Case moved around often as a child, spending the largest part of her youth in Tacoma, Washington. She left her parents at age 15 and three years later she started playing drums for several bands around the Northwest's punk rock scene. In 1994, she moved to Vancouver, BC to enter art school, and simultaneously joined the punk group Maow, who released a record on the Mint label. She also played with roots rockers the Weasles, and eventually formed her own backing band, the Boyfriends, which initially featured alumni of the Softies, Zumpano, and Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet.
Case released her solo debut, The Virginian, in 1997, delving wholeheartedly into traditional country via a mix of covers and originals. She went on to perform with Carolyn Mark in the old-timey side project the Corn Sisters, and recorded with the Vancouver indie supergroup the New Pornographers, which she continues to be a member of. In 1998, Case completed her studies and, with her student visa expired, returned to Washington and began work on her second solo album. The lovely, melancholy Furnace Room Lullaby was released on Bloodshot Records in 2000 and won high praise from most critics.
Case subsequently relocated to Chicago, home of a thriving alt-country scene, and released the home-recorded Canadian Amp EP in 2001. Its moody, late-night ambiance carried over to 2002's Blacklisted, a darker yet more eclectic affair; it garnered Case her strongest reviews up to that point, making many year-end critics' polls, and landed her a tour slot opening for Nick Cave. Blacklisted was recorded at Wavelab Studio in Tuscon AZ, where Case had moved to in 2002.
In 2004, Case signed with Anti Records in the United States, and that year she released a live album, The Tigers Have Spoken, recorded during several dates with Canadian surf-country band the Sadies.
Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, hailed by critics as an instant classic and Case's most realized work yet, followed in 2006. Calexico's Joey Burns and John Convertino contributed guitar, cello, bass, and drums to the album.
On March 3, 2009, Case released Middle Cyclone. It was her first album to reach the top ten's on the Billboard charts in the US.
Middle Cyclone was followed by "The worse things get, the harder I fight, the harder I fight, the more I love you" which came out September 4th 2013.
Case now lives on her farm in Vermont.
A Widow's Toast
Neko Case Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Their widow?s toast
It's Saint-Angel
Better times collide with now
The tears were warm
I feel them still
They'll heat to vapor and disperse
And cloud our eyes with weary glaze
You raise your glass and may exclaim
"I?ll put my hands on the truth, by God!"
But it?s faster, love, than you and me
Faster than the speed of gravity
That's how it catches you from falling
And how it always, always, always slips away
Specters move like pilot flames
Their widow?s toast
It's Saint-Angel
And better times collide with now
And better times
And better times are coming still
Neko Case's A Widow's Toast is a song that explores the themes of mourning, loss, and acceptance. In the opening lines, Case describes how the ghosts of the departed "move like pilot flames." These lines may suggest that even in death, the memories of the departed continue to live on, flickering and dancing like flames. The second line, "Their widow's toast," creates an imagery of a widow raising a glass in honor of her deceased loved one. The chorus, "Better times collide with now," illustrates the conflict that arises when we compare our current state to a better time in the past. The tears were once warm, but now they've cooled and become weary glaze, a sign of the passage of time.
In the second verse, she sings, "You raise your glass and may exclaim, 'I'll put my hands on the truth, by God!'" The singer is determined to seek the truth, but the following lines suggest that the truth is elusive and fleeting. "Faster, love, than you and me, faster than the speed of gravity," implying that we can't outrun or control the truth, and it has the power to catch us if we fall. The line "And how it always, always, always slips away" reiterates that notion, that we try to hold on to it, but it's always just beyond our grasp. The final verse gives hope, as the singer suggests that "better times are coming still" and that despite the sadness in the present, there is still joy and hope in the future.
Line by Line Meaning
Specters move like pilot flames
Ghosts and memories flicker and dance like small, controlled flames
Their widow?s toast
A drink raised in memory of those who have passed away
It's Saint-Angel
Possibly referencing a town or city, but may also symbolize a place of sanctuary or protection
Better times collide with now
Hopeful possibilities and opportunities intersect with present reality
The tears were warm
Grief and sadness was felt deeply and emotionally
I feel them still
The pain and sorrow are still present and felt deeply
They'll heat to vapor and disperse
Over time, the intensity of strong emotions will fade and dissipate
And cloud our eyes with weary glaze
Continued emotional distress may make it difficult to see and think clearly
You raise your glass and may exclaim
Toasting to the memories of those who have passed away
"I?ll put my hands on the truth, by God!"
Making a strong assertion of seeking truth and knowledge
But it?s faster, love, than you and me
The truth is elusive and always seems to slip away before we can grasp it
Faster than the speed of gravity
The truth is faster than the physical force of gravity
That's how it catches you from falling
The truth may save you from harm if it is discovered in time
And how it always, always, always slips away
Despite our best efforts, the truth remains elusive and fleeting
And better times
Hopeful possibilities and positive change
And better times are coming still
Belief that things will continue to improve in the future
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Neko Case
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rg5361
One of the best songs ever.
@goingthrough9390
Have to listen to it a few times cuz it's so short tho!
@hwizell7478
Thank you Miss Case