An excellent and highly intriguing singer/songwriter who is based in New York City, Curtis Eller has successfully brought a variety of influences to his unorthodox folk-rock vision. The banjo-playing Eller's work has an old-time feel, drawing on an abundance of direct or indirect influences from the '20s, '30s, and '40s (including country singer Jimmie Rodgers, cowboy icon Gene Autry, and Mississippi Delta bluesman Robert Johnson). But Eller's material is far from a carbon copy of music from that era -- there is plenty of rock bite and attitude in his rootsy work, which also contains elements of Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and the ballsy outlaw country of Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard. Eller, consciously or unconsciously, reminds listeners what Dylan, Cash, Son House, Pete Seeger, and Haggard have in common -- they are all known for being effective storytellers, and storytelling is where Eller himself shines.
The Queens resident is clearly fascinated by American history; he has written about the American Civil War, silent film star Buster Keaton (who he considers a strong influence), and aviatrix Amelia Earhart. Quite often, Eller's subject matter can be dark; "Alaska" is about a mining disaster, and "The Execution of Black Diamond" was inspired by a bizarre 1929 incident in which a circus elephant was paraded through the streets of a small Texas town and "executed" (the mayor took the first shot) after attacking and killing a local woman. Circuses, in fact, are a major interest of Eller, who studied juggling when he was a kid and calls his band Curtis Eller's American Circus. Eller has often said that his goal as a performer is to "capture the spirit of the Hartford Circus Fire of 1944," a tragedy that cost 167 people their lives and became the worst disaster in the Connecticut city's history.
A circus inferno is a bizarre way to measure artistic or creative success, but then, Eller's eccentricity is part of what makes his work so interesting. A website on the history of Hartford has posted the lyrics to "Hartford, CT," an Eller song describing the World War II-era tragedy. Another unusual thing about Eller is the way he plays the banjo, his primary instrument. Instead of playing it in an exuberant, bluegrass-like fashion, Eller often makes the banjo sound moody, haunting, and dark -- in Eller's hands, the banjo becomes the perfect instrument for songs about mining disasters and circus tragedies.
Originally from Detroit, MI, Eller listened to a variety of music when he was growing up in the Motor City -- everyone from Son House to Iggy Pop. After leaving Detroit, he spent some time in North Carolina, where he was the musical director for a local theater troupe. But Eller grew disenchanted with the theater and moved to New York City (where he made music his primary focus). Eller's debut album, 1890, was released in 2000 and was followed by the three-song EP Banjo Music for Funerals two years later. In 2004, Eller released his second full-length album, Taking Up Serpents Again.
On March 25, 2008, his third album was released: Wirewalkers & Assassins. The album continues to explore and expand upon the themes and influences (both musically and lyrically) from his previous work. Overall, the music on the album is a little fuller and darker than his previous albums.
Two Of Us
Curtis Eller's American Circus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All the lights from the moon and the stars will be drown
And when the light in your eyes flickers and fades away
You'll find that it's too late because when the lights go out they stay
When you wake up down here and a light fills the room
This light that you're seeing by is a thread from the devil's loom
'Cause he sews his world up in fire and I really don't care who you are
When your skin turns to ash and falls away in the wind
And your heart clenches in regret for all the sin you've sinned
And when the swarm of dustmites that fill the air cloud the sun from your sight
The dust and the ash will grow less everyday and all your days will be night
But... the...
Moon and the stars will grown birghter
And the blindness in your eyes will fade away
And the fire will grow paler and the black will melt away
And the chains on your feet will decay
and that which is not will suddenly be
When there's two of us instead of only me
These lyrics from Curtis Eller's American Circus's song "Two of Us" are a somber reflection on the finality of death and an afterlife. The opening lines suggest a descent into the afterlife, which is depicted as a dark and disorienting space devoid of any light or warmth. The devil is introduced as controlling this space, and it is suggested that sinners like the singer will meet him on judgment day. The lyrics continue with vivid imagery describing the physical transformation of the self as it is reduced to ash and dust, but there is a glimmer of hope in the repetition of the words "But... the...," suggesting that there is an alternative to this dire fate.
The final lines of the song bring a shift in tone and offer a hopeful possibility of a life beyond the afterlife. The singer suggests that there is the potential for connection and companionship in this new afterlife, as they sing, "When there's two of us instead of only me." Despite the despair and darkness of the afterlife, there is the potential for growth and transformation, and perhaps even love and companionship.
Line by Line Meaning
When the earth opens up and swallows you down
If you are taken by the earth and buried, its darkness and the absence of any illuminated objects will overwhelm you.
All the lights from the moon and the stars will be drown
Even the luminance of celestial objects will not penetrate the soil that covers you, and you will be left in complete darkness.
And when the light in your eyes flickers and fades away
When your life comes to an end, the vigor in your eyes will slowly diminish until they are no longer bright.
You'll find that it's too late because when the lights go out they stay
It won't matter whether you have any last wishes or requests, as the lack of light denotes permanence, and the end is irreversible.
When you wake up down here and a light fills the room
If you awaken underground, the only light you will see will come from the fires lit in hell, which are used to punish people who have sinned.
This light that you're seeing by is a thread from the devil's loom
The light that illuminates the underworld is a par of the devil's scheme to trap and torture even more people.
'Cause he sews his world up in fire and I really don't care who you are
The devil has enclosed his hellish realm with flame, regardless of who you are or your status in life.
You'll stand before him blackened and burned and he can't tell the skin from the scar
If you are judged by the devil, the fire would have already destroyed the external features that make you unique, rendering it difficult for him to differentiate between any remaining wounds or scorch marks.
When your skin turns to ash and falls away in the wind
Over time, the fires will eventually reduce your body to ash, and when the winds blow, your ashes will scatter and disperse in the air.
And your heart clenches in regret for all the sin you've sinned
As you endure the punishment for your sins, your soul will feel enormous regret for your transgressions.
And when the swarm of dustmites that fill the air cloud the sun from your sight
The multitude of dust mites in the air obscures the sun, and you cannot see its light anymore.
The dust and the ash will grow less everyday and all your days will be night
As time passes, the quantity of ash and dust particles will continue to diminish until your existence is enveloped in perpetual darkness.
But... the...
However, there is hope.
Moon and the stars will grown birghter
The luminosity of celestial objects will start to intensify,
And the blindness in your eyes will fade away
The increasing light will also help restore your eyesight.
And the fire will grow paler and the black will melt away
Eventually, the fires will diminish, and the darkness will lift.
And the chains on your feet will decay
The shackles that have restrained you will eventually fall apart.
and that which is not will suddenly be
What wasn't there before will suddenly appear, as a glimmer of hope.
When there's two of us instead of only me
Only when two people reunite, would the true hope emerge out of the dark times.
Contributed by Austin G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.