Frances Cone is a Brooklyn-based indie-pop band fronted by Christina Cone (… Read Full Bio ↴Frances Cone is a Brooklyn-based indie-pop band fronted by Christina Cone (keyboards, vocals), with Jeff Malinowski (guitar, vocals), Andrew Doherty (bass, vocals) and Alex Baron (drums). Their lush three-part harmonies and intimate understanding of each other as players and people create a sound that is both enormous and intimate, huge yet familiar. The band has already landed on year-end "Best of" lists, including those of Daytrotter and Vanity Fair and are currently on a national tour with home-town show at Webster Hall.

"There’s a warmth to her voice, a yearning that’s simultaneously robust and ephemeral. That’s why a song like “85”, no matter the lyrical content, feels like it has the power to lift worshipping hands skyward." - CoS EP Review

"Fresh off a buzzy SXSW run and leading up to their self-titled EP comes June, a blissful jam stocked with warm weather melodies galore. It's a harmonious blend of indie pop and lush instrumentals, and we can't get enough." - Nylon.

"You’ll hear everything from folk inspired harmonies, to driving bass drums, to grungy synths, all culminating in an arena anthem, where Cone’s roof-lifting vocals shine. So what do we call this Brooklyn trio, how do we label them? They’re indie-rock, sure. But that seems a disservice when they can shift and morph at a whim." - Paste Magazine "Best of What's Next"

"Frances Cone, a Brooklyn-via–South Carolina trio fronted by keyboardist-vocalist Christina Cone, presents a soaring blend of soul, electropop and folk. A high-gloss production job doesn't dull the considerable emotional punch of the band's songs, heard on a recent self-titled EP. This is definitely a group to watch." - Time Out New York

Long Way Down
Frances Cone Lyrics

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It's a long way down at the moment,
I can't believe that he found something so broken
And started wanderin' around in slow motion now

Mississippi was grey that Thursday from
January to May I must have found
A different way to go,
I found a different way to go back home

to go back home

Did you know that your heart could grow colder than
Rothko's suicide art, I loved you so then
And if we'd known that these walls were closin' in
We could have quit then, we should have quit then

Mississippi was grey that Thursday from
January to May,
I must have found

A different way to go,
I found a different way to go back home

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Frances Cone's song "Long Way Down" portray a feeling of hopelessness and despair, as the singer describes how they cannot believe that someone has found something so broken in them. The first line, "It's a long way down at the moment" immediately sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer feels as though they are plummeting downwards, unsure of how to stop themselves from falling.

In the following lines, the singer mentions Mississippi, which was grey on a Thursday from January to May. This could be interpreted as a reference to depression, as the constant grey and lack of color could represent a feeling of hopelessness. The line "I must have found a different way to go back home" suggests that the singer is lost and trying to find their way back to a sense of normalcy.

The chorus of the song is particularly poignant, as it describes the pain of a love that has grown cold. The line "Did you know that your heart could grow colder than Rothko's suicide art" is a reference to the artist Mark Rothko and his dark, brooding paintings. The singer is saying that the person they used to love has become just as dark and hopeless as the paintings.

Overall, "Long Way Down" is a song about the struggle to keep going when everything feels hopeless. The singer is lost and broken, trying to find their way back to a life that feels meaningful and fulfilling.

Line by Line Meaning

It's a long way down at the moment,
Things are not going well and I feel like I'm at rock bottom.

I can't believe that he found something so broken
I'm surprised that someone would choose to love me despite all my flaws and brokenness.

And started wanderin' around in slow motion now
We're stuck in a sort of limbo, not moving forward or backward, just wandering aimlessly.

Mississippi was grey that Thursday from
I remember a particular day in Mississippi when everything seemed bleak and hopeless.

January to May I must have found
This feeling lasted for months, from the dead of winter until spring.

A different way to go,
I had to find a way to move forward despite everything that was bringing me down.

I found a different way to go back home
I found a way to return to a place of comfort and safety despite feeling lost and broken.

Did you know that your heart could grow colder than
I never knew that someone I loved so deeply could become so distant and cold-hearted.

Rothko's suicide art, I loved you so then
I loved you so much at one time, but your actions have made me question everything.

And if we'd known that these walls were closin' in
If we had realized that our problems were becoming insurmountable, maybe we could have saved our relationship.

We could have quit then, we should have quit then
Maybe it would have been better to end things before they got worse and hurt each other even more.

Contributed by Connor S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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