Ward was previously with the band Rodriguez, which included bassist Kyle Field (of Little Wings fame) and drummer Mike Funk. They recorded and released on cassette Box Plots and Cash Crops and then the album Swing Like a Metronome in 2000. Duet for Guitars #2 was released on Howe Gelb's Ow Om record label. Ward's 2001 album, End of Amnesia, was released by Future Farmer Records, and his subsequent albums have been released on Merge Records. A collection of live recordings, Live Music & the Voices of Strangers, was a self-released disc that was sold at his shows. His next album, Transfiguration of Vincent, was released in 2003, followed by Transistor Radio in 2005. A year later, Post War was released.
In 2006, he contributed a song to, and helped produce, the John Fahey tribute album, I Am the Resurrection. He also contributed the song "Transfiguration #1" from Transfiguration of Vincent to the Brushfire Records soundtrack for A Brokedown Melody, a Jack Johnson surfing film.
His album, Hold Time, was released in 2009. The album A Wasteland Companion followed in 2012. The album title alludes to T.S. Eliot's 1922 modernist poem, The Waste Land. In 2016, he released More Rain. On June 8, 2018, M. Ward released What a Wonderful Industry.
Side Projects
In 2008 M. Ward combined forces with Zooey Deschanel and became She & Him. They have released two albums so far, Volume One in 2008 and Volume Two in 2010. He is also one fourth of the folk supergroup, Monsters of Folk, alongside Jim James from My Morning Jacket, and Conor Oberst & Mike Mogis from Bright Eyes. Their self-titled release, Monsters of Folk, was released in 2009.
* Official website
Helicopter
M. Ward Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am climbing up a fire escape
I am somewhere in this city
I am climbing up a fire escape
I have gotta save my baby
From the mess this world has made.
I arrive through a window
I arrive through a window
I leave through a whole in the wall
I scramble down the stairwell
With my baby, cradle and all.
Helicopter, helicopter let your long rope down
Let us sway into the sunset,
I have done all I can do in this town.
Tom, violence has taken
The wind out of my sails
Tom, violence has taken
The wind out of my sails
Helicopter has taken to
Breaking this dream as well.
My mind is 'a racing
My heart is prepared somehow
My mind is 'a racing
My heart is prepared somehow
For that searchlight come shining
And find me under a cloud.
Helicopter, helicopter let your long rope down
Let us sway into the sunset,
I have done all I can do in this town.
The lyrics to M. Ward's song "Helicopter" paint a vivid picture of a desperate situation where the singer is striving to save his loved one from the chaos and destruction of the world around them. The image of climbing up a fire escape conveys a sense of urgency and danger, while the arrival and departure through a window and a hole in the wall add to the feeling of stealth and secrecy. The cradling of the baby introduces an element of protection and vulnerability, while the repeated line "I have gotta save my baby from the mess this world has made" highlights the urgent need for action and rescue.
The chorus introduces the idea of a helicopter, which becomes both a symbol of escape and a source of further turmoil. The use of the imperative "Let your long rope down" suggests a request for help, but the following lines hint at a deeper sense of resignation and defeat. The lines "I have done all I can do in this town" repeat the idea of a fruitless effort, while the final line "Helicopter has taken to breaking this dream as well" implies a loss of hope and a recognition of the futility of fighting against the forces of violence and destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
I am somewhere in this city
Currently, I am in an unknown location within this urban environment.
I am climbing up a fire escape
I am using a ladder-like structure to ascend a building, likely to gain access to a specific floor or rooftop.
I have gotta save my baby
It is my responsibility and ultimate goal to rescue my child from whatever danger or chaos is present in this world.
From the mess this world has made
The state of this world has caused distress and turmoil, particularly affecting my child, and it is imperative to escape from it for safety.
I arrive through a window
Having climbed up the fire escape, I enter the building by means of an opening in the wall that is not a door.
I leave through a whole in the wall
After completing my task, I exit the building similarly through a non-traditional means of departure.
