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.
What Makes the Cherry Red
Christine Fellows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The fruit within the fruit
That reminds you
What makes the cherry red
What sap went through that little thread
To make the cherry red
Here's the line break
There's been a struggle
Frost that kills the leaves
Can't harm the roots
They still grow in frozen ground
Victory won't come
Until this little thread
Ties a knot
Under over gone
Grasps and pulls along
And forgives us our decay
Christine Fellows’s song “What Makes the Cherry Red” is a beautifully crafted piece on the subject of perseverance and growth. The song is filled with metaphors and imagery that delve deep into the struggles of life. The opening lines, “Wait for it, The fruit within the fruit, That reminds you, What makes the cherry red,” are a subtle reminder of the beauty that perseverance can bring. The cherry is a symbol of something sweet and delicious, but it is also a reminder that it takes struggle to get there. The metaphor of “the fruit within the fruit” adds another layer to this idea, that sometimes the sweetest parts of life are found within the struggles.
The song goes on to talk about the struggle of growth. “Frost that kills the leaves, Can’t harm the roots, They still grow in frozen ground,” is a powerful reminder that no matter what obstacles come our way, we can still grow and thrive. The struggle will only make us stronger. The lyrics “Victory won't come, Until this little thread, Ties a knot, Under over gone, Grasps and pulls along, And forgives us our decay” speak to the idea that in order to achieve victory, we must endure the struggle, forgive our own weaknesses and keep pulling ourselves forward.
Overall, “What Makes the Cherry Red” is a beautiful and thought-provoking song that explores the struggles and rewards of perseverance.
Line by Line Meaning
Wait for it
Be patient for the answer or solution
The fruit within the fruit
Something hidden or underneath the surface
That reminds you
Serving as a memory trigger
What makes the cherry red
The reason or cause behind something
What sap went through that little thread
The process or struggle that brings about the desired outcome
To make the cherry red
The result or end goal
Here's the line break
A pause or transition
To remind you
Bringing attention to something important
There's been a struggle
Difficulties or challenges that had to be overcome
Frost that kills the leaves
Obstacles or setbacks that seem insurmountable
Can't harm the roots
A firm foundation or unwavering beliefs
They still grow in frozen ground
The ability to persevere even in tough circumstances
Victory won't come
Success is not guaranteed and requires effort
Until this little thread
Every step or action required to reach the goal
Ties a knot
Finalizing or completing a task
Under over gone
The steps required to achieve success
Grasps and pulls along
The effort required to succeed
And forgives us our decay
Accepting that imperfection or failure is part of the process
Contributed by Nathan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.