Jurado's solo career began during the mid-1990s, releasing lo-fi folk based recordings on his own cassette-only label, Casa Recordings, beginning in 1995.
Jurado often makes use of found-sound and field-recording techniques, and has experimented with different forms of tape recordings. In 2000 he released Postcards and Audio Letters, a collection of found audio letters and fragments that he had found from sources such as thrift store tape players and answering machines. Also released in 2000 was Ghost of David,, Jurado's bleakest and most personal sounding record to date. I Break Chairs, (2002) was produced by long time friend, David Bazan. It was his last album for Sub Pop, and was a much rockier, electric affair. After signing for the Indiana-based label Secretly Canadian, Damien Jurado reverted to his trademark folk ballad-based style, releasing six more albums: Where Shall You Take Me? (2003), On My Way To Absence (2005), And Now That I'm In Your Shadow (2006), Caught in the Trees (2008), Saint Bartlett (2010) and Maraqopa (2012).
Official blog: iamcaughtinthetrees.blogspot.com
Harborview
Damien Jurado Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So they lead you away
Speak for me would you
I have nothing to say
And you would not notice
My hands have let go
Feel free to replace them
Mothers and fathers
You sisters all lost
The pending opinions
Are you worth what they've got
And they would not notice
Your hands open wide
Some Judas before them
With thorns in your side
Feel free to lay down
You could use a rest
Speak for me would you
Since you've taken my breath
And you would not notice
My hands have let go
Feel free to replace them
They are idle and slow
The song "Harborview" by Damien Jurado is a melancholic ballad with lyrics that poetically describe the feelings of someone who is feeling lost and forgotten. The song begins with the lines "Far out and failing / So they lead you away / Speak for me, would you / I have nothing to say," which set the tone for the rest of the track. The singer seems to be addressing someone else to speak on their behalf, as they feel like they have nothing left to say or contribute.
Throughout the song, the lyrics portray a sense of resignation and acceptance of fate. The lines "Mothers and fathers / Your sisters all lost / The pending opinions / Are you worth what they've got" suggest a feeling of hopelessness and defeat, as if the singer is resigned to their fate and doesn't feel like they have any worth. The repeated lines "And you would not notice / My hands have let go / Feel free to replace them / They are idle and slow" further emphasize this feeling of being forgotten and unimportant.
Overall, "Harborview" is a hauntingly beautiful song that captures the emotions of someone who feels like they have nothing left to contribute to the world. The lyrics are open to interpretation and can be applied to a variety of situations, making the song relatable to many listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
Far out and failing
Starting far away from others and gradually becoming more hopeless and unsuccessful
So they lead you away
Others take you away from the situation as you are unable to cope with it
Speak for me would you
Requesting someone else to speak on our behalf
I have nothing to say
Feeling speechless and helpless
And you would not notice
Others might be unaware of what is happening to us
My hands have let go
We have lost control over something that we had held onto tightly
Feel free to replace them
Allowing someone else to take control of the situation in our place
They are idle and slow
Our previous efforts have become stagnant and unproductive
Mothers and fathers
Referencing to the parental figures in our life
You sisters all lost
Referring to the loss of sibling figures in our life
The pending opinions
The thoughts and judgements of others that are yet to come
Are you worth what they've got
Are we valuable enough for them to have opinions on us
Your hands open wide
Trying to take control of the situation with an open gesture
Some Judas before them
Someone who others may see as treacherous in their eyes
With thorns in your side
Suffering intense pain or discomfort due to what others perceive as our wrongdoing
Feel free to lay down
Suggesting us to take a rest and not fight against the situation anymore
You could use a rest
Acknowledging our exhaustion and need for physical and mental peace
Since you've taken my breath
Someone else has taken control or responsibility for something, and we are left with nothing to do
Contributed by Oliver R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.