The band began when McCarthy left the bands and sideshows of New York City, traveling abroad and singing solo. With an open ticket and two phone numbers in her purse, she set out hoping to find her voice and new inspiration to write from. The songwork from this time period was captured on the first Faun Fables CD EARLY SONG (1999), and captured the attentions of Nils Frykdahl (Sleepytime Gorilla Museum), a musician and voice artist whose work she'd admired in a theatrical rock show called 'Idiot Flesh.' They began collaborating in 1998, sharing an instinct to weave theater into music and learning from each other's contrasting approaches to songmaking.
Since that time, the couple has built an eclectic following circling the roadways of North America in a sturdy pickup truck and touring abroad on foot, train and plane. The culmination of their longstanding partnership --a work that combines their writing and showcases their range of character-- is Faun Fables' new & sixth full-length album, LIGHT OF A VASTER DARK, released by Drag City in the winter of 2010. Previous releases include THE TRANSIT RIDER, MOTHER TWILIGHT (2001), FAMILY ALBUM (2004), and A TABLE FORGOTTEN (an EP).
In addition to Frykdahl, McCarthy has also collaborated with several other musicians, namely Will Oldham, multi-instrumentalist Kirana Peyton, violinist/thereminist Meredith Yayanos, reed player Cornelius Boots, harmonica player Mark Stikman, and Dawn's sister, Sheila McCarthy.
Captured by the heart of oral tradition, McCarthy draws inspiration from anywhere: Polish art songs, Icelandic volcanoes, The Singing Nun, recovery theater, etc. Recent studies include Wlodziemierz Staniewski's Gardzienice Theater, Cassie Terman's action theater training, narration work with Elaine Clark and a primitive technology workhop called Rabbitstick.
In 2004, Faun Fables signed to Drag City records and finally climbed Hanging Rock in Australia. They are currently based in northern California.
Subsequent albums include The Transit Rider (2006), Light of a Vaster Dark (2010), Born of the Sun (2016)
Moth
Faun Fables Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And dreamed you might
Become my love
And I was right
It wasn't easy
We cut out ties
Our hearts broke as
We took the prize
I'm drawn to you
Your light all bright
The seas of love
My wings wet
This golden cage
The silken net
But my feet are cold
They do not rest
I stumble around
To find your nest
I'm drawn to you
Your lights all bright
Even to death
The moth will fly
Remember when
You were alone
Your power formed
A safety zone
A shield has gone
(A shield has gone)
We live inside
(We live inside)
My edge is ground
(My edge is ground)
My melting pride
(My melting pride)
But what is life
(But what is life)
When we don't live
(When we don't live)
We mustn't fear
(We mustn't fear)
Our molting skin
(Our molting skin)
Our molting skin
Our molting skin
But my feet are cold
They do not rest
I stumble around
To find your nest
I'm drawn to you
Your lights all bright
Even to death
The moth will fly
I'm drawn to you
I hope to love
Just all to you
I must return
I must return
I must return
I must return
The lyrics to Faun Fables's song "Moth" are rich with imagery and metaphor. The opening lines describe the singer's initial attraction to someone, believing they would become their love, and then the difficult journey that ensued. The metaphor of a moth drawn to a flame is used throughout the song to represent the singer's attraction to this person despite the dangers they face.
The second verse describes the difficulties and sacrifices made in the pursuit of love. The imagery of wet wings and a golden cage symbolize the vulnerability and confinement that come with giving oneself over to love. Despite the risks, the singer cannot resist being drawn to this person, even to the point of death.
The third verse reflects on the power that comes from being alone and self-sufficient. The "shield" that once protected the singer has fallen away, leaving them exposed and vulnerable. The final lines emphasize the importance of embracing change and not fearing the growth and transformation that come with shedding old skins.
Overall, the lyrics of "Moth" are a powerful reflection on the risks and rewards of love and the importance of embracing change and vulnerability in order to grow.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw you once
I caught a glimpse of you at some point
And dreamed you might
I had a dream that perhaps you could
Become my love
become the person I would fall in love with
And I was right
It turned out my intuition was correct
It wasn't easy
This path was not without difficulty
We cut out ties
We ended our previous relationships
Our hearts broke as
Though it hurt us to do so
We took the prize
We went for what we wanted
I'm drawn to you
There is something about you that makes me want to be near you
Your light all bright
It's as if you illuminate the world with your presence
The seas of love
Love can be tumultuous and vast
My wings wet
I've been through many ups and downs in the realm of love
This golden cage
The comfort of domesticity can feel confining
The silken net
The desire to feel safe and secure in love can also hold us back
But my feet are cold
I'm feeling hesitant and unsure of myself
They do not rest
There's a sense of restlessness and searching within me
I stumble around
I'm not sure of where to go or what to do next
To find your nest
But I know I want to be where you are
Even to death
I'm willing to do whatever it takes
The moth will fly
I will keep chasing after you
Remember when
Let's revisit a past moment
You were alone
When you were without anyone else
Your power formed
But you had a strength within you
A safety zone
That made you feel safe and protected
A shield has gone
Something that once protected us is no longer there
(A shield has gone)
Something that once protected us is no longer there
We live inside
Now we must find a new way to live within this world
(We live inside)
Now we must find a new way to live within this world
My edge is ground
I've been humbled
(My edge is ground)
I've been humbled
My melting pride
I've shed my arrogance and ego
(My melting pride)
I've shed my arrogance and ego
But what is life
Reflecting on the nature of existence
(But what is life)
Reflecting on the nature of existence
When we don't live
When we just go through the motions and don't truly exist
(When we don't live)
When we just go through the motions and don't truly exist
We mustn't fear
We must be brave
(We mustn't fear)
We must be brave
Our molting skin
The shedding of old ways and growth into new ones
(Our molting skin)
The shedding of old ways and growth into new ones
Our molting skin
The shedding of old ways and growth into new ones
Our molting skin
The shedding of old ways and growth into new ones
But my feet are cold
I'm feeling hesitant and unsure of myself
They do not rest
There's a sense of restlessness and searching within me
I stumble around
I'm not sure of where to go or what to do next
To find your nest
But I know I want to be where you are
I'm drawn to you
There is something about you that makes me want to be near you
Your lights all bright
It's as if you illuminate the world with your presence
Even to death
I'm willing to do whatever it takes
The moth will fly
I will keep chasing after you
I'm drawn to you
There is something about you that makes me want to be near you
I hope to love
I aspire to love you
Just all to you
All of me is dedicated to you
I must return
I have to go back to you
I must return
I have to go back to you
I must return
I have to go back to you
I must return
I have to go back to you
Contributed by Henry H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.