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.
Double Takes
Christine Fellows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Getting our stomachs pumped.
Suffered the indignities two curtains apart.
Overhead the cop who brought you in say,
And I laughed out loud.
You counted all the times you crashed your car
I showed you the scars on my arms.
We stuttered and stopped right there
Till I got a brilliant idea
And kicked my legs right out from under me
Trying to kick up my heels
And you laughed and said,
"You tried so hard."
The first time we said goodnight
I could hardly speak let alone sleep
Took a deep breath, let it out and then
Looked straight at you and said,
"I don't think life just happens to you
More likely in spite of you.
It's a marvelous thing."
The lyrics of Christine Fellows's song "Double Takes" describe the unlikely meeting of two people in the emergency ward, both having their stomachs pumped. Despite the embarrassing and uncomfortable situation, the two begin to connect over shared experiences of recklessness and self-destructive behavior. They stutter and stop, struggling to find the right words until the singer of the song kicks their legs out from under them in a playful attempt to lighten the mood. This moment of vulnerability leads to the first time the two say goodnight, and the singer shares a moment of insight with their newfound companion.
On one level, the song reflects on the ways in which people experience life's challenges and obstacles. The two characters in the song have both faced near-death experiences, but rather than dwelling on the negative aspects of these events, they find a way to laugh and connect over their shared experiences. The line "I don't think life just happens to you, more likely in spite of you" suggests that we have agency in how we deal with the challenges that come our way.
On another level, the song explores the idea of connection and intimacy. The two characters in the song are essentially strangers, yet they are able to bond over their shared experiences and a mutual willingness to be vulnerable and open with one another. In this sense, the song celebrates the power of human connection and the ways in which we can find meaning and purpose in even the most unexpected of circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
We met in the emergency ward,
We first crossed paths while we were both getting our stomachs pumped in the emergency ward.
Getting our stomachs pumped.
We were both in the hospital getting our stomachs pumped, probably due to overindulgence in something.
Suffered the indignities two curtains apart.
We were separated by curtains while being treated in the hospital, which was a bit embarrassing.
Overhead the cop who brought you in say,
While we were there, we heard the cop who brought you in say something from overhead.
"Next time, son, you might not be so lucky."
The cop warned you that next time you might not be so lucky, which I found funny and laughed out loud.
And I laughed out loud.
I found the cop's warning funny and couldn't help but burst out laughing.
You counted all the times you crashed your car
You started counting all the times you've crashed your car, which I found interesting.
I showed you the scars on my arms.
I showed you the scars on my arms for some reason, which made the situation more intimate or personal.
We stuttered and stopped right there
Our conversation stuttered and we paused for a moment.
Till I got a brilliant idea
Until I had a sudden inspiration or idea.
And kicked my legs right out from under me
I kicked my legs out from under me in an attempt to be playful or funny.
Trying to kick up my heels
I was trying to kick up my heels, which is a playful phrase meaning to have fun or enjoy oneself.
And you laughed and said,
You laughed and made a comment about what I had just done.
"You tried so hard."
You told me that I tried hard to be funny, which may or may not have been successful.
The first time we said goodnight
The first time we said goodbye to each other.
I could hardly speak let alone sleep
I was so enamored with you that I had trouble speaking and sleeping when we said goodbye.
Took a deep breath, let it out and then
I took a deep breath and exhaled, preparing to say something important.
Looked straight at you and said,
I made direct eye contact with you before saying what was on my mind.
"I don't think life just happens to you
I shared a personal belief of mine with you.
More likely in spite of you.
I believe that life happens more in spite of our actions than because of them.
It's a marvelous thing."
Even though life may seem out of our control, I find it to be a wonderful and awe-inspiring thing.
Contributed by Max R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.