The Freaks' sound was a combination of folk and rock, and drew heavily from the blues and primitive Americana music. Their lyrics focused on race, religion, and life in the South, although Harvey was also adept at writing about more personal topics (the lack of success of independent bands, his sex life) using rich metaphors from these former topics, so that many of their songs could be interpreted in two entirely different ways. Bryan's obsession with southern gothic issues influenced his song writing. These sentiments can be heard in such songs as "White Folk's Blood", "Family Tree" and "Big Houses" from the album "Tantilla".
Harvey and Hott moved to Los Angeles for the release of the band's first album, Monkey on a Chain Gang, which received considerable critical acclaim. However, unsatisfied with life in L.A., they moved back east, where they recorded their subsequent albums and faded from the public spotlight. Fans of the band universally consider Cakewalk and Tantilla to be the Freaks's best work.
On March 13, 1988, House of Freaks performed at the legendary Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, California with The 77s and The Alarm. Audience members included Neil Young.
After the band's breakup, Harvey and Hott joined a Paisley Underground supergroup called Gutterball, headed by Steve Wynn, formerly of Dream Syndicate and also featuring Stephen McCarthy of The Long Ryders and Bob Rupe of The Silos. The group released two albums, Gutterball (1993) and Weasel (1995). Harvey co-wrote many songs on each.
Hott later joined the band Cracker. Harvey has guested on a number of other artists' albums, including September 67's Lucky Shoe, two albums by Shannon Worrell (formerly of September 67), and Magnet's Shark Bait. Both Harvey and Hott assisted Mark Linkous on the debut Sparklehorse record. Bryan Harvey played in a funk band, NRG Krysys, in Richmond, Virginia with Coby Batty of The Fugs. Johnny Hott has a jazz combo with Stephen McCarthy.
On January 1st, 2006, Bryan Harvey, his wife Kathryn, and their daughters Stella and Ruby were found murdered in the basement of their Richmond home.
Family Tree
House of Freaks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The leaves are shivering
Out in the fields where we walk, the roots that support us
Have built a fortress
Well we grow in the breeze like the family tree
Who's seeds were planted here
Will they rise at all in my memory?
They do
Who were they? Where are they now?
Just faces and photographs Letters and lithographs
Drunkards and fathers they were, preachers and soldiers
Upon their shoulders
Well we grow in the breeze like the family tree
Who's seeds were planted here
Will they rise at all in my memory?
They do
Their houses are crumbling, the wells dried up long ago
Waters stops flowin, this tree will always grow
A wind is rising outside, the branches are swaying
Children are playing
Between the earth and the sky, between the pages
They lived through the ages
They grow in the breeze, like the family tree
Who's seeds are planted here
Will they rise at all in my memory?
They do
The House of Freaks' song "Family Tree" is an introspective and melancholic meditation on family history and legacy. The lyrics poignantly describe the passage of time, the fading away of memories, and the longing for connection to one's roots. The song starts with a vivid image of a house trembling with the rising wind, which sets the tone for the theme of impermanence and change. The singer then explores the idea of a family tree that grows in the breeze, whose seeds were planted long ago by ancestors whose identities and stories have been mostly forgotten. These ancestors are described as a motley crew of "drunkards, fathers, preachers, and soldiers" whose legacy lives on in the memories and stories passed down through the generations.
The chorus of the song reinforces the idea that the "family tree" is a living entity that grows and flourishes, despite the passage of time and the fading away of memories. The singer questions whether these ancestral roots "will rise at all in my memory?", before affirming that they do indeed live on, and that they are an integral part of who he is. The last verse of the song is a hopeful one, as the singer describes children playing and living through the ages between the earth and sky, just as their ancestors did before them. The song ends on a hopeful note, suggesting that the family tree will continue to grow and thrive, even as the houses of our ancestors crumble and the wells dry up.
Line by Line Meaning
The wind is rising outside, the house is a trembling
The singer notices the strong wind outside, causing the house to shake.
The leaves are shivering
The leaves of nearby trees are also affected by the wind.
Out in the fields where we walk, the roots that support us
Have built a fortress
The roots of the trees in the fields have grown strong, providing support like a fortress to those who walk there.
Well we grow in the breeze like the family tree
Who's seeds were planted here
Will they rise at all in my memory?
They do
The artist compares himself and his family to a tree that grew from seeds planted in this area. He wonders if he will remember them, and affirms that he does.
Who were they? Where are they now?
Just faces and photographs
Letters and lithographs
Drunkards and fathers they were, preachers and soldiers
Upon their shoulders
The artist reflects on his family's past, realizing that all that remains of them are old pictures and letters. He remembers them as both flawed and strong people, with many of them being fathers, preachers, and soldiers.
Their houses are crumbling, the wells dried up long ago
Waters stops flowin, this tree will always grow
The places where the singer's family lived are falling apart and resources have been depleted, but their family tree will still continue to grow.
A wind is rising outside, the branches are swaying
Children are playing
The wind remains strong outside, but children are still playing despite it.
Between the earth and the sky, between the pages
They lived through the ages
The artist's family members have lived long lives and have experienced the passage of time.
They grow in the breeze, like the family tree
Who's seeds are planted here
Will they rise at all in my memory?
They do
The artist continues to compare his family to the growing family tree and reaffirms that they will always be remembered.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JON WARREN, JONATHAN WARREN, MATTHEW TAYLOR, PETER LIDDLE, PETER DUNCAN LIDDLE, SCOTT MILLER, WILLIAM HARVEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Andy Geisel
Love this track ... I had intended to license it as the main title music for a family drama series I co-created some years ago (around '99-'00), which didn't end up getting green lit, but was under consideration by a major cable channel. Researching the licensing for the track, I happened across Bryan Harvey's email and made contact with him, inquiring about rights to the song and so on. He was extremely helpful and very gracious, and supportive of the idea of the song being attached to the show, assuming it went the distance. I didn't have a chance to correspond with Bryan's House of Freaks bandmate Johnny Hott, but had things progressed, I certainly would have enjoyed the opportunity to work with him on a potential arrangement. I have great admiration for the band (got to see them live in Orlando, FL when they toured behind Monkey On A Chain Gang) and was devastated to learn of the terrible fate that befell him and his family. Apart from being, along with Johnny, an extraordinarily talented musician and songwriter, he was a kind, decent person, and from what I gather a devoted family man. May Bryan, Kathryn, Stella and Ruby Rest In Peace.
Johnny C
Amen. Tantilla was a brilliant album. God bless the Harvey family
Karen Shoop
This song ALWAYS makes me cry.