Over the course of 2014, Leschper played solo shows that earned her local acclaim, including from Flagpole which praised her “visceral, deeply personal” songs. But she knew that in order to reach her true musical vision, she would need to expand the line-up, so she recruited musicians from other local bands and the new group quickly recorded their debut full-length album at Chase Park Transduction in Athens (R.E.M, Animal Collective, Olivia Tremor Control) over the winter of 2014. The album was produced by Drew Vandenberg, who has worked on albums by Of Montreal, Deerhunter and Porcelain Raft, and features collaborations with Josh McKay (Deerhunter) on vibraphone and McKendrick Bearden (Grand Vapids), who played bass and provided string arrangements throughout the album. Mothers will release their debut album in 2016.
Pink
Mothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Smelled like blood and smoke
And the crows discuss their future in the
Branches of their Louisiana live oak
The limbs are strong and heavy
And its leaves are all aglow
And the branches brush the upper air
But the roots reach down to where the bad people go
And what will I do with you?
Pink and blue
True gold
Nine days old
Nice new clothes on you
And old cardboard produce box for a cradle
I mashed some bananas in a coffee cup
And I fed you there at the kitchen table
Crows outside complaining about the
Finer points of local politics
Strange wind all full of new smells
Rust and fur and reception sticks
And what will I do with you?
Pink and blue
True gold
Nine days old
The lyrics from the song 'Pink' by Mother's tell a story about a mother with a new baby, who is reflecting on the fragility of life and the world we live in. The song begins with a somewhat ominous image of wind that smells like blood and smoke, foreshadowing potential dangers or struggles that the mother and her child may face in their lives. The crows, who are often associated with death and the afterlife, are discussing their future in the Louisiana live oak tree. The tree itself is described as having strong and heavy limbs, with leaves aglow, and branches that brush the upper air. However, the roots of the tree go down to where the bad people go, suggesting that even beautiful things can have a dark side.
The scene then shifts to the mother and her baby, who are at home with the crows outside complaining about local politics. The mother has mashed bananas in a coffee cup for the baby, who is lying in an old cardboard produce box that serves as a makeshift cradle. The mother's focus is on the precious, new life in front of her, but the lyrics suggest that the world outside is full of danger and uncertainty. The strange wind is described as being full of new smells, including rust, fur, and reception sticks, which further emphasize this tension between new life and the decay or loss that is inherent in the world.
Overall, the lyrics to 'Pink' are evocative and full of rich imagery. While the specific story being told is relatively simple, the way that the songwriter (Kristine Leschper) uses language to create a sense of atmosphere is quite powerful. The language is lyrical, and the images are striking, making for a song that is both haunting and beautiful.
Line by Line Meaning
Wind out of Oklahoma this morning
The breeze that passed this morning was blowing from Oklahoma
Smelled like blood and smoke
The breeze had a strong scent of blood and smoke
And the crows discuss their future in the Branches of their Louisiana live oak
Crows are chattering about their future while sitting on the branches of Louisiana's live oak tree
The limbs are strong and heavy And its leaves are all aglow And the branches brush the upper air But the roots reach down to where the bad people go
The tree is sturdy and grounded with vibrant leaves while its branches sway in the sky above. Yet, its roots reach deep into the darkness where bad people reside
And what will I do with you? Pink and blue True gold Nine days old
A rhetorical question about the fate of the nine-day-old newborn, who is precious and invaluable in the eyes of its mother
Nice new clothes on you And old cardboard produce box for a cradle I mashed some bananas in a coffee cup And I fed you there at the kitchen table
Despite the lack of resources, the mother uses a cardboard produce box for a cradle and mashes bananas in a coffee cup to feed her newborn, who is adorned in new clothes
Crows outside complaining about the Finer points of local politics Strange wind all full of new smells Rust and fur and reception sticks
Crows are making noise about the details of politics outside, while the wind brings forth new odors like rust, fur, and radio reception sticks
And what will I do with you? Pink and blue True gold Nine days old
Reiteration of the mother's earlier question that reinforces her love and concern for her newborn child
Lyrics © SCHUBERT MUSIC PUBLISHING INC.
Written by: John Darnielle
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@aaron-vz7nn
Defective and invariable
We are untouched by it
Patrick runs a red light
And I am in the back seat
I am watching your mouth
In her rear view mirror
Pensive like a child
My parents' Blazer, 1996
Six months
And are you still afraid of my want?
Sun hot on my eyelids
I'm flinching but you pretend not to notice
I am reading Sam Pink in your bed
He says:
"Living another fifty years seems impossible"
Your eyes roll back
And I think of babies born
First scream into infinity
And I am tired
Heavy with sweat
When I pull you out of your sweater
Flinching with the awareness of a newborn
@lutorrejazz
Thanks Spotify for the algorithm in charge of my discover weekly.
@markolukic7681
my exact thoughts, just discovered them on spotify
@Devisalive
I've watched this 1,00 times just dissecting every detail I could... This visual is so subtle, yet breath taking in a way. love the last part of seeing yourself and it being projected on the tv! Great stuff, cant wait to see mothers in atlanta!
@doorsheets2637
Oh my fuck. This video is amazing. Whoever made this needs to direct some short horror films 👍
@aaron-vz7nn
Defective and invariable
We are untouched by it
Patrick runs a red light
And I am in the back seat
I am watching your mouth
In her rear view mirror
Pensive like a child
My parents' Blazer, 1996
Six months
And are you still afraid of my want?
Sun hot on my eyelids
I'm flinching but you pretend not to notice
I am reading Sam Pink in your bed
He says:
"Living another fifty years seems impossible"
Your eyes roll back
And I think of babies born
First scream into infinity
And I am tired
Heavy with sweat
When I pull you out of your sweater
Flinching with the awareness of a newborn
@code.talker
My friend and I saw mothers as an opener for Japanese Breakfast in a tiny room at my friend's school and this song was so awesome live and I remember they had these great visuals going on it was fantastic (mothers was way better than the headliner imo) and the and the lady that sings I totally do not remember your name but thanks for signing my record keep up the good work guys psyched for the new album
@vaxdnrelaxxd
It's absolutely majestic
@scottie5480
I saw them play 191 Toole in Tucson on tour for this album, there were ~200 people in the room and when they played this song not a single person spoke. Thunderous applause at the end.
@seaport7421
Fuck this is good. Their first album was my 2nd favorite album of 2016 (only after A Moon Shaped Pool), and I'm starting to feel like this new one is going to be my #1 for 2018. Love this band.
@boogersincoffee
I remember driving on the highway windows down blasting this when it came out. Then I was blown away by the music video. Can't believe it's been over 2 years.