Nadler studied painting at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she began her performing career after writing songs for many years.
The foundation of her sound is her haunting mezzo-soprano, and a delicate 6-string acoustic guitar, often accompanied by a variety of instruments, including electric guitar, theremin, and piano. Nadler writes strange, yet classic, melancholy songs. Her voice is often bathed in a wash of reverb and space echo and creates a ghostly, atmospheric feeling to the music.
She has American Gothic leanings; her songs often take place in an imagined, idealistic time with a cast of characters of her own creation.
Official Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marissa-Nadler/300932499775
Bandcamp: http://marissanadler.bandcamp.com/
Fifty Five Falls
Marissa Nadler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why'd you drop down to die
With fifty five falls
And seventy skies
And I say to the day
Why this ballad of brine?
With Mayflower May and a monocle'd eye
Gently close her eyes
Oh, there she lies
Gently close her eyes
Oh, damn July
Oh, I had a friend
That I remember well
With sad little hands
A sad sickle cell
Oh, I had a friend
The ship sailed away
'Twas fifty five falls
Ago to this day
Oh, there she lies
Gently close her eyes
Oh, there she lies
Gently close her eyes
Oh, damn July
I said to the day
Why'd you drop down to die
With fifty five falls
And seventy skies
And I say to the day
Why this ballad of brine?
With Mayflower May and a monocle'd eye
Oh, and she dies
Slowly close her eyes
Oh, there she lies
Gently close her eyes
Oh, damn July
The song "Fifty Five Falls" by Marissa Nadler is a haunting ballad that captures the essence of loss, grief, and nostalgia. The singer directs her words to the day, questioning why it had to end with "fifty five falls and seventy skies." She also refers to a ship that sailed away with a friend fifty-five falls ago on the very same day. The imagery of "Mayflower May and a monocle'd eye" adds to the sense of timelessness and the memories of the past.
The second verse speaks of "a friend that I remember well." The friend is described as having "sad little hands" and a "sad sickle cell," which implies that they suffered from a painful disease. The ship sailed away with the friend to an unknown destination, and the singer laments their loss.
The final verse repeats the questions posed earlier but adds an emotional layer with the line "and she dies." The song ends with a plea to "gently close her eyes," mournful and reminiscent of a goodbye.
Overall, the song feels melancholic and bittersweet. It captures the way we hold on to the pieces of the past while acknowledging that they are gone forever.
Line by Line Meaning
I say to the day
The singer is addressing the daylight
Why'd you drop down to die
Why does the daylight disappear every day?
With fifty five falls
There have been 55 sunsets so far
And seventy skies
The artist has seen 70 different skies, though they may not necessarily look different from one another
And I say to the day
The artist repeats their question
Why this ballad of brine?
Why does the day feel like a song about salty water, which could be interpreted as sadness?
With Mayflower May and a monocle'd eye
The singer is using poetic language to describe the day as having a certain mood or character
Oh, there she lies
The artist is now addressing someone else, possibly the subject of the song
Gently close her eyes
The subject is dying, and the artist is observing this peacefully
Oh, damn July
The artist is cursing the month of July, which could be significant for personal reasons
Oh, I had a friend
The singer is now reminiscing about a past friendship
That I remember well
The artist has vivid memories of this friend
With sad little hands
The friend had hands that conveyed sadness or frailty
A sad sickle cell
The friend suffered from sickle cell anemia, a genetic blood disorder
Oh, I had a friend
The singer repeats the previous line
The ship sailed away
The friend has passed away or moved on from the artist's life
'Twas fifty five falls
The friend has been gone for 55 sunsets
Ago to this day
The friend has been gone for a certain amount of time, but the singer still remembers them
I said to the day
The singer returns to their earlier addressing of the daylight
Why'd you drop down to die
Why must the day end so soon?
And I say to the day
The artist still doesn't understand why the day must end
Why this ballad of brine?
Why must the day feel so sad, like a song about saltwater?
Oh, and she dies
The subject of the song, possibly the friend mentioned earlier, has passed away
Slowly close her eyes
The artist again observes someone closing their eyes peacefully
Oh, there she lies
The singer is saying goodbye to the subject
Gently close her eyes
The singer is still observing the subject's peaceful passing
Oh, damn July
The singer is still cursing the month of July, relating it to loss or sadness
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: MARISSA NADLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind