1) Mirah (bor… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name, including:
1) Mirah (born Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn in Philadelphia) is an American musician and songwriter based in Brooklyn, New York.
2) Mirah (born Mette Mirah Jensen) is a Danish artist.
3) Mirah is the duo Attilio Messina and Björn Pistis.
1) Mirah (born Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn in Philadelphia) is an American musician and songwriter based in Brooklyn, New York. After getting her start in the music scene of Olympia, Washington in the late 1990s, she has released a number of solo albums on K Records, Kill Rock Stars and various domestic and foreign independent labels, including You Think It's Like This but Really It's Like This (1999) and Advisory Committee (2001).
She has toured extensively in North America and Japan and has also toured in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Korea. Her album, Changing Light, was released on May 13, 2014 on her own imprint, Absolute Magnitude Records.
Pitchfork has praised her “incredible voice—a versatile coo that can flit from low, sultry tones to high, airy falsetto in one breath.”
Mirah has collaborated with a range of artists, from multi-media artists and orchestral composers to DJs, Baltic music enthusiasts, and entomologists. A partial list of some of her collaborators includes Phil Elverum (The Microphones/Mount Eerie), Merrill Garbus (tUnE-yArDs), Tara Jane O’Neil, Khaela Maricich (The Blow), Susie Ibarra, Melanie Valera (Tender Forever), Jherek Bischoff, Lori Goldston, Britta Johnson and Ginger Brooks Takahashi.
Her style encompasses indie pop, acoustic, and experimental pop. According to The Rumpus in 2011, "Mirah’s early records...are DIY mini-masterpieces that express a punk sensibility through broken drum machines, reverb-drenched guitars and ukulele. Her more recent albums...are mature, complex and immaculately-produced."
In 2020, Mirah announced signing with Brooklyn-based indie label Double Double Whammy.
2) Mirah (born Mette Mirah Jensen) is a Danish artist.
3) Mirah is the duo Attilio Messina and Björn Pistis.
Special Death
Mirah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The weight would break the backs
Of ten strong horses tried to save
The castle in the fray
If you knew that I could take the pain
Inflicted at the battle
With faithful arrows you
But it's a special death you saved
For me, the brown-eyed daughter
Once you made it hotter
The thankless, holy praise
Is left alone, why bother
To cast a stone in water?
La, la, la, la, la
(La, la, la, la-la, la)
La-la, la, la
La, la, la, la-la-la
(La, la, la, la-la, la)
La-la, la, la
La, la, la, la-la-la
(La, la, la, la-la, la)
La-la, la, la
La, la, la, la-la-la
The song "Special Death" by Mirah appears to be a reflection on a relationship gone awry. The first verse refers to a mistake being made, which led to the overwhelming weight that was too much for even ten strong horses to bear. This can be interpreted as a metaphor for the weight of the problems in the relationship proving to be too much for both partners to handle. In the second verse, the singer seems to be addressing their former partner, suggesting that they could have handled the pain inflicted during the struggle of the relationship if their partner had been more faithful and supportive. However, they acknowledge that their relationship was doomed from the start, as they were not suited for each other. They describe the "special death" that their partner saved for them as the emotional hurt and betrayal that came at the end of the relationship. Despite this, the singer seems to suggest that they hold no ill will towards their former partner and it is not worth holding onto the hurt they feel.
In the end, the refrain of "La, la, la" repeated implies a certain amount of detachment or apathy towards the situation at hand. The singer seems to have moved on from the pain of the relationship and suggests that it's not worth casting stones in water, a futile and meaningless action. The song overall seems to be about coming to terms with the end of a difficult relationship and moving forward with a sense of acceptance and detachment.
Line by Line Meaning
A terrible mistake was made
There was a mistake, and it was a really bad one.
The weight would break the backs
The burden was too heavy, and it would crush anyone who tried to carry it.
Of ten strong horses tried to save
Even with the help of many strong helpers, it was still impossible to fix things.
The castle in the fray
The situation was chaotic, with many things happening at once.
If you knew that I could take the pain
You might have inflicted more hurt on me, thinking I could handle it.
Inflicted at the battle
The pain would come from a situation where fighting was happening.
With faithful arrows you
You could hit a target with precision and skill.
Might get back in the saddle
You could recover from being knocked down and get back on your feet.
But it's a special death you saved
You saved something unique and specific for me to experience.
For me, the brown-eyed daughter
The special death you saved was intended for me, someone specific.
Once you made it hotter
You escalated the situation, making things more intense.
The thankless, holy praise
Even though there's no appreciation, it still has a noble and righteous quality to it.
Is left alone, why bother
No one notices or cares, so there's no point in trying to do something about it.
To cast a stone in water?
Why waste time or energy doing something that won't have any impact or benefit?
La, la, la, la, la
Singing a nonsensical tune.
(La, la, la, la-la, la)
Singing a nonsensical tune.
La-la, la, la
Singing a nonsensical tune.
La, la, la, la-la-la
Singing a nonsensical tune.
(La, la, la, la-la, la)
Singing a nonsensical tune.
La-la, la, la
Singing a nonsensical tune.
La, la, la, la-la-la
Singing a nonsensical tune.
(La, la, la, la-la, la)
Singing a nonsensical tune.
La-la, la, la
Singing a nonsensical tune.
Lyrics © TERRORBIRD PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind