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)
Dead Dog Song
Okkervil River Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Okkervil River's song Dead Dog Days tells the story of the loss of a beloved dog named Sam. The opening lines set the scene of a home left behind by Sam, where the woodchucks are now running wild and the bushes overgrown. The singer takes the listener on a journey through the woods where they scatter Sam's ashes, and comes to terms with the reality that he is never coming back.
The mournful tone of the song is emphasized by the singer's memories of the times Sam was alive, such as running in the snow and lying down by the stove. The lyrics also touch on the concept of mortality, with the line "He'd never been to church, so he doesn't have a soul. He isn't waiting at the place where all of us will go." The idea that Sam, as a dog, does not have a soul and will not be going to a heaven or afterlife is heartbreaking, further emphasizing the finality of his passing.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of the interconnectedness of all living beings, with the line "But the woodchucks wouldn't run so wild, the bushes wouldn't be so overgrown if we were not alone." The loss of Sam has disrupted the balance of nature, highlighting how our relationships with animals and the natural world can deeply affect the environment around us.
Overall, Dead Dog Days is a poignant and melancholic tribute to a beloved pet and a reflection on the fleeting nature of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Sam, bless him, has died and left this home, the woodchucks running wild, the bushes overgrown.
Sam, a beloved individual, has passed away, leaving behind a house and a mess of wilderness.
Slip unseen into the skein of trees, slide through dusky grasses and scatter his ashes.
Disappear quietly amongst the trees and grass, spreading Sam's remains.
It's all over, he's never coming back. There'll be no more roaming.
Sam is gone forever and there will be no more adventures with him.
He was only here for fourteen years, and now the branches scratch my face and I can't hold back my tears.
Sam's life was short and now his absence causes visible pain and sadness.
Long ago I'd see him running in the snow, he'd come in from the cold and he'd lie down by the stove.
In the past, the artist would witness Sam's joyful romps in the snow and his subsequent cozy relaxation indoors.
Pass along this loping road, the needley grasp of briars on the slope.
Travel along a winding path with thorny brush on either side.
He'd never been to church, so he doesn't have a soul. He isn't waiting at the place where all of us will go.
Sam, having never gone to church, is believed by some to not have a soul and is not awaiting any afterlife.
But the woodchucks wouldn't run so wild, the bushes wouldn't be so overgrown if we were not alone.
The unruly wilderness is symbolic of the chaos and overgrowth that occurs when humans are not present to maintain it.
Bound unbound through the boundless air, remaining wisps of hair. Barking out through everywhere, the trees, the grass, the rain, and Sam in the air.
Sam's memory and essence still seem to permeate the natural elements even after his death.
He was in this world, by my side he was curled, but he came uncurled and this world holds him that much ti
Sam existed and was loved in this world, but ultimately has passed on and is now remembered and missed.
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
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