Wagner has been writing songs since the age of 16. Her self-titled debut album was released in February 2011 by the Finnish indie label Kioski. It was later released in United Kingdom and Europe by Bone Voyage Recordings and in North America by Friendly Fire Recordings. In August 2012 Time Magazine listed Wagner as one of the ″11 Great Bands You Don’t Know (But Should)″. Although her debut album was not a big success, it caused a lot of attention and in February 2014 Wagner was signed by the American record label Sub Pop.
Wagner's second album When the Cellar Children See the Light of Day was released in August 2014. The album peaked number one at the Finnish Album Chart. It was a nominee for the 2014 Nordic Music Prize which is an annual award for the Best Nordic Album Of The Year. She won the prize.
On 21 April 2015, Wagner performed on the music television show Later... with Jools Holland.
She also did the trailer song for Gore Verbinski's 2017 film A Cure for Wellness, which was a cover of The Ramones song "I Wanna Be Sedated".
In My Father's House
Mirel Wagner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
everything is nice
In my father's house
everything is right
We play our part
We know it by heart
We play our part
The pictures on the wall
never look into your eyes
The pictures on the wall
never look in the eye
The children are polite
you never hear them cry
The children are polite
you never hear them cry
The women are kind
They work their time
They change your sheets
You don't have to say please
In my father's house
Up in the chimney
Down in the cellar
Up in the chimney
and down in the cellar
There's a terror and it hides
in my father's house
Here in my father's house
In my father's house
Here in my father's house
The lyrics of Mirel Wagner’s song In My Father’s House paint a peculiar image of domestic life. In the first two lines of the song, the singer introduces the house she’s talking about, stating that in her father’s house everything is nice and right. However, as the song progresses, we find out that this is just a mere facade. The pictures on the wall, which one could assume to depict a happy family, never look into your eyes; they do not reflect any emotions. The children are perfectly polite, to the extent that one never hears them cry. The women are kind and work diligently; they change your sheets without you even having to say please.
Despite the apparent serenity, the song is not without its disturbances. The lines “Up in the chimney, down in the cellar, / There's a terror and it hides in my father's house,” introduce a sense of dread and fear. It is as if there’s something lurking beneath the surface, something sinister that the family members happen to know and understand but never speak about. There’s a stark contrast between the pleasant and polite demeanor displayed by the members of the house and this hidden terror. The song leaves the listener with a sense of unease, as if they have been privy to a secret, which adds to its overall haunting quality.
Line by Line Meaning
In my father's house
This is where the events in the song take place
everything is nice
The environment and atmosphere is friendly, welcoming
everything is right
Everything is orderly and correct
We play our part
Everyone has a role to fulfill
We know it by heart
Each person knows their role well and performs it without error
The pictures on the wall
Paintings hung on the walls
never look into your eyes
The subject in the painting is not depicted as looking out of the painting
never look in the eye
The people in the paintings are never portrayed as making eye contact
The children are polite
The kids are well-mannered
you never hear them cry
There are no sounds of distress from them
The women are kind
The females are friendly and gentle
They work their time
The women do their jobs dutifully
They change your sheets
They attend to your needs
You don't have to say please
The women care for you without demanding appreciation
Up in the chimney
Referring to the fireplace
Down in the cellar
Basement of the house
There's a terror and it hides
A feeling of unsettling fear exists and is hidden
Here in my father's house
The song is still set in the father's residence
In my father's house
Reiterating that this is where the song takes place
Contributed by Elena T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
BRAVE NEW ORDER FILMS
Beautiful, smoky vocals deliver a perceived air of sardonic poetry, perhaps?
Great song!
Karen Rosero
I read this title and I got chills. I hope this is not what I think.
Lolly Rose
Does anyone remember an interview where Mirel Wagner said she was inspired by Elisabeth Fritzl's case for this album? I know I remember reading that but I can't find any such article now.
cyberbully antoinette
i want to read that sksksk
Clint Maldonado
Your soul does not fit your bones....
That's a compliment, by the way...!
Yudy del Rosario Morales Rodriguez
gracias maestra