Veirs was raised in Colorado, studied geology and Mandarin Chinese at Carleton College, worked as a translator for a geological expedition in China, and now lives in Portland, Oregon. Veirs has said that she didn't seriously listen to music until she was in her 20s; instead, she just heard what was in her environment. She listened to folk / country / classical / pop, around the house & on the radio, during her youth.
Attending Carleton College in rural Minnesota, Veirs latched onto feminist punk rock from the Pacific Northwest, eventually starting an all-female punk band called "Rair Kx!". Veirs studied geology and Mandarin Chinese. After college, she embraced older country and folk music. Her first foray into songwriting started with a geological expedition in China, where she served as translator. She was miserable and immersed herself into writing lyrics as a way of coping.
She put out her own self-titled album Laura Veirs, recorded live and featuring just her and guitar, in 1999. She has since made five highly acclaimed records with producer Tucker Martine. 2003 saw the release of Troubled by the Fire, a full-band effort that found the artist sharing the studio with such luminaries as Bill Frisell and violist Eyvind Kang. She signed to Nonesuch Records the following year with the atmospheric follow-up Carbon Glacier. Year of Meteors followed in August of 2005. She collaborated with The Decemberists on "Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)", from their 2006 album The Crane Wife. Her sixth record, Saltbreakers, was released worldwide on Nonesuch Records in April 2007. Her seventh album July Flame was released in January 2010.
In November 2011, Veirs released the album Tumble Bee: Laura Veirs Sings Folk Songs For Children. The album presents mostly traditional songs, and features an array of guest musicians, including Colin Meloy, Jim James, and Bela Fleck. The album won a Parents' Choice Award in 2012.
In September 2012 her first feature film soundtrack was released: Hello I Must Be Going.
Veirs tours frequently in Europe, the US and Australia both solo and with her backing band Saltbreakers, consisting of Karl Blau on bass, guitar, and backing vocals, keyboardist Steve Moore, and Tucker Martine on drums.
To The Country
Laura Veirs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everybody knows your game
Feel like I'm running in place
Everything's changed, everything's changed
I'm gonna move to the country
She's gonna move
So I can see the stars
Heavenly stars, the heavenly stars, the heavenly stars
She's gonna move
Heavenly stars, the heavenly stars, the heavenly stars
I dove into the night
Bathed in the beautiful blue light
Sheltered inside a bat cave
Me and my baby had a conversation
Gonna move to the country
She's gonna move
So I can see the stars
Heavenly stars, the heavenly stars, the heavenly stars
I'm gonna move to the country
She's gonna move
So I can see the stars
Heavenly stars, the heavenly stars, the heavenly stars
The lyrics of Laura Veirs's "To the Country" seem to be about feeling disconnected from society and seeking refuge in nature. The first lines express a sense of alienation from others, as the singer declares that their face is unrecognizable and yet someone else's reputation is widely known. The feeling of being stuck in one place, unable to make progress or change, is also conveyed through the phrase "running in place." The decision to move to the country is presented as a way of escaping this stagnant feeling and finding a sense of peace and wonder in the stars.
The second half of the song brings in more specific imagery of nature, with references to bat caves and the beautiful blue light of the night sky. These details suggest a return to a more primal, wild state of being that can be found outside of the constraints of society. The line "Me and my baby had a conversation" is somewhat ambiguous, but it could be interpreted as a dialogue with another person or with nature itself. The repetition of the chorus, with its emphasis on the "heavenly stars," reinforces the idea that the natural world is a source of solace and inspiration for the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't recognise my face
I feel lost and disconnected from my surroundings, as if I don't belong here anymore.
Everybody knows your game
Others can see through your facade and manipulation tactics, but I feel powerless to stop it.
Feel like I'm running in place
No matter how much effort I put in, I'm not making any progress or moving forward in my life.
Everything's changed, everything's changed
The world around me has shifted and transformed, leaving me feeling disoriented and uncertain.
I'm gonna move to the country
In order to escape the chaos and noise of urban life, I plan to relocate to a rural environment.
She's gonna move
I have convinced my partner to join me in this new chapter of our lives together.
So I can see the stars
One of the main reasons for moving to the country is to have a clearer view of the night sky and all its celestial wonder.
Heavenly stars, the heavenly stars, the heavenly stars
The sight of these stars will bring me a sense of peace, beauty, and wonder that is hard to find in city life.
I dove into the night
I allowed myself to immerse in the darkness and quiet of the night, finding solace in its calmness.
Bathed in the beautiful blue light
The mysterious and soothing blue light of the night sky enveloped me, making me feel small and insignificant in the vastness of the universe.
Sheltered inside a bat cave
I found refuge and safety in an unlikely place, just like how bats use caves as their sanctuary.
Me and my baby had a conversation
My partner and I engaged in a deep and meaningful conversation, perhaps about our future or our hopes and dreams.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: LAURA VEIRS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kathleen ucinski
Cee Bee- Don't know where you are coming from. You're weird and need a therapist. go away!
Someone needs to take your stupid mean post off.
'To the Country' is one of the most amazing songs ever.
I am glad my friend Doug Beasley turned me on to Laura Veirs music!!!!
I'm online trying to find out how I can buy and download this song.
Laura Veirs you're an amazing song writer, artist. I cherish you!
Fireflies, lake swimming..relationships.
Thank you! kathleen
Wirral Nomad
This is the first song I heard of Laura's on the radio here in the UK for her new album, ten years of wonderful music has blessed me since then.
motifontheback
i could listen to this song 8 times over and still want more. that's fourty minutes of the same exact thing; and it would Never get old. everything about this track is strikingly beautiful
shamdani
I love how unique this song is
Zeitghoul
Laura does land and seascape folk songs brilliantly like this one....creates a faultless atmosphere...
Danielle
This song is so beautiful. I'm trying to hold myself back from forcing it down my friends throats so that they don't hate her because of me but they just have to hear this. It's flawless.
Amaya Adams
love this song :) it really showcases her voice
Kyra Xavia
Sublimely beautiful. Thank you!
Jessica
Not only do I share the song's sentiment, I just love the music. All of her music is wonderful. Love the clapping used as percussion! Does anyone else see an open field underneath an endless blue-black sky just loaded with stars?
Gheilded
yes i do
Tiki2
This song in particular touched me. Incredible song.