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.
The Eclipse
Christine Fellows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
a pale pink smudge, eclipsed by a massive field of stars growing brighter all the time. A held breath becomes a
sigh, casts no shadow we can find. We wish for a quiet life. We wish for a sharper knife to single out this
perfect night. A tree is a bird with a head start, light upon the snowy sky, growing lighter all the time. A held
breath becomes a sigh, casts no shadow we can find. A sigh becomes a sign. A sign becomes a light.
The lyrics to Christine Fellows's song "The Eclipse" paint a vivid picture of various elements and their interconnectedness. The tree is portrayed as a child in a schoolyard, wearing red wool stockings and with light illuminating her face. This image represents innocence, vulnerability, and the beauty of nature. On the other hand, the moon is described as a pale pink smudge, eclipsed by a vast expanse of stars that grow brighter with time. This juxtaposition highlights the contrast between the small and intimate aspects of life (the child/tree) and the vastness and grandeur of the universe (the moon/stars).
The lyrics continue with a sense of longing and a desire for a quiet, peaceful existence. The singer expresses a wish for a quieter life, perhaps seeking solace and tranquility. They also long for a sharper knife, symbolizing the need to dissect and analyze this seemingly perfect night. This might suggest a desire for deeper understanding or the ability to truly appreciate and grasp the beauty around them.
The repetition of the line "A held breath becomes a sigh, casts no shadow we can find" emphasizes the fleeting nature of moments and experiences. It implies that when something is held tightly or clung to, it loses its essence, leaving only a fading sigh. However, this sigh can also become a sign or a light, suggesting that even in fleeting moments, there is the potential for illumination, revelation, or a deeper understanding.
Overall, "The Eclipse" invites contemplation and reflection on the interconnectedness of nature and human experience, the desire for peace and understanding, and the transient nature of moments in time.
Line by Line Meaning
A tree is a child in a schoolyard, red wool stockings, light on her face, glancing up at the camera.
Comparing a tree to a child in a schoolyard wearing red wool stockings, with the sun shining on her face and looking up at the camera.
The moon is a pale pink smudge, eclipsed by a massive field of stars growing brighter all the time.
Drawing a parallel between the moon appearing as a faint pink smudge, obscured by a vast expanse of increasingly vibrant stars.
A held breath becomes a sigh, casts no shadow we can find.
Describing how a suppressed breath transforms into a sigh, leaving no trace of a visible shadow to be discovered.
We wish for a quiet life. We wish for a sharper knife to single out this perfect night.
Expressing a desire for a calm and tranquil existence, and yearning for a tool powerful enough to differentiate and emphasize the beauty of this flawless evening.
A tree is a bird with a head start, light upon the snowy sky, growing lighter all the time.
Drawing a parallel between a tree and a bird that has already taken flight, gracefully illuminating the snowy sky and continuously becoming brighter.
A held breath becomes a sigh, casts no shadow we can find.
Reiterating the transformation of a held breath into a sigh, without leaving any visible trace of a shadow.
A sigh becomes a sign. A sign becomes a light.
Highlighting the progression of a sigh turning into a meaningful signal and subsequently evolving into a radiant source of illumination.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Christine Fellows
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind