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 Slowest Race
Christine Fellows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
drowning your denial. The slowest race, the smallest gain. To lie awake, to keep you safe. So long, so long, so
long. You, who I adore, warble in the background more like radio. And all at once, you’re gone; a frozen wave
that hangs on far too long. The slowest race, the smallest gain. To lie awake, to keep you safe. The slowest
race, the smallest gain. To lie in wait. To see your face. So long, so long, so long.
In Christine Fellows's song "The Slowest Race," the lyrics evoke a sense of melancholy and longing, addressing themes of loneliness, denial, and the struggles that come with love and relationships. The opening lines suggest that both loneliness and rage carry a heavy emotional weight, and that suppressing one's emotions comes at a great cost. The reference to the "smallest pain" hints at how even the tiniest emotional hurt can have a significant impact on one's well-being.
The phrase "cool your heels awhile" can be interpreted as a reminder to take a break and find solace in solitude, perhaps as a defense mechanism to cope with the challenges of love and life. The line "drowning your denial" suggests that one may try to escape from the truth or ignore their emotions by immersing themselves in distractions or vices.
The repeated mention of "the slowest race" and "the smallest gain" emphasizes the difficulty of navigating relationships and the feeling of being stuck in a relentless pursuit with little progress or reward. The repetition of "So long" signifies a farewell, perhaps indicating the end of a relationship or the longing for closure.
The reference to someone "warbling in the background more like radio" suggests a fading presence or a once-prominent person now diminishing in significance. The image of a "frozen wave that hangs on far too long" represents the lingering pain and the difficulty of letting go.
Overall, "The Slowest Race" portrays a bittersweet and introspective exploration of the complexities of love, the struggle to find fulfillment, and the longing for connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Loneliness or rage.
Feeling a deep sense of isolation or intense anger.
Twice the price of appetite.
The emotional toll is costly and has a greater impact than satisfying basic desires.
The smallest pain.
Even the tiniest hurt can leave a lasting impact.
Cool your heels awhile.
Take a moment to relax and calm down.
Your best defence: drowning your denial.
The most effective way to protect yourself is to confront and overcome your denial.
The slowest race, the smallest gain.
Life is a slow and challenging journey, with little progress or reward.
To lie awake, to keep you safe.
Staying awake at night, worrying and being vigilant to ensure your safety.
So long, so long, so long.
Saying goodbye or parting for an extended period of time.
You, who I adore, warble in the background more like radio.
You, the person I deeply love, have diminished presence and seem distant, like faint radio sounds.
And all at once, you’re gone; a frozen wave that hangs on far too long.
Suddenly, you disappear, and your absence lingers like a prolonged frozen wave.
To lie in wait. To see your face.
To patiently wait for the moment when I can see your face again.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Christine Fellows
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind