Crooked Still is a self-styled alternative bluegrass band consisting of voc… Read Full Bio ↴Crooked Still is a self-styled alternative bluegrass band consisting of vocalist Aoife O'Donovan, cellist Tristan Clarridge, fiddler Brittany Haas, banjo player Dr. Gregory Liszt, and bassist Corey DiMario. They are known for their high energy, technical skill, unique instrumentation and innovative acoustic style.

O'Donovan and DiMario met at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts in spring of 2001. Former cellist Rushad Eggleston, who was studying at Berklee College of Music, and Liszt, a graduate student at MIT, were playing music together around the same time. When the four met that summer, they formed the band that would be Crooked Still. While its members finished school, Crooked Still played various Boston venues, growing in popularity and collecting favorable reviews from the local press, notably the Boston Globe, Northeast Performer, and the Boston Herald.

In 2004, the group was invited to perform at the Newport Folk Festival and Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, where their debut album, Hop High, was the top-selling CD. Following the success of this first festival appearance, Crooked Still went on to appear at concert halls, nightclubs, coffeehouses, and festivals in 23 states and several different countries. On August 22, 2006, they released their second CD, Shaken by a Low Sound.

In October 2007 the band announced that Eggleston would be leaving the group. Eggleston performed his last show with the band on November 18, 2007, at the Ironhorse in Northampton, Massachusetts. Cellist Tristan Clarridge and fiddler Brittany Haas joined the lineup in January 2008. The band released its first album with the new lineup, Still Crooked, in June 2008.

Distress
Crooked Still Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

So fades the lovely blooming flower
Frail smiling solace of an hour
So soon our transient comforts fly
And pleasure only blooms to die

Is there no kind, no healing hour
To soothe the anguish of the heart
Spirit of grace be ever nigh

Thy comforts honor me to die

Let gentle patience smile on pain
Til dying hope revives again
Hope wipes the tear from sorrows eye
And faith points up towards the sky

So fades the lovely blooming flower
Frail smiling solace of an hour

So soon our transient comforts fly
And pleasure only blooms to die

Overall Meaning

The first stanza of Crooked Still's song "Distress" is a poignant reminder of the fleeting nature of life's pleasures. It speaks to the impermanence of life and highlights how quickly our so-called "comforts" can evaporate. The image of a "lovely blooming flower" is particularly evocative as it conjures up a sense of fleeting beauty and fragility. The reference to pleasure "blooming to die" is particularly notable as it suggests that even the moments of joy and happiness we experience are ultimately transitory.

The second stanza of the song shifts into a plea for comfort and healing. The singer recognizes that life can bring pain and turmoil, and asks whether there is any balm for the wounded heart. The final lines of the stanza call upon the "spirit of grace" to be close at hand, offering solace in the face of death.

In the final stanza, the song takes on a more hopeful note. The singer urges "gentle patience" in the face of pain, recognizing that hope can revive even in the darkest of moments. And in the final lines of the song, the imagery of the blooming flower returns, this time paired with faith and a hopeful gaze towards the sky. The overall message of the song seems to be that life is fleeting and filled with both joy and pain, but that there is hope to be found even in the midst of suffering.

Line by Line Meaning

So fades the lovely blooming flower
The beautiful flower withers away.

Frail smiling solace of an hour
The flower only provided temporary comfort.

So soon our transient comforts fly
Our sources of comfort are fleeting.

And pleasure only blooms to die
Even joys are short-lived.

Is there no kind, no healing hour
Is there no relief from our sorrows?

To soothe the anguish of the heart
To ease the pain we feel inside.

Spirit of grace be ever nigh
May God's grace always be with us.

Thy comforts honor me to die
God's comfort is worth dying for.

Let gentle patience smile on pain
Endure pain with patience.

Til dying hope revives again
Until hope is restored.

Hope wipes the tear from sorrows eye
Hope brings comfort to those who lament.