Born in Windsor, Ontario and raised in France and Kelowna, British Columbia, Fellows lived in Toronto, Vancouver, Guelph and Montreal before settling in Winnipeg in 1992.
In 1993, she formed her first group, Helen, with Barry Mirochnick, Paul James, and Chang. Helen broke up in 1995, and in 1996 Fellows teamed up with singer-songwriter Keri McTighe, Barry Mirochnick, Keith McLeod and Peggy Messing, to form Special Fancy. The group released one album, King Me.
In 2000 Fellows released her debut solo album, 2 Little Birds. This was followed by The Last One Standing in 2002, Paper Anniversary in 2005, and Nevertheless in 2007. These albums feature Leanne Zacharias (cello), Jason Tait (drums, vibraphone), Barry Mirochnick (drums, vocals), John K. Samson (vocals, guitar), Keith McLeod (mandolin), Monica Guenter (viola), Greg Smith (bass), Ed Reifel (percussion), and Cristina Zacharias (violin).
Fellows has performed with the Rheostatics, Veda Hille, The Mountain Goats, Kim Barlow, Old Man Luedecke, and The Weakerthans. She is married to The Weakerthans' lead singer, John K. Samson.
In 2006, Fellows and Samson recorded The Old House, an album intended only as a Christmas gift for friends and family, although they released two songs, "Taps Reversed" and "Good Salvage", for airplay on CBC Radio 3 in early 2007. Fellows and Samson also performed live on the network on March 17, 2007, to mark the final night of the network's terrestrial simulcast on CBC Radio 2.
Fellows also composes music for dance, film and television. She scored part of Clive Holden's Trains of Winnipeg film series, as well as collaborating with Tait and Samson on the associated album. In 2007, she wrote several songs for a dance piece by choreographer Susie Burpee; they were later included on her fourth solo album, Nevertheless, which was released on November 6, 2007.
Fellows has also toured as a member of The Pan-Canadian New Folk Ensemble with Kim Barlow and Old Man Luedecke.
Recently, she was artist-in-residence at Le Musee de Saint-Boniface Museum in Winnipeg (2009), and she has been writing songs for a new solo album, scheduled for release on Six Shooter Records in fall of 2010.
Bird As Prophet
Christine Fellows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You let me in there once, now what the hell?
What I wouldn't give for arms to hold you.
We are creatures of such like desire."
Now I know that I am sorrier than I have ever been."
Fevered was the night you first appeared.
You flew around my kitchen drunk and wild.
I held out my hand and there you landed.
And begged for me to put you back outside.
I said "Sorry, but I didn't mean it then.
Now I know that I am sorrier than I have ever been."
You said "Lately I've been doubtful of the spring.
You should stay right here and I'll take care of everything."
Bird flew through my window and said
"Look at me. I have flown right through this glass unscathed."
"But bird," I cried, "that window was wide open."
Then he stared right through me in the strangest way.
The lyrics to Christine Fellows’s song “Bird As Prophet” reflect a complex relationship between the singer and the titular bird. The song opens with the singer apologizing to the bird, who has come to visit her once again. The bird expresses a desire for physical contact, yearning for arms to hold the singer. This line is both playful and poignant; while it’s unlikely that a bird could feel a human-like sense of desire, the desire itself is something that is all too relatable. In the second verse, the bird’s appearance is described as “fevered”, and its behavior as “drunk and wild”. This is a stark contrast to the earlier verse, when the bird yearned for the singer’s touch. Now, the bird is begging to be let back outside. These contradictions deepen the complexity of the relationship between the two, suggesting that it is one full of both hope and despair.
The third verse introduces another layer to the song’s meaning. The bird speaks of “doubt” and offers to take care of everything, encouraging the singer to stay inside. This is a familiar trope in literature; birds are often seen as messengers or omens, and their presence can signify a change in fortune or circumstances. In this case, the bird’s suggestion that the singer stay put hints at the idea that there is danger outside. Finally, in the last verse, the bird flies through the window without injuring itself, only to reveal that the window was wide open. This is a moment of realization for the singer, who recognizes that the bird’s visitations have been less about the bird itself and more about her own perception of the world. The bird functions as a messenger not of danger, but of the singer’s own anxieties.
Line by Line Meaning
Bird came to my window, and said "What?
A bird came to me and asked inquisitively
You let me in there once, now what the hell?
I previously let the bird in and it's questioning why I won't do the same now
What I wouldn't give for arms to hold you.
The bird desires to hold me and is envious of my arms
We are creatures of such like desire.
As creatures, we share similar desires and needs
I said "Sorry, but I didn't mean it then.
I apologized for not letting the bird in earlier
Now I know that I am sorrier than I have ever been."
I regret my prior actions more than ever
Fevered was the night you first appeared.
The night the bird appeared was intense and emotional
You flew around my kitchen drunk and wild.
The bird flew erratically around my kitchen
I held out my hand and there you landed.
The bird came to rest on my hand
And begged for me to put you back outside.
The bird pleaded to be released back into the wild
You said "Lately I've been doubtful of the spring.
The bird expressed uncertainty about the spring season
You should stay right here and I'll take care of everything."
The bird suggested staying with me and taking care of me
Bird flew through my window and said
The bird entered through my window and spoke again
"Look at me. I have flown right through this glass unscathed."
The bird boasted about flying through the glass unharmed
"But bird," I cried, "that window was wide open."
I pointed out that the window was open, making the bird's feat less impressive
Then he stared right through me in the strangest way.
The bird looked at me in an odd and unsettling way
Contributed by Maya R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.