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.
Migrations
Christine Fellows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Face pressed on this greasy gas station window
White River, Ontario
Sidelong looks at boys
Lined up like beer cans on a fence
Pissing away this blurry afternoon
And under her breath she says
I'm light as a feather
Though I'm not afraid
I am not brave enough to offer"
He was beautiful and mean
Could never put things right
At seven stole a bottle and chose his antidote
Faked his own death at fourteen
Left his clothes and a note by the riverbed
And floated away
"Won't you pick me up?
I'm light as a feather
Though I'm not afraid
I am not brave enough to offer"
Station wagon full
Family of six rattling home
The long way down the Trans-Canada
Black bird on a hydro-wire
Plummets as they pass
Who turns to watch as it lands in the muddy field
"Won't you pick me up?
I'm light as a feather
Though I'm not afraid
I am not brave enough to offer
Pick me up
I'm light as a feather
I am not afraid"
The song "Migrations" by Christine Fellows opens with a haunting image of a scarecrow in a pale dress, looking out of place, and feeling invisible, as she presses her face on a greasy gas station's window in White River, Ontario. The woman looks at boys lined up like beer cans on a fence, pissing away the afternoon. The lyrics suggest a longing for a connection and a hint of hesitation to make the first move as she mutters under her breath, "Would you pick me up? I'm light as a feather, Though I'm not afraid, I am not brave enough to offer." The second verse shifts its focal point to a man who was "beautiful and mean" and could never get anything right, who stole a bottle when he was seven and faked his death at fourteen, leaving his clothes and note by the river and floating away.
The third verse describes a family of six in a station wagon traveling down the Trans-Canada, who pass by a blackbird that plunges to its death in a muddy field. Once again, the lyrics return to the woman at the gas station, repeating the same plea, this time more desperate, asking someone to pick her up. The woman is not necessarily looking to be saved but more to be seen and acknowledged, free to float away. The song's chorus evokes an image of weightlessness, giving way to a sense of vulnerability and uncertainty, which is underlined by the final repetition of the plea, "Pick me up, I'm light as a feather, I am not afraid."
Line by Line Meaning
Scarecrow in a pale dress
A person who is immobile and lifeless is standing at the gas station dressed in a pale dress like a scarecrow.
Face pressed on this greasy gas station window
The person with the pale dress is leaning on the dirty window of the gas station with their face pressed against it.
White River, Ontario
The location where the person is standing is in White River, Ontario, Canada.
Sidelong looks at boys
The person is looking at the boys with a sideways glance.
Lined up like beer cans on a fence
The boys are standing in a line like beer cans on a fence.
Pissing away this blurry afternoon
The boys are idling away the afternoon in the most unproductive and boring way possible.
And under her breath she says
The person mutters under her breath.
"Would you pick me up?
The person wants someone to pick them up.
I'm light as a feather
The person wants someone to pick them up because they are very light.
Though I'm not afraid,
The person is not scared.
I am not brave enough to offer"
The person doesn't have the courage to make the offer themselves.
He was beautiful and mean
A man who was attractive but cruel is being described.
Could never put things right
The man was never able to fix any of his mistakes.
At seven stole a bottle and chose his antidote
When he was seven years old he stole a bottle and used it as a means of coping or a remedy.
Faked his own death at fourteen
The man pretended that he died when he was fourteen.
Left his clothes and a note by the riverbed
The man left his clothing and a message near the riverbed.
And floated away
The man drifted away, possibly to escape from something.
"Won't you pick me up?
The person is asking again to be picked up.
I'm light as a feather
The person is still emphasizing that they are lightweight.
Though I'm not afraid
The person reassures that they are not scared.
I am not brave enough to offer
The person still does not feel courageous enough to make the offer.
Station wagon full
A station wagon is full of people.
Family of six rattling home
The station wagon is transporting a family of six.
The long way down the Trans-Canada
The family is taking a long route through Trans-Canada, Canada.
Black bird on a hydro-wire
A black bird is perched on a hydro-wire.
Plummets as they pass
As the station wagon goes by, the black bird falls.
Who turns to watch as it lands in the muddy field
It is not clear who watched as the bird fell into the muddy field.
"Won't you pick me up?
The person is still looking for someone to pick them up.
Pick me up
The person is asking to be picked up again.
I'm light as a feather
The person reiterates that they are light in weight.
I am not afraid
The person is not scared.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Christine Fellows
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bridgetz5807
I love Christine Fellows so much. I love Canadians.
@alexmottram07
I am from Mexico City, living in Canada for the last four months... it also makes me proud if not to be a Canadian makes me feel proud of being here... I just want to say I heard Christine Fellows for the first time a couple days ago on the radio and she is one of the best singers/composers I´ve ever heard... I also want to thank CBC Radio Two in Toronto for broadcasting such a superb concert and so allowing me to get to know her great work...
@yzkiarkhan903
Nice song, I'm here just because she mentioned White River town, that's my current home, I'm a immigrant and I living the Canadian dream.
@Neocelt146
Brilliant! Makes me proud to be Canadian. Perfect plucking of our collective heartstrings.
@elmejorrockdelmundo.4647
10 POINT SSS!!!! JAJAJAJAJAJ....MUCHAS GRACIASSSS...SALUDOS DESDE BSB AS ARGENTINA !!!!
@pdvmorris1
Amazin' lyrics....wonderful art by the projection artist....makes me homesick for Canada!
@debibulated
beautiful video and performance
@straussie
beautiful...i saw her a year ago in halifax opening for the weakerthans. just stunning.
@gorampageband
yes
@erinmerle
neat video!