Stetson earned a degree in music from the University of Michigan in 1997. Six years in San Francisco followed, then another four in Brooklyn, NY. Over this time, he developed his techniques on saxophones and clarinets, culminating in the release of the album New History Warfare Vol. 1″ on Agoo Records in 2008.
His album New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges” will be released Feb. 22, 2011 on Constellation. The final album of the trilogy, New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light, was released by Constellation Records in April 2013, and was a long-list nominee for the 2013 Polaris Music Prize.
Aside from his work as a soloist, Stetson has brought his talents to the stage and studio with dozens of artists, including Tom Waits, Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio, Feist, Bon Iver, Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, David Byrne, Jolie Holland, Sinead O’Connor, LCD Soundsystem, The National, Angelique Kidjo, and Anthony Braxton.
He is a regular member of the bands Sway Machinery and Bell Orchestre and has been a touring member of Bon Iver in support of their new record in 2011, on which he also appears.
A collaborative studio album with violinist Sarah Neufeld entitled "Never Were the Way She Was" was released in 2015. Subsequent albums include "SORROW: A Reimagining of Henryk Górecki's 3rd Symphony" (2016), "All This I Do for Glory" (2017), Chimæra I (2022)...
Since 2013, Stetson has contributed, the scores to several films and television series.
Constellation Artist Page: www.cstrecords.com/colin-stetson
Billions Artist Page: www.billions.com/colinstetson
A Dream of Water
Colin Stetson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
there were those, who couldn’t take it,
there were those, who stayed in the city,
where was it? where did it go?
There were those who laid their bodies down,
there were those, who took our knifes,
there were those, who kissed the grey skies,
there were those, who only knew only the sound of their own voices,
there were those, who freed there bodies,
there were those, who couldn’t take it,
there were others on their own,
what was it? what was it?
There were strangers and conman,
there were those, who lived in the cross space,
there were people lighting candles,
there were people going crazy,
there were those, who walked the beach,
what war is that, what time could this be?
There were those, who didn’t run,
there were those, who couldn’t take it,
there were those, who stayed in the city,
what was it, where did it go?
There were those, who laid their bodies down,
there were those, who took our knifes,
there were those, who kissed the grey skies,
there were those, who only knew only the sound of their own voices,
There were those who, knew the rules,
there were those who, freed there bodies,
there were those who, couldnt take it,
there were others on their own,
what was it, what was it?
There were strangers and conman,
there were those, who lived in the cross space,
there were people lighting candles,
there were people going crazy,
there were those, who walked the beach,
what war is that? what war is that? what time could this be?
Colin Stetson's "A Dream of Water" is a hauntingly beautiful song that poetically explores the aftermath of a catastrophic event, possibly a war or a natural disaster. The song's lyrics present a series of fragmented, disconnected images and descriptions of different people and groups affected by the event, creating a sense of confusion, loss, and desperation.
The song begins with the lines "There were those who didn't run, there were those who couldn't take it, there were those who stayed in the city, where was it? where did it go?" These lines suggest that there was some kind of danger or threat that some people were able to avoid or escape, while others were unable to do so or chose to remain in the affected area. The repeated question "where was it? where did it go?" underscores the sense of disorientation and uncertainty that pervades the song.
The following lines describe different reactions and experiences of the people affected by the event. Some "laid their bodies down," possibly implying that they were among the victims of the disaster. Others "took our knifes," suggesting a more active, aggressive response to the situation. Some "kissed the grey skies," perhaps as a way of finding beauty or peace amidst the devastation. The repetition of the phrase "there were those" creates a sense of anonymity and universality, as if these experiences are shared by many.
The chorus repeats the same images and questions as the verses, with slight variations in wording and emphasis. The final lines of the song add a sense of urgency and despair: "what war is that? what war is that? what time could this be?" These lines suggest that the event is so cataclysmic that it feels like a war, or that it marks a significant rupture in time and history.
Line by Line Meaning
There were those, who didn’t run,
Some people did not flee
there were those, who couldn’t take it,
Some could not handle the situation
there were those, who stayed in the city,
Some chose to remain in the city
where was it? where did it go?
The location and status of the situation is unknown
There were those who laid their bodies down,
Some sacrificed themselves
there were those, who took our knifes,
Some were violent and aggressive
there were those, who kissed the grey skies,
Some were lost in thought and contemplation
there were those, who only knew only the sound of their own voices,
Some were isolated and only connected with themselves
There were those, who knew the rules,
Some were familiar with the laws and regulations
there were those, who freed there bodies,
Some found liberation in their physical movements
there were those, who couldn’t take it,
Some were overwhelmed by the experience
there were others on their own,
Some were alone
what was it? what was it?
The nature of the situation is unknown
There were strangers and conman,
Some were unfamiliar or dishonest individuals
there were those, who lived in the cross space,
Some resided in ambiguous or transitional locations
there were people lighting candles,
Some were engaging in symbolic acts
there were people going crazy,
Some were losing their sense of stability or consciousness
there were those, who walked the beach,
Some were taking a peaceful stroll by the water
what war is that, what time could this be?
The specific conflict and era are unknown
Writer(s): Colin Stetson
Contributed by Katherine P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@tonymiranda5675
Lyrics
There were those, who didn't run,
There were those, who couldn't take it,
There were those, who stayed in the city,
Where was it? where did it go?
There were those who laid their bodies down,
There were those, who took our knifes,
There were those, who kissed the grey skies,
There were those, who only knew only the sound of their own voices,
There were those, who knew the rules,
There were those, who freed there bodies,
There were those, who couldn't take it,
There were others on their own,
What was it? what was it?
There were strangers and conman,
There were those, who lived in the cross space,
There were people lighting candles,
There were people going crazy,
There were those, who walked the beach,
What war is that, what time could this be?
@OldCouches
My power went out tonight, decided to listen to this album while sitting in the living with a single candle in the center of the floor.
@benjaminforrest4511
The first time I heard this music, I was on my break at work. There are some woods at the edge of the parking lot. It was dark and windy. I stood there staring at the pine trees for what felt like a long time. The headlights of cars passing by made weird shadows on the trees. I felt strange when i returned.
@jeevankanth3025
ok then Benjamin 'forest' (cool name)
@matthewcollinsmc
See? It spoke to you
@barbounofilos
There where those who couldn't take it
@perrisavallon5170
A little bit back a theater near me was doing a screening of Jaws for whatever reason. The sun had long since set by the time the movie ended, and I couldn't quite remember where I had parked. I turned on Spotify and wandered the empty parking lot in the dark, thinking about shark attacks as this song played. I've been obsessed with it since.
@RD-kw7mk
wow this transcends
@tonymiranda5675
Lyrics
There were those, who didn't run,
There were those, who couldn't take it,
There were those, who stayed in the city,
Where was it? where did it go?
There were those who laid their bodies down,
There were those, who took our knifes,
There were those, who kissed the grey skies,
There were those, who only knew only the sound of their own voices,
There were those, who knew the rules,
There were those, who freed there bodies,
There were those, who couldn't take it,
There were others on their own,
What was it? what was it?
There were strangers and conman,
There were those, who lived in the cross space,
There were people lighting candles,
There were people going crazy,
There were those, who walked the beach,
What war is that, what time could this be?
@sirmount2636
I think she says “town,” not time.
@MooseEatsBears
She also says "took out knives" not "took our knives", "conmen" not "conman", and "crawl" space not "cross" space