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.
Deep Red Bells
Neko Case Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
These lightning thread-spun silver tunnels
The red bells beckon you to ride
A hand print on the driver's side
It looks a lot like engine oil
And tastes like being poor and small
And popsicles in summer
Deep as I have been done
Deep red bells
Deep as I have been done
It always has to come this
The red bells ring this tragic dun
We've lost sight of the overpass
The daylight won't remember that
No speckled fawns raise round your bones
Who took the time to fold your clothes
And shook the valley of the shadow
Deep red bells
Deep as I have been done
Deep red bells
Deep as I have been done
Where does this mean world cast its cold eye?
Who's left to suffer long about you?
Does your soul cast about like an old paper bag
Past empty lots and early graves
Of those like you who lost their way
Murdered on the interstate
While the red bells rang like thunder?
Oh deep red bells
Deep as I have been done
Deep red bells
Deep as I have been done
The lyrics of Neko Case's Deep Red Bells paint a haunting and evocative picture of a tragedy and its aftermath. The song seems to be about a murder victim or victims, as evidenced by clues such as "murdered on the interstate" and "who took the time to fold your clothes." The singer is questioning who led the victims to this hiding place, and wondering about the world that casts its cold eye on them. The red bells in the song seem to signify both danger and mourning, as they beckon the victims to ride and also ring in a tragic dun.
The imagery of the song is dark and intense, suffused with a sense of loss and pain. The lightning thread-spun silver tunnels suggest a tunnel of light that the victims may be traveling through, while the hand print on the driver's side invokes a strong visual image of a struggle or fight. The taste of "being poor and small" suggests a deep sense of vulnerability, while the image of popsicles in summer hints at a lost childhood innocence. The deep red bells that ring throughout the song represent the toll of loss and grief, and the sense that the victims are forever trapped in a darkness that the daylight cannot penetrate.
Overall, Deep Red Bells is a powerful and evocative song that paints a vivid picture of tragedy and loss. Through its haunting lyrics and intense imagery, the song captures the pain and sadness of those left behind, and serves as a tribute to those who have been lost.
Line by Line Meaning
Who led you to this hiding place
Who brought you to this sheltered location
These lightning thread-spun silver tunnels
These bright and intricate silver pathways
The red bells beckon you to ride
The crimson bells call to you to join them
A hand print on the driver's side
A hand-shaped mark on the side of the vehicle
It looks a lot like engine oil
It strongly resembles motor lubricant
And tastes like being poor and small
And has the flavor of feeling impoverished and insignificant
And popsicles in summer
And the refreshing delight of cold, fruity treats in the warm season
Deep red bells
Echoing, richly hued bells
Deep as I have been done
Just as deep as the painful experiences I've gone through
It always has to come this
It always seems to end up like this
The red bells ring this tragic dun
The scarlet bells toll this sorrowful note
We've lost sight of the overpass
We've lost track of the high bridge
The daylight won't remember that
The sun won't recall this event
No speckled fawns raise round your bones
No dappled baby deer gather near your remains
Who took the time to fold your clothes
Who bothered to carefully fold your apparel
And shook the valley of the shadow
And caused the realm of death to tremble
Where does this mean world cast its cold eye?
Where is this cruel universe directing its indifferent gaze?
Who's left to suffer long about you?
Who remains to undergo enduring pain on your behalf?
Does your soul cast about like an old paper bag
Is your very being tossed around like a worn-out paper sack?
Past empty lots and early graves
Past vacant plots of land and premature gravesites
Of those like you who lost their way
Of those who, like you, went astray
Murdered on the interstate
Killed on the high-speed highway
While the red bells rang like thunder?
While the red bells sounded like fierce claps of thunder?
Oh deep red bells
Oh resounding, vivid bells
Deep as I have been done
Just as profound as the misfortunes I've endured
Deep red bells
Echoing, richly hued bells
Deep as I have been done
Just as deep as the painful experiences I've gone through
Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Neko Case, Tom Ray
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@saki14james
Neko Caseβs lyrics will pierce through the heart of the most jaded person ever. She is a national treasure
@digitalwhiplash
Well put.ππ agree.
@digitalwhiplash
Neko, one of the best lyricist. Her poetry is unmatched! π₯π€π₯
@fakegreyhound
I remember the first time I heard this song it really struck me. Then I looked up what it was about and the next time I listened to it I got the shivers. I still get goosebumps when she sings "Where does this mean world cast it's cold eye? Who's left to suffer long without you?".
@maryratliff1131
Whatβs it about?
@wesfulgham5742
@@maryratliff1131 Green River killer's victims.
@Ranaldo20
I always love Neko. So mysterious. So dark. So perfect.
@brightmoon7132
If more country music was like THIS I would LOVE it. π
@Ida-iu3uj
That line 'does your soul cast about like an old paper bag, past empty lots, and early graves' is shudderingly affecting.
@OuranGirl4ever
Whether it was about murder or not it is a VERY eerie, yet hauntingly beautiful song. It does, however, bring images of dying and lust into my head, that just draws you in . Obviously someone was lured to their untimely ending, and their lives weren't rememberable to anyone, they had been forgotten. It would seem that Neko created a story that told us exactly how it all ended, She gave them justice and truth. One of the most creative and talented song writers of our time people!!