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.
Little Speckled Egg
Cordelia's Dad Lyrics
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(Little speckled egg)
Precious little egg
(Precious little egg)
Little speckled egg
(Little speckled egg)
Precious little egg
(Precious little egg)
The precious little egg
Anna Maria told me something
Then I couldn't sleep
Something about a little speckled egg
That left me counting sheep
The little egg
Precious egg
Little speckled egg
(Little speckled egg)
Precious little egg
(Precious little egg)
Little speckled egg
(Little speckled egg)
Precious little egg
(Precious little egg)
Little speckled egg
The precious little egg
Anna Maria told me something
Then I couldn't sleep
Something about a little speckled egg
And a trench worn nine foot deep
The little egg
Precious egg
Circle round the little speckled egg (Circle round)
Circle round cautious
Wear a trench till it's on a pedestal nine feet tall
Circle round the little speckled egg (Circle round)
Circle round
The little egg
Precious egg
The song "Little Speckled Egg" by Cordelia's Dad seems to be a lullaby about a little speckled egg that the singer cannot stop thinking about. Anna Maria, likely a friend or family member, told the singer something related to the egg that has kept them up at night. The repetition of the lyrics, "little speckled egg" and "precious little egg," gives the impression that the egg is something very special and meaningful to the singer. The egg seems to have some sort of power over the singer, causing them to enter a sort of trance-like state where they can't sleep and can only focus on it. The second verse introduces the idea of a trench that has been worn nine feet deep, likely dug by someone very invested in the egg, and adds to the overall feeling that the egg is something of great importance. The final verse talks about circling around the egg and being cautious, as if to protect it and keep it safe.
The lyrics of "Little Speckled Egg" are deliberately cryptic and open to interpretation, much like many other Cordelia's Dad songs. The egg might represent something very specific, or might just be a symbol for something more abstract. Some possible interpretations of the song might be that the egg represents an idea, a project, a relationship, or a personal goal that the singer is struggling to come to terms with. The idea that the egg is something that needs to be protected and safeguarded suggests that whatever the egg represents is something that the singer holds dear, and that they are willing to go to great lengths to keep safe.
Overall, "Little Speckled Egg" is a dreamlike, hypnotic song that creates a sense of mystery and intrigue. The repetitive, chant-like quality of the lyrics, combined with the simple, sparse instrumentation, creates a meditative atmosphere that draws the listener in.
Line by Line Meaning
Little speckled egg
This line is repeated throughout the song's chorus and emphasizes the significance and value of the egg being referred to.
Precious little egg
This line also repeats throughout the song and highlights the significance of the egg.
Anna Maria told me something
The singer heard some important news from Anna Maria that affected him greatly.
Then I couldn't sleep
The singer was unable to sleep after hearing the news from Anna Maria.
Something about a little speckled egg
The news that Anna Maria shared with the singer related to a small, prized egg that holds great value.
That left me counting sheep
The singer was so preoccupied with the news about the little speckled egg that he had trouble sleeping and had to count sheep in order to calm his mind.
And a trench worn nine foot deep
The egg was so special that someone went to great lengths to protect it by digging a trench around it that was nine feet deep.
Circle round the little speckled egg (Circle round)
The repetition of this line creates a sense of urgency to protect and value the egg.
Circle round cautious
This line encourages people to be careful and vigilant when protecting the egg, highlighting its importance.
Wear a trench till it's on a pedestal nine feet tall
This line emphasizes the need to go to great lengths to protect the egg, even going so far as to elevate it on a pedestal and digging a trench around it that is nine feet deep.
Contributed by Andrew S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.