Anointed by the 2010 Boston Music Awards as Boston’s Americana Artist of the Year, the David Wax Museum has been called “pure, irresistible joy” (Bob Boilen, NPR) and hailed by TIME.com for its “virtuosic musical skill and virtuous harmonies.” It is no surprise that their acclaimed performance at the 2010 Newport Folk Festival was hailed as one of highlights of the entire weekend by NPR. The band fuses traditional Mexican folk with American roots and indie rock to create an utterly unique Mexo-Americana aesthetic. Combining Latin rhythms, call-and-response hollering, and donkey jawbone rattling, they have electrified audiences across the country and are “kicking up a cloud of excitement with their high-energy border-crossing sensibility” (The New Yorker).
The band’s album, Everything Is Saved, produced by Sam Kassirer (Josh Ritter), drew rave reviews from all corners and has propelled the band into the national spotlight. With an illustration in The New Yorker, a feature in Paste Magazine, a Daytrotter session, a nod from TIME magazine as one of the top ten acts of this year’s South by Southwest, and an appearance on NPR’s World Café, the band quickly became “one of the hottest new indie bands around” (Better TV).
Refuge
David Wax Museum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do you come with a humble heart?
Do you believe
Somewhere you’ll find more light than dark?
I’ve heard talk of a city
That can’t be found on one’s own
Where the mercy is measureless
I’ve been calling on the Saint of Lost Causes
But I’ve been finding all my prayers filled with long pauses
How the untended fire
Still burns I do not know
The David Wax Museum's song "Refuge" is a thought-provoking piece that reflects on the idea of seeking refuge, both physically and emotionally. The lyrics contain a series of questions that seem to be directed at the listener, asking if they have come to find shelter or safety in a humble, open-minded way, and if they are still holding onto hope that they will find light amidst the darkness. The song also touches on the idea of a mystical place, a city that cannot be found easily, where mercy abounds and the secrets of the universe are known.
The second verse of the song seems to reveal a sense of inner turmoil or spiritual longing. The singer mentions calling on the "Saint of Lost Causes," an allusion to a Catholic patron saint named Jude, who is often invoked in desperate situations, but the singer is finding moments of silence in their prayers. The verse's closing line, "how the untended fire still burns I do not know," adds another layer of complexity to the song's themes. Perhaps the untended fire is a metaphor for the human spirit - even if left unattended, it remains burning and alive, but its source and sustenance remain a mystery.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you come seeking refuge?
Are you searching for a place of safety and comfort?
Do you come with a humble heart?
Are you approaching with a modest attitude?
Do you believe
Somewhere you’ll find more light than dark?
Do you have faith that there is more hope than despair in this world?
I’ve heard talk of a city
That can’t be found on one’s own
Where the mercy is measureless
And the unknowable it is known
I've heard rumors of a haven that cannot be discovered alone, where compassion knows no bounds and mysteries are revealed.
I’ve been calling on the Saint of Lost Causes
But I’ve been finding all my prayers filled with long pauses
I've been seeking guidance from the patron saint of hopeless situations but my requests have gone unanswered.
How the untended fire
Still burns I do not know
I don't understand how a neglected flame can still flicker and thrive.
Contributed by Ethan B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
David Schneider
We need you guys back in the Berkshires, or at least somewhere close by.
Dave and Sue
P.S. Sue is the runner :)