It is not entirely clear when Songs: Ohia became Magnolia Electric Co. In interviews, Jason Molina has claimed that he considered the tenure of Songs: Ohia over after Didn't It Rain, which would make Magnolia Electric Co. the eponymous debut album of the new band. In fact the name Songs: Ohia appears nowhere on the artwork of the album and only a promotional sticker on the cellophane wrapping connects it with the prior band name. Nevertheless, Secretly Canadian still promotes the album under the Songs: Ohia moniker. On the other hand, the Magnolia Electric Co. live album Trials and Errors was recorded on April 16, 2003 at the Ancienne Belgique club in Brussels, at a time when the band was still touring under the Songs: Ohia name. Pitchfork Media later reported that name change would be made official after the Spain tour in October 2003, although by now it seems the label espouses a name change around July 2003.
On January 13, 2006, Molina told a Chicago newspaper that he had recorded three records which were to be released within a few months. A solo record, titled Let Me Go, was recorded February 2005 in Indiana and features a return to the voice/piano/guitar style that Pyramid Electric Co. was recorded in. A Magnolia Electric Co. album, Nashville Moon, was recorded during July 2005 with Steve Albini at Electrical Audio in Chicago. Molina stated that there was a heavy atmosphere in the studio, due to the fact that three of Albini's close friends had died in a car crash. The third record to be released is a full length collaboration with Camper Van Beethoven front man David Lowery, tentatively named The Black Ram. During the sessions for the album, Molina's mother suffered a stroke, went into a coma and has been on life support since then.
In the article, Molina also commented on his determined work ethic: "Every New Year I throw out songs. I just threw out probably 20 tapes full of demos and I didn't even listen to them... Getting rid of all that old stuff really forces you to write new material."
Though officially Songs: Ohia no longer records or performs, and projects have been either marketed as Magnolia Electric Co. or Jason Molina's solo work, most fans still use the name Songs: Ohia to refer to all projects collectively.
Jason Molina stopped touring and recording in 2009 in order to enter rehab and fight his alcoholism. An EP called Autumn Bird Songs was released in 2012 under Molina's own name, although it consisted of songs recorded before Molina had entered rehab. He died on March 16th, 2013 of organ failure.
Map of the Falling Sky
Magnolia Electric Co. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With awkward silences
I was given two ears of corn and the bow
I ate the one, and sowed the other
And brother, I aim straight for the road
And brother, I aim straight for the road
With my wings in one hand and lead in the other
What the horizon only tells to us ghosts
Is that when it is quiet in our heart
We become the diesel
We become the smoke
We become the prairie
We become the spark
And the only song coming through on the radio
And the only song comin' in on the radio
Well you take that map of the falling sky and you lay it Across your heart
And the loneliness between us is right where you are
The loneliness is right where you are
The opening lines of Magnolia Electric Co.'s Map of the Falling Sky's song reveal the complicated nature of traversing life's paths. Jason Molina, the lead singer, alludes to paying off his debts with awkward silences. It indicates that although he may accomplish his obligations, there is still an inexplicable emptiness that persists between him and the person he owes. He is then given a pair of ears of corn and a bow. He chooses to use one of the ears and grows it into another corn, highlighting the importance of sowing the future. Molina is then observed aiming straight for the path since he has already embraced what was necessary for growth and has his sights set on proceeding.
The chorus, with its metaphysical allusions, gives us an insight into the nature of the human condition. Molina compares himself to a ghost, implying that life passes us by, and we do not even experience it. The horizon only speaks to us in the quietness of our hearts. This line indicates that when we tune out the noise of the world and look inward, we start to see what we are truly made of. We are like smoke, diesel, sparks, and the prairies that speak to our souls. The radio is the only tool that can communicate with us; it is the only medium through which we can hear the sound of our hearts. In essence, the radio serves as a metaphor for the connection between the mundane world and the divine.
Line by Line Meaning
I have paid my debts sometimes
I have tried to make up for my wrongdoings at times
With awkward silences
Without words or through uncomfortable pauses
I was given two ears of corn and the bow
I was given resources to nourish and protect myself
I ate the one, and sowed the other
I consumed one resource but helped grow the other
And brother, I aim straight for the road
I have a clear goal and am focused on achieving it
With my wings in one hand and lead in the other
I hold both freedom and weight in my life
From the cross roads to the shore
From a point of indecision to a place of ease and completion
What the horizon only tells to us ghosts
Only the memory of those who have passed can truly appreciate the beauty of a distant view
Is that when it is quiet in our heart
When we feel peaceful inside
We become the diesel
We take on a powerful, unstoppable force
We become the smoke
We transform into ethereal, insubstantial beings
We become the prairie
We embody the expansive yet vulnerable qualities of nature
We become the spark
We ignite a passion in others or ourselves
And the only song coming through on the radio
The only message we hear amongst the noise of the world
Well you take that map of the falling sky and you lay it Across your heart
You embrace the beauty and mystery of the world in your heart
And the loneliness between us is right where you are
We can feel disconnected from others even when physically close
The loneliness is right where you are
Feelings of loneliness can reside inside oneself
Contributed by Brooklyn V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.