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.
Ruthless
Christine Fellows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
These broken arms want to hang on ropes and rocks and shouldering the blows
Replace you and your body
These big strong arms want to fold up
Lose the earth and lose your kindness
Dissolving underfoot
Let go, you ruthless girl
When did you lose your appetite and how did it come to eat at you?
I think I know
I think I don't know a single
The song "Ruthless" by Canadian singer-songwriter Christine Fellows is a hauntingly beautiful ballad that speaks to the complexities of vulnerability and detachment in relationships. The opening lyrics "clothesline me almost dry" conjures a vivid image of a person hanging on for dear life, clinging to the ropes and rocks that are the foundation of their relationship. The broken arms signify a sense of weariness and exhaustion, as though the person has been trying too hard to hold onto their partner. The line "replace you and your body" suggests that the singer is trying to fill a void left by their partner's absence, but the "big strong arms" want to fold up, revealing that this attempt is futile.
The chorus "let go, you ruthless girl, let go" is a plea to the singer to release her hold on the situation, and stop trying to control or manipulate it. The lines "when did you lose your appetite and how did it come to eat at you? I think I know, I think I don't know a single" suggest a sense of confusion and uncertainty, as though the singer is struggling to make sense of her own emotions. The image of losing one's appetite implies a loss of passion or desire, which is further reinforced by the line "lose the earth and lose your kindness, dissolving underfoot." The use of the word "ruthless" emphasizes the singer's sense of detachment and disconnection from her own feelings.
Overall, "Ruthless" is a deeply introspective song that speaks to the complexities of intimate relationships. It emphasizes the importance of letting go of control and embracing vulnerability, even when it is uncomfortable or difficult to do so.
Line by Line Meaning
Clothesline me almost dry
I want to be left hanging, nearly dry on a clothesline, my broken arms struggling to hold on to anything despite being beaten down by life's challenges.
Replace you and your body
Rather than feel the heaviness of holding on to you, my strong arms want to let go and detach from your body.
Lose the earth and lose your kindness
As if the ground under me is disintegrating, I feel like I'm losing your affectionate nature and empathy along with it.
Let go, you ruthless girl
You need to release the tight grip you have on things and people. Your unrelenting behavior can harm others and yourself.
When did you lose your appetite and how did it come to eat at you?
I wonder when you became indifferent and callous in your behavior, and how this transformation is consuming you from the inside out.
I think I know
I have a vague idea or a suspicion of what's affecting you, but it's not clear to me.
I think I don't know a single
Even though I have some idea of what's going on, the situation remains a mystery to me, and I'm not entirely sure how best to help you.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Christine Fellows
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind