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.
The Night Shift Lullaby
Magnolia Electric Co. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No more running round
Sleep away the morning hours
Lay down, lay down
Sparrow sing, ears ring
My baby doesn't hear a thing
Work that long old night away
Lay down sleep another day
No more running round
Sleep away the morning hours
Lay down, lay down
Every muscle, vein and bone
Answers to that endless drone
I can hear my old machine
Still running even in my dreams
Lay down, lay down
No more running round
Sleep away the morning hours
Lay down, lay down
The Night Shift Lullaby by Magnolia Electric Co. is a tribute to hardworking individuals who work tirelessly during the night shift. The song encourages these night shift workers to take a break from their busy routines and rest their bodies, even if it means sleeping through the day. The lyrics "Lay down, lay down, no more running round, sleep away the morning hours, lay down, lay down" convey this message of resting and taking a break. The song also highlights the monotonous nature of night work with the lyrics "Sparrow sing, ears ring, my baby doesn't hear a thing, work that long old night away, lay down sleep another day." The relentless nature of the work is conveyed with the lyrics "Every muscle, vein, and bone answers to that endless drone, I can hear my old machine, still running even in my dreams."
The song also depicts the emotional and physical toll of night work. The lyrics "Answers to that endless drone" suggest that the singer's body has become so used to the sound of the machines they work with that it has become a part of their subconscious. The song suggests that taking a break and resting is vital for physical and emotional wellbeing.
Line by Line Meaning
Lay down, lay down
The person is urging themselves or someone else to lie down in order to rest.
No more running round
The person wants to stop moving and take a break from busyness or stress.
Sleep away the morning hours
The person wants to rest throughout the morning.
Sparrow sing, ears ring
The person hears the sound of a bird singing, and their ears may still be ringing from previous noise exposure.
My baby doesn't hear a thing
The person's loved one is sleeping and doesn't notice any sound.
Work that long old night away
The person has been working overnight and wants to continue working until it's time to rest.
Lay down sleep another day
The person wants to continue resting and sleeping into the next day.
Every muscle, vein and bone
Every part of the person's body is affected by tiredness and needs rest.
Answers to that endless drone
The person feels like they are stuck in a repetitive cycle of work and tiredness.
I can hear my old machine
The person can still hear the sounds of the work machinery even in their sleep.
Still running even in my dreams
The sound of the machinery is so ingrained in the person that it continues to affect them even while they sleep.
Contributed by Madelyn T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.