's the way it goes." It could imply an introspective reflection on interpersonal relationship issues, or it could be a commentary on society's obsession with keeping up appearances.
Line by Line Meaning
So here is a note, its been a long month
I have written down my thoughts after a tiring month.
and now i have to, have to go to sleep now
I have to rest now as it's late at night.
its 2 a.m. and i feel like
It's 2 a.m. and I have mixed emotions.
i might have done something wrong
I fear making mistakes and regretting them later.
finally made an end to all the backwards notes
I have moved past negative things that held me back before.
now we all are standing in line
We are all waiting in line, perhaps for something we want.
so change your clothes again
You have changed your outfit frequently, why change it again?
how can i convince you
I am struggling to persuade you to do something my way.
to change your mind again
You have already decided, but I want you to rethink.
another one of those times
This situation is familiar to me; it has happened before.
when i blanket stare
In these moments, I stare into nothingness for a while.
so this is a note, its been a long month
I reiterate that this is a note after an exhausting month.
i'll try and catch a cold, close the window
I'll make an effort to catch a cold and close the window.
tell me now
I need to know now.
tell it all
Be honest and tell me everything.
tell me when your ready
Tell me when you feel comfortable to share.
dont tell me when i'm wrong
Please do not tell me or focus on my mistakes.
wait til we all ...
Wait until all of us are ready.
tell apart the lies and all the blanket stares
Differentiate between lies and moments of staring into space.
and tell it to the wives and we'll all...and thats the way it goes
Disclose the truth to the wives and that is how it all ends up.
Contributed by Alice Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.