I scramble down the stairwell
I move quickly and possibly chaotically down the staircase in order to leave this place.
With my baby, cradle and all
I am carrying my child and their associated items (such as a cradle) with me for protection and comfort.
Helicopter, helicopter let your long rope down
Addressing the vehicle or device capable of flight, please lower a lengthy cord or rope for me to climb onto for escape.
Let us sway into the sunset,
Together, let's sway or swing in a horizontal manner towards the setting sun - a pictorial symbol of escape, departure, and closure.
I have done all I can do in this town.
Following the events experienced here in this location, I have completed all tasks that were within my power to complete and must move on.
Tom, violence has taken
A person named Tom is being addressed: the utilization of force or brutality has outweighed any other influences in this scenario.
The wind out of my sails
The violence has depleted my energy and enthusiasm for this current situation.
Helicopter has taken to
The vehicle mentioned earlier has chosen to utilize a method of operation that is destructive to my hope and optimism for a solution.
Breaking this dream as well.
The scenario at hand was once a possibility or dream for success, but it has now been disrupted and possibly destroyed beyond repair.
My mind is 'a racing
Currently, my thoughts and emotions are in a state of hyperactivity and acceleration.
My heart is prepared somehow
Although racing with energy, my heart and emotions are ready and capable of facing whatever obstacles come my way.
For that searchlight come shining
In anticipation of a beam of light designed to find and/or rescue individuals in the dark or unknown, I await its arrival.
And find me under a cloud.
When that searchlight does find me, it will illuminate the troubles I have experienced and the possible negative repercussions that come with them.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Matthew Stephen Ward
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@juakincristobal5066
For everyone who want to sing and dance and shake the budyyyuyy.
am somewhere in this city
I am climbing up a fire escape
I am somewhere in this city
I am climbing up a fire escape
I have gotta save my baby
From the mess this world has made.
I arrive through a window
I leave through a whole in the wall
I arrive through a window
I leave through a whole in the wall
I scramble down the stairwell
With my baby, cradle and all.
Helicopter, helicopter let your long rope down
Let us sway into the sunset,
I have done all I can do in this town.
Tom, violence has taken
The wind out of my sails
Tom, violence has taken
The wind out of my sails
Helicopter has taken to
Breaking this dream as well.
My mind is 'a racing
My heart is prepared somehow
My mind is 'a racing
My heart is prepared somehow
For that searchlight come shining
And find me under a cloud.
Helicopter, helicopter let your long rope down
Let us sway into the sunset,
I have done all I can do in this town.
@Carpettower
"I have gotta save my baby from a mess that this world has made" Beautiful
@juakincristobal5066
For everyone who want to sing and dance and shake the budyyyuyy.
am somewhere in this city
I am climbing up a fire escape
I am somewhere in this city
I am climbing up a fire escape
I have gotta save my baby
From the mess this world has made.
I arrive through a window
I leave through a whole in the wall
I arrive through a window
I leave through a whole in the wall
I scramble down the stairwell
With my baby, cradle and all.
Helicopter, helicopter let your long rope down
Let us sway into the sunset,
I have done all I can do in this town.
Tom, violence has taken
The wind out of my sails
Tom, violence has taken
The wind out of my sails
Helicopter has taken to
Breaking this dream as well.
My mind is 'a racing
My heart is prepared somehow
My mind is 'a racing
My heart is prepared somehow
For that searchlight come shining
And find me under a cloud.
Helicopter, helicopter let your long rope down
Let us sway into the sunset,
I have done all I can do in this town.
@asphyxiation
Love this song so much :D
@Z0RSY
+Satanic cancer
@asphyxiation
Z0RSY woah take it easy man
@Z0RSY
lmfao
@asphyxiation
bu$tvidconfirmed
@Z0RSY
Satanic :)
@shattereddreams42
this song is amazing (:
@YoMoore19
I like M Ward a lot! Right after Lanegan. If i'd listen to all his albums he may surpass Lanegan.