Lost In The Trees was known, until recently, as a folk orchestra from Chapel Hill, NC, led by composer and songwriter Ari Picker. Initially a bedroom recording project, Lost in the Trees grew from a solo effort to a full symphonic band, which sometimes numbered a dozen members. After releasing his self-titled album on Trekky Records, Ari attended the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston, MA, further immersing himself in the realm of classical composition. While in Boston, Ari assembled a small group of players to help him record Time Taunts Me , an EP of giant orchestral pop songs, released in 2007 on Trekky Records. The short album received some generous acclaim from national critics, but as Ari hurried to finish school, he was unable to tour in support of the music.
After finally moving back to North Carolina, Ari began writing a new album and assembling a cast of musicians from the Trekky Records Collective and the University of North Carolina Orchestra program. With a vast and supportive team behind him, Ari completed the powerful All Alone In An Empty House . The album was released in a single three-format package in September of 2008, containing a vinyl record, a CD and an MP3 download. The compositions benefited from a dedicated live backing band, complete with full string section, horn section, accordion, mandolin, glockenspiels and more.In February 2010, Lost in the Trees signed to Los Angeles based Anti- Records, which released an enhanced version of All Alone In An Empty House, reworked by acclaimed North Carolina producer Scott Solter (The Mountain Goats, Spoon, St. Vincent).
In 2012 the band released A Church That Fits Our Needs, their highly acclaimed orchestral pop/folk album. The album met with great commercial as well as critical success.
Ari Picker decided, despite the success, to make some changes, pursuing a more minimalistic and electronic approach to the new material, and changing the lineup to a foursome. The album, Past Life, was released in February of 2014 to widespread acclaim.
Icy River
Lost in the Trees Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Put your arms around my mother
I burned her body in the furnace
Till all that was left was her glory
Don′t you ever dare
Think she was weak hearted
She led me to the woods
Where our church was started
I poured her body in the river
I don't care what happens to my art
Don′t care what happens to my art
Left in a pile behind the shed to rot
Don't you ever dare
Think she was weak hearted
She led me to the woods
Where our church was started
Like a ribbon of silver
I poured her body in the river
Don't you ever dare
Think she was weak hearted
She led me to the woods
Where our church was started
Like a ribbon of silver
The song "Icy River" by Lost in the Trees is a haunting and enigmatic piece of music. The lyrics describe a person asking for their mother's forgiveness after burning her body in a furnace and pouring her ashes into a river. There is a sense of both reverence and guilt in the person's words, as they refer to their mother's "glory" and the fact that she led them to the woods where they started a church. The river serves as a powerful metaphor, representing both life and death, and the interplay of the two.
One possible interpretation of the song is that it is about the complex relationship between mother and child, and the ways in which that relationship can be both nurturing and destructive. The lyrics suggest a deep sense of remorse and sadness, as the person reflects on their actions and begs for their mother's forgiveness. At the same time, there is a sense of spiritual transcendence, as the person seeks to connect with their mother on a deeper level and find meaning in the natural world around them.
Overall, "Icy River" is a deeply emotional and poetic song that explores themes of mortality, grief, and redemption. It is a testament to the power of music to evoke complex emotions and stir the soul.
Line by Line Meaning
Icy river
The opening line is a reference to the cold and unforgiving nature of the river - a motif that persists throughout the song, representing the harshness of life.
Put your arms around my mother
The singer longs for the love and comfort of their mother, who has passed away.
I burned her body in the furnace
The singer's mother has been cremated, with her body reduced to ashes in a furnace.
Till all that was left was her glory
Despite the physical destruction of the body, the artist still reveres and honors their mother's memory, referring to her as 'glory'.
Don?t you ever dare
Think she was weak hearted
The artist is challenging any preconceptions or misconceptions about their mother's strength of character, defying anyone who may judge her.
She led me to the woods
Where our church was started
The mother was instrumental in creating a spiritual space, perhaps as a place of healing or refuge for her family.
Like a ribbon of silver
I poured her body in the river
The mother's ashes are likened to a beautiful, flowing ribbon - a poetic representation of the connection between the physical and spiritual worlds.
I don't care what happens to my art
Don?t care what happens to my art
Left in a pile behind the shed to rot
The artist values their art less than their mother's memory, going as far as saying they don't care if it's left to decay. This further emphasizes the importance of their mother.
Writer(s): Picker Ari J
Contributed by Jordan D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.