It began as an experiment in collaboration: two people with diverse artistic backgrounds coming together to merge their skills, aesthetic tastes, and music-making approaches. Robert L. Barber grew up listening to punk and hardcore, and Mary Pearson studied bassoon performance, but both gravitated toward a DIY compositional style and a love of layers. It is the affinity for layering that has thus far defined the duo, both in ideas and instrumentation. High Places’ songs contain a fascinating range of aural layers: bells and bird calls over a wash of ocean waves; mallets hitting mixing bowls over treated guitar and glockenspiel; Mary's reflective vocals over Rob's homemade beats. The result is an imaginative and spacious amalgamation of sounds with a unique, almost Caribbean undertone that is as immediate as it is refreshing.
Since their inception in 2006 in Brooklyn, High Places have honed their "exquisite corpse" style of songwriting, exchanging ideas back and forth, challenging one another's expectations, pushing both performance and songs to new places, or more aptly, new heights. With each single, from “Head Spins” to “Sandy Feat” from “Greeting the Light” to “Granola” the band has revealed more complex elements within their layers be it in vocal texture, delicate melodic sense, or in new dimensions to their ever inventive and propulsive percussion.
Their album "Original Colors" was released in 2011.
The Storm
High Places Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Which we filled with seeds and earth
And a tree grew
The storm carved out a ditch
Which we filled with seeds and earth
And a tree grew to spread its branches over the place
The hole that the pain had formed
Gave us so much room to pour our love into
I went to climb that tree
Now my clothes are stained with pitch
It was worth it
I went to climb that tree
Now my clothes are stained with pitch
It was worth it to stretch my arms over that place
The lyrics of High Places’s song The Storm depicts a unqiue and metaphorical perspective on how pain and obstacles can turn into growth and love. The first verse explains how a violent storm has created a ditch, but instead of leaving it barren and empty, the artists fills it with seeds and earth which leads to the growth of a tree. The metaphorical meaning could be taken to represent the idea that a storm or obstacles in life can lead to new beginnings and opportunities if one is willing to put in the work. The second verse furthers this idea by explaining how the pain caused by the storm is now a space to fill with love.
The chorus of the song is dynamic and bold as it conveys the profound idea that despite the pain caused by the storm, it is still appreciated and cherished because it was necessary for the growth of a new life. The storm’s destructive nature is transformed into a place of hope and resilience through the artist’s vivid imagery and unique artistry.
In conclusion, The Storm is a song with an inspiring and captivating message about the beauty of growth and transformation despite initial pain and obstacles.
Line by Line Meaning
The storm carved out a ditch
A ditch was formed by a powerful storm
Which we filled with seeds and earth
We filled the ditch with seeds and soil to improve it
And a tree grew
A tree grew on the improved area
I'm so glad for that storm
The person is thankful for the storm that led to the creation of the tree and ditch
The hole that the pain had formed
The ditch was a result of erosion caused by the storm
Gave us so much room to pour our love into
The ditch creation allowed for the growth of a tree which added to the beauty of the area
I went to climb that tree
The person climbed up the newly grown tree
Now my clothes are stained with pitch
As a result of climbing the tree, the person's clothes got stained with sap
It was worth it
Despite the stains, the person enjoyed climbing the tree and seeing the beautiful surrounding
Contributed by Hailey F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.