Cordelia's Dad was founded in 1987 by Amherst College students Tim Eriksen (bass, vocals), Peter Irvine (drums), Tom King (guitar). Although all three had previous experiences with traditional American music their initial sound was closer to that of alternative rock bands like Dinosaur Jr. and accordingly they recorded their first, eponymous album at Fort Apache Studios in Boston. The main distinguishing characteristic from their Fort Apache peers was that with few exceptions, their early recorded output consisted entirely of Anglo-American traditional folk tunes recorded as rock songs. Their second album How Can I Sleep, recorded by Dave Schramm continued the prominent use of traditional material, but increased the share of songs played as acoustic folk songs, starting a trend to call the sound of the band "schizophrenic". The transition to folk outfit was completed in 1993 with the recording of the limited release mini-album The Joy Fun Garden for German mail order label Return to Sender (a sublabel of Normal Records, which released all Cordelia's Dad albums in Germany). King left after the recording to be replaced by bassist Cath Oss. Eriksen switched to guitar and their third regular album, Comet (1995) continued the conversion toward an acoustic sound, with only a single song, the closer "Jersey City", being played with rock instruments.
In 1996, the band released the punk-infused live album Road Kill (1996) as a farewell to their rock side, which for the next years would continue only as a side project named "io". The members of the main, now fully acoustic band had previously taken up shape note singing, and the new interest made an appearance on the Steve Albini produced album Spine (1998), for which folk fiddler Laura Risk joined the band. Spine would become their most critically acclaimed album, but also the last for four years, as band members moved away from their West Massachusetts home base. Irvine moved to Portland, Oregon to become a music lawyer, while Eriksen moved to Minneapolis and later participated in creating the soundtrack for the movie Cold Mountain.
The album What It Is, while released in 2002, contained music recorded during two sessions in 1997–98, and the band remained in hiatus until Eriksen and Irvine moved back to Massachusetts, and to celebrate their 20th anniversary, decided to reunite for local shows, playing both acoustic and electric sets.
Brother Judson
Cordelia's Dad Lyrics
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He stands staring
Brother Judson's got the horrors again
He stands staring
Will he be all right?
Will he be all right?
Will he be all right?
Or will this time be the last?
Or will this time be the last?
Brother Judson's got the horrors again
He stands staring
Brother Judson's got the horrors again
He stands staring
Will he be all right?
Will he be all right?
Will he be all right?
Or will this time be the last?
They're 'round my bed
They're in my room
Oh, will I be...
They're 'round my bed
They're in my room
Oh, will I be...
Oh, will I be...
Oh, will I be...
Will I be all right?
Or will this time you say
"The horrors' come to take your Brother Jud away again"
"The shadow in his eyes is sure to be the death of him"
"The horrors' come to take you Brother Jud away again"
"The shadow in his eyes is sure to be the death of him"
"The horrors' come to take you Brother Jud away again"
"The shadow in his eyes is sure to be the death of him"
Will I be all right?
Or will this time be the last?
Will I be all right?
Will I be all–all right?
The Cordelia's Dad's song Brother Judson is a haunting and emotional piece about Brother Judson's ongoing struggle with the horrors. The lyrics paint a picture of a man who is paralyzed by fear, staring off into space, and consumed by the unknown. The repetition of the line "Will he be all right?" highlights the pervasive uncertainty and anxiety that plagues Brother Judson and those around him. The lyrics also suggest that Brother Judson has experienced these "horrors" before and that each time there is a possibility that he may not survive.
The lyrics of Brother Judson are a poignant commentary on the human experience of dealing with mental illness. The song brings to light the difficulties faced by individuals suffering from mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, and other conditions that can lead to debilitating panic attacks. The lyrics also acknowledge the impact that mental illness can have on loved ones and the feelings of helplessness that they experience when trying to support someone during a deeply personal and challenging time.
Line by Line Meaning
Brother Judson's got the horrors again
Brother Judson is experiencing a severe, terrifying anxiety attack
He stands staring
He is frozen, unable to move or react
Will he be all right?
Is he going to recover from this episode?
Or will this time be the last?
Is this going to be the final attack, leading to his demise?
They're 'round my bed
The horrors are closing in on him, suffocating him
They're in my room
The anxiety is all-consuming and has permeated into his safe space
Oh, will I be...
He is questioning his own survival
"The horrors' come to take your Brother Jud away again"
The anxiety is taking over and controlling him
"The shadow in his eyes is sure to be the death of him"
The anxiety is so intense that it is causing physical harm and may ultimately lead to death
Will I be all—all right?
He continues to question whether or not he'll ever be able to recover and lead a normal life
Contributed by Emma P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.