The easy way to talk about Holler, Wild Rose, would be to simply list the influences that are at times inescapable. John Moloskie's wide ranging vocals invite instant comparisons to Thom Yorke, or even Jeff Buckley. Musically, they'll have you thinking back to early recordings by Radiohead, The Verve, or even The Shins at times. Granted, that's a lot of life changing artists in one paragraph, especially for a young band out of Jersey who just released their debut record.
But beyond exact influences, Holler, Wild Rose! know how to organize their collective sound (brought forth by Ryan Smyth [drums/percussion], Ryan Cheresnick [guitars], Scott Vangenderen [bass], Mike Ortega [keys/guitars/vocals] and Lou D'Elia [guitars]) into compelling music that defies easy categorization. Space rock? Gregorian odes coupled to ambient time travel? Holler, Wild Rose!'s debut, Our Little Hymnal, sets the clock for the heart of the sunrise, blasting their prayers into deep space.
Sun Vines
Holler Wild Rose! Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blowing through the dark pines
Tangled in my low boughs
Windy trails of blossoms climb
Out of the forest glade, into the orange grove
Sewing goldenrod through the wreate that you wove
The crest of your forehead is simply adorned
All the flowers of the field, go
The oil of citrus, I taste upon the corner of your mouth
December, such a windy glare
In a tempest, stripping all my raiments bare
Splintering the upshoot and the tender
Scattering the first fruits that were gathered
Out of the bramble, and the sticker brush
You the remove the thistle from my collar and push
Me out where the briar and the thorn cannot remain
Oh, the whistle meadow and the long grass!
Oh, for the bloom of April, the balm of August!
The oil of citrus, I taste upon the corner of your mouth
December, such a windy glare
In a tempest, withering the remnant share
Splintering the offshoot of my branches
Cause the ruddy in my cheeks to blanch
And are you satisfied?
Are you finished here?
You're scattering the fruit of my Jubilee Year!
The song "Sun Vines" by Holler Wild Rose! is a poetic expression of missing someone and the memories of their presence. The lyrics depict a longing for the return of sun vines blowing through the dark pines, a reference to a specific type of plant that brings memories of sunshine and happiness. The tangled vines in the low boughs create a windy trail of blossoms that climb out of the forest glade and into the orange grove. The goldenrod sewn through the wreath that the person made serves as a symbol of the interconnectedness between the singer and their missing partner.
The forehead of the person is simple yet adorned with all the flowers of the field, which suggests that even the smallest things about them are perfect in the singer's eyes. The oil of citrus, a taste that lingers on the corner of their partner's mouth, serves as a reminder of the warmth and comfort that their presence brought. However, December brings a windy glare that strips everything bare, splintering the offshoots and tender shoots, which represents the harsh reality of life that takes away the joys of memory.
The latter half of the song talks about how the missing partner removed the thorns and stickers and pushed the singer out into the open where the briar and thorn cannot remain. The mention of the whistle meadow and the long grass hint at the newfound freedom and openness that the singer feels in their partner's absence. The song ends with a plaintive question that asks whether the partner is satisfied and finished here as they scatter the fruit of the singer's Jubilee Year. This suggests that the singer has fully let go of their expectations as they come to terms with the reality of being on their own.
Line by Line Meaning
God, I miss your sun vines
I deeply long for the sight of your beautiful sun vines that used to radiate amidst the darkness.
Blowing through the dark pines
The sun vines used to sway and wander through the dense dark pine trees.
Tangled in my low boughs
The intricate vines used to wrap around my lower branches entwining with them.
Windy trails of blossoms climb
The blossoms on the vines would climb up the trails made by the wind.
Out of the forest glade, into the orange grove
The blossoming vines would grow out from the peaceful forest area, to the vibrant orange grove.
Sewing goldenrod through the wreath that you wove
The flowers used to sew a goldenrod color through a wreath that you had made.
The crest of your forehead is simply adorned
You are simply decorated and your forehead is unadorned.
All the flowers of the field, go
All the flowers in the field are asking you to leave.
Oh, for the bloom of April, the balm of August!
I desire the aroma of April's blooming flowers and the soothing warmth of August.
The oil of citrus, I taste upon the corner of your mouth
I can sense the fragrance of citrus oil on the corner of your mouth.
December, such a windy glare
December brings a windy scenery.
In a tempest, stripping all my raiments bare
The tempestuous wind takes away everything that I had on me.
Splintering the upshoot and the tender
The tender and sensitive parts of me is now splintered.
Scattering the first fruits that were gathered
The first fruits that were gathered are now lost and scattered.
Out of the bramble, and the sticker brush
We pushed ourselves out of the obstacles of bramble and coarse brush.
You then remove the thistle from my collar and push
You alleviate the hindrance by removing thistles from my collar and pushing me forward.
Me out where the briar and the thorn cannot remain
You lead me to a place where I am out of the reach of the briar and the thorn.
Oh, the whistle meadow and the long grass!
I long for the whistling meadow and the vast expanse of long grass.
Oh, for the bloom of April, the balm of August!
I desire the fragrance of April's blooming flowers and the soothing warmth of August.
The oil of citrus, I taste upon the corner of your mouth
I can sense the fragrance of citrus oil on the corner of your mouth.
December, such a windy glare
December brings a windy scenery.
In a tempest, withering the remnant share
The tempestuous wind withers away the remnant share that is left.
Splintering the offshoot of my branches
The offshoot of my branches is splintered and broken.
Cause the ruddy in my cheeks to blanch
The wind causes me to pale and lose liveliness from my face.
And are you satisfied?
Is this what you wanted?
Are you finished here?
Have you accomplished what you set out to do, and are you ready to leave?
You're scattering the fruit of my Jubilee Year!
You are destroying everything that I have grown and achieved over the past year.
Contributed by Madison B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
peepeerogers
It seriously still leaves me in awe how this band is from Paterson, NJ. I fucking live in this city and not until this year I found out this was of the only indie bands that actually has music on the internet. Yes there were few core bands from here ( but that was terrible imo ). Still I love this song
BlackFoIiage
I love this song!
EdensRage
omggg.you are AMAZING for putting this up! FAVORITE SONG EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
prostasia7
Thank you so much!
Amazing!!
constantin moshdown
<3
How Things Work Productions
Constantly vital.