The band self-released their first album, Stars Too Small to Use, which led them to the South by Southwest music festival. After recording their first album in a garage, they signed with Jagjaguwar. Okkervil River continued by releasing four more albums, including critically lauded concept album Black Sheep Boy.
After a period of touring for Black Sheep Boy, Okkervil River followed up with The Stage Names. The album sold 10,000 in its opening week in the United States. The group released a free covers album, Golden Opportunities Mixtape from their live performances.
The band has garnered positive critical reception. Especially noted are each song's lyrics, intricate instrumentation, and thematic albums. In addition, they were featured on the talk show Late Night with Conan O'Brien and have performed with high profile bands such as The Decemberists, The New Pornographers, The National, and Lou Reed.
Okkervil River released their most recent album The Silver Gymnasium on September 3, 2013.
Discography:
* 1998 Bedroom EP – Jound
* 1999 Stars Too Small to Use - Jound
* 2002 Don't Fall in Love with Everyone You See - Jagjaguwar
* 2003 Down the River of Golden Dreams - Jagjaguwar
* 2003 Julie Doiron/Okkervil River (A split CD with Julie Dorion) - Acuarela
* 2004 Sleep and Wake-Up Songs (EP) - Jagjaguwar
* 2004 Sham Wedding/Hoax Funeral (A split CD with Shearwater) - Jagjaguwar
* 2005 Black Sheep Boy - Jagjaguwar
* 2005 Black Sheep Boy Appendix (EP) - Jagjaguwar
* 2006 Overboard and Down (EP) – Inertia, Australia-only tour EP
* 2007 The Stage Names - Jagjaguwar
* 2008 The Stand-Ins - Jagjaguwar
* 2011 I Am Very Far - Jagjaguwar
* 2013 The Silver Gymnasium - ATO Records
* 2016 Away - ATO Records
* 2018 In The Rainbow Rain - ATO Records
Current band members:
* Will Sheff - acoustic guitar, vocals, harmonica (keyboard occasionally)
* Travis Nelsen - drums, misc. percussion
* Scott Brackett - trumpet, coronet, keyboards, organ, tape player, misc. percussion
* Patrick Pestorius - bass, piano, woodblocks
* Justin Sherburn - keys, guitar
* Lauren Gurgiolo - electric guitar, pedal steel, mandolin
Past band members:
* Seth Warren - guitar
* Zachary Thomas - vocals, bass
* Jonathan Meiburg - vocals, banjo, guitar, accordion, piano, organ
* Mark Pedini - drums
* Brian Cassidy - electric guitar, pedal steel, mandolin, melodica (keyboard and accordion when on tour without Jonathan)
And I Have Seen the World of Dreams
Okkervil River Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fresh-flown through the trees then dropped off at the curb
Alive, have seen the world awake
And I don't know which I deserve
So when sleep nightly comes to me
With all of these warm blankets piled on my back
I'll hike to see the church of dreams
Where all of the shutters are painted black
And it seems like that's real till the time I awake
And at midnight the moonlight reflects as the lake
Is shining at me, till night takes it away
There's one world in the distance, one world in the way
And not one can stay
I have seen the wood of dreams
Carved grainless and clean with a sweep of one hand
And have been happy with the leaves on my body when laid under land
So when sleep finally comes to me
'Cause it comes for the sleek like it comes for the lame
I'll sink beneath a weight of dreams so full and complete that I'm pushed from my name
And it seems like that's real until I fall asleep
Then we load up the car and drive far to some street
Where a new life awaits, till day takes it away
There's one world in the distance, one world in the way
And not one can stay
The singer in the song "And I Have Seen the World of Dreams" reflects on their experiences of dreaming and how it contrasts with reality. The opening lines describe a vivid dream state where the world is fresh, flown through the trees and then dropped off at the curb. The singer is alive and has seen both the dream world and the awake world but is unsure which they deserve. Sleep brings warm blankets piled on their back as they hike to see the church of dreams where all of the shutters are painted black.
The second stanza sees the singer recognizing the fleeting and transient nature of dreams. The moonlight reflects on the lake until night takes it away, one world feels in the distance while another is in the way, and none can stay. In the third stanza, the singer refers to the "wood of dreams" that is carved grainless and clean with a sweep of one hand. They have been happy with the leaves on their body when laid under land. When sleep finally comes, the singer will sink beneath a weight of dreams so complete that they are pushed from their name.
The song's lyrics suggest that the dream state is not just an alternate reality, but one that remains elusive and fleeting. The singer is torn between the two worlds and explores the contrast between dreams and reality. The song's imagery and the use of black shutters on the church of dreams create an eerie and mystical tone which delves deeper into the unknown world of the unconscious mind.
Line by Line Meaning
And I have seen the world of dreams
I have experienced the place where dreams reside
Fresh-flown through the trees then dropped off at the curb
The dream world is fleeting and can quickly disappear
Alive, have seen the world awake
I have witnessed the world become alive and awaken
And I don't know which I deserve
I am unsure of what I am deserving of
So when sleep nightly comes to me
When I am about to sleep at night
With all of these warm blankets piled on my back
When I am covered by all the warm blankets on my back
I'll hike to see the church of dreams
I will go on a journey to the place where dreams reside
Where all of the shutters are painted black
The place where dreams reside is ominous and foreboding
And it seems like that's real till the time I awake
Dreams feel real until I wake up
And at midnight the moonlight reflects as the lake
At midnight, the moonlight reflects in the lake
Is shining at me, till night takes it away
The reflection disappears when night is over
There's one world in the distance, one world in the way
There are two worlds - the waking world and the dream world - that are separate
And not one can stay
Neither world can remain forever
I have seen the wood of dreams
I have experienced the forest of dreams
Carved grainless and clean with a sweep of one hand
The forest of dreams is pristine and untouched
And have been happy with the leaves on my body when laid under land
I have felt content when surrounded by the leaves of the dream world
So when sleep finally comes to me
When I finally fall asleep
'Cause it comes for the sleek like it comes for the lame
Sleep comes to everyone regardless of their status
I'll sink beneath a weight of dreams so full and complete that I'm pushed from my name
I will be fully immersed in the dream world to the point where my identity is lost
And it seems like that's real until I fall asleep
The dream world feels real until I enter it
Then we load up the car and drive far to some street
In the dream world, I go on a journey to a new place
Where a new life awaits, till day takes it away
In the dream world, there is a new life waiting for me that will eventually fade away with the waking day
Contributed by Claire C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.