Emi Honda and Jordan McKenzie grew up on opposite sides of the… Read Full Bio ↴2008-2016
Emi Honda and Jordan McKenzie grew up on opposite sides of the same ocean. Somehow the currents were strong enough to carry Emi from her home in southern Japan to southern Vancouver Island in Canada. Emi spent a lot of time gardening, collecting and making things. Meanwhile, Jordan was busy writing music and learning to build sound machines. As the currents grew stronger, they met, at first through art, each recognizing unmistakable similarities in the others work. Soon they were playing music together, busking in the streets of Victoria. They also began to collaborate in making art installations (often working with Scott Evans). They recorded far & few, and Emi joined Jordan's prog-folk/sound project, sound stories. Working with Rachael Wadham, they put together their epic story, the spiral ship, and attemped touring around the pacific northwest. Perhaps taking the road less travelled too often to be beneficial, they remained in the peripheries of the music world, rarely being noticed head-on. As things grew quiet, Emi and Jordan grew restless in Victoria and decided to push off to Montreal. In the process of moving, they developed a new, compact musical set-up, along with a more stripped down sound. This is now Elfin Saddle (the name of their favorite wild mushroom).
The Changing Wind
Elfin Saddle Lyrics
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A wind is stirring up the ashes of a fire long ignored
You and I as ashes passes through fingers of sunshine in the morning
Every speck of ash caught in a wind may soon arrive at a different shore
Rearrange your reasoning as a wind surrounds your body’s fleeting form
Before this sail unfurling finds its full breadth, first its bindings
must be torn
Then the wind transforms you in an embrace and carries you off to a
different shore
The lyrics of Elfin Saddle’s song The Changing Wind are a call to action – a plea to leave behind old habits and ways of thinking, and to embrace the transformative power of change. The opening lines urge the listener to shed their old identities, represented by their blankets and hiding places, and to face the uncertain future. The wind, which has been ignored for so long, is now stirring up the ashes of the past, and every speck of ash caught in its current may soon arrive at a different shore. This suggests that change is inevitable, and that we must be willing to go with the flow, and adapt to new circumstances.
The second stanza continues this theme, emphasizing the need to leave behind old habits and fixed ideas, and to be open to new experiences. The singer exhorts the listener to strip away all coverings and feel the swirling wind, which will transform them in an embrace and carry them off to a different shore. This metaphor of the wind as a transformative force is powerful and evocative, suggesting that we must be willing to take risks and embrace the unknown, in order to grow and evolve as individuals.
Overall, The Changing Wind is a powerful reminder of the need to embrace change and let go of old identities and limitations. It urges the listener to be open to new experiences and to trust in the transformative power of the wind, which can carry us to new shores and help us discover new aspects of ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Come out from all hidings on this morning, leave your blankets by the door
It's time to face the day and leave your comfort zone behind.
A wind is stirring up the ashes of a fire long ignored
An opportunity has arisen that was previously overlooked or ignored.
You and I as ashes passes through fingers of sunshine in the morning
We are all just tiny specks in the grand scheme of things.
Every speck of ash caught in a wind may soon arrive at a different shore
Things can change quickly and unexpectedly, taking you to new places and experiences.
Rearrange your reasoning as a wind surrounds your body’s fleeting form
Take a step back and reconsider your perspective in the face of new information or circumstances.
Before this sail unfurling finds its full breadth, first its bindings must be torn
In order to move forward, you must break free from anything holding you back.
Strip away all coverings and feel the swirling wind surround your body
Let go of anything that is holding you back and embrace the unknown.
Then the wind transforms you in an embrace and carries you off to a different shore
Change can be scary, but it often leads to new and exciting opportunities.
Contributed by Alyssa H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.