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.
Surprise!
Christine Fellows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yellow moon.
Distract me till the dawn.
Trace my lips.
Search my brow
For any others you might find.
Didn't know you had it in you.
Lemon drop
Your heavy heart.
Hold you up to the light.
Trace your lips.
Search your brow
For any others I might find.
Surprise.
Didn't know you had it in you.
In Christine Fellows's song Surprise!, the lyrics create a sense of mystery and revelation as she sings about being surprised by someone's unexpected behavior. The first two lines set the scene with "yellow eyes" and a "yellow moon" that distract her until dawn. The color yellow often represents caution or warning, which could indicate that the singer is unsure or apprehensive about what is to come.
The repetition of the phrases "trace my lips" and "search my brow" suggest a sense of intimacy and a desire for someone to know her intimately. The use of the words "any others" implies that there may be hidden parts of her that she wants to reveal, or secrets that she wants to share with someone. The surprise in the chorus is the reveal that this person has something unexpected within them that the singer was not aware of. It could be a positive quality or a hidden aspect of their personality that has surprised her.
Line by Line Meaning
Yellow eyes.
Your eyes are unappealing and dull.
Yellow moon.
The moon is yellow and unremarkable.
Distract me till the dawn.
Keep me occupied until daybreak.
Trace my lips.
Touch my lips lightly.
Search my brow
Examine my forehead.
For any others you might find.
Look for any imperfections on my face.
Surprise.
An unexpected revelation.
Didn't know you had it in you.
I'm surprised by your capabilities.
Lemon drop
A drop of sour lemon juice.
Your heavy heart.
You are weighed down by sorrow.
Hold you up to the light.
Inspect you with scrutiny.
Surprise.
An unexpected revelation.
Trace your lips.
Touch your lips sweetly.
Search your brow
Examine your forehead with care.
For any others I might find.
Look for any flaws or beauty on your face.
Surprise.
An unexpected revelation.
Didn't know you had it in you.
I'm shocked by your hidden abilities.
Contributed by Makayla M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.