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 Garden
Christine Fellows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
from my mother’s home. Where will they go? Stand of cedar offers shelter. Globe hydrangea, spruce and
beech. Struggling yew tree at a corner. Two bush roses, pink and peach, underneath thorn and leaf. Life-size
statue of a dog. The one at my heels, my dear companion. So many years of love and toil. The creek and the
swale, all I imagined. Some odds and ends, a weeping bed. One day at a time.
In Christine Fellows's song "The Garden," the lyrics tell the story of someone's deep connection to their garden and their need to explain its significance. The singer feels compelled to share the journey of their garden's growth and the personal meaning it holds. The opening lines, "Must explain. I know no different. Must explain. I've watched it grow," highlight the singer's strong desire to articulate the beauty and significance of their garden.
The lyrics describe the various elements within the garden, creating a vivid image of its contents. The "Fieldstone rocks free for the taking" and "Ivy from my mother's home" symbolize the connection to the past and the desire to create something meaningful. The mention of the "stand of cedar" and "globe hydrangea, spruce, and beech" represents the diverse array of plants that inhabit the garden, each serving as a testament to nature's beauty and resilience.
The lyrics also touch upon the struggles and challenges that the garden endures, such as the "struggling yew tree at a corner" and the "two bush roses, pink and peach, underneath thorn and leaf." These elements reflect the singer's understanding that growth and beauty often come with their fair share of hardships.
Furthermore, the mention of a "life-size statue of a dog" reveals a deeper emotional significance attached to the garden. It represents the singer's beloved companion and hints at the years of love and toil dedicated to tending the garden. Finally, the reference to the "creek and the swale" represents the vastness of the singer's imagination and the endless possibilities that the garden holds.
Overall, "The Garden" is a heartfelt exploration of the relationship between a person and their garden, capturing the beauty, struggles, and emotional connections that can arise from nurturing and cultivating such a space.
Line by Line Meaning
Must explain. I know no different.
I feel an urge to constantly explain myself, as it's the only way I know how to communicate and understand the world.
Must explain. I’ve watched it grow.
I feel the need to explain because I have observed and witnessed the gradual growth and evolution of everything around me.
Fieldstone rocks free for the taking. Ivy from my mother’s home. Where will they go?
There are freely available fieldstone rocks and ivy from my mother's house. I wonder where these elements will find their place in the future.
Stand of cedar offers shelter. Globe hydrangea, spruce and beech. Struggling yew tree at a corner. Two bush roses, pink and peach, underneath thorn and leaf.
There is a stand of cedar trees providing shelter. Among them, there are globe hydrangea, spruce, and beech plants thriving. However, there is also a struggling yew tree tucked away in a corner. Beneath the thorn-covered branches and fallen leaves, there are two bush roses, one pink and one peach in color.
Life-size statue of a dog. The one at my heels, my dear companion. So many years of love and toil.
There is a life-size statue of a dog that represents my loyal and cherished companion who has been by my side for many years, providing love and support through difficult times.
The creek and the swale, all I imagined.
The creek and the swale hold great significance to me as they represent the embodiment of all my imaginings and dreams.
Some odds and ends, a weeping bed. One day at a time.
There are miscellaneous items and a bed of weeping plants, reminding me to take things one day at a time and deal with the diverse aspects of life gradually.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Christine Fellows
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind