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)
RED
Okkervil River Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The lyrics of Okkervil River's "Red" are full of deep emotions and themes of love, loss, and belonging. The singer begins by describing their favorite color, red, and how it reminds them of the redness in someone's mother's eyes after crying for their daughter's love. This line suggests that there is a deep familial relationship at play, one that involves a great deal of hurt and disappointment. The mother speaks of her own faults, acknowledging that she doesn't deserve to see her daughter but also expressing how much she misses her.
Moving into the second verse, the singer talks about their favorite season, fall, which they liken to falling and crashing from high up. This is a metaphor for the difficulties and struggles in life. The mother once again speaks, questioning why her life is so uneven and wondering what she did to deserve such pain. She also admits to leading the daughter into a bar and feeling remorseful about it.
The final verse is a bit more abstract than the others. The singer's "favorite answer" is yes, likely referring to a sense of acceptance and openness to life's opportunities. They then speak of taking a dancer home, and the two of them stay up all night. The dancer opens up about her life, full of fictions and addictions, and expresses how much she misses her mother. The singer feels a deep connection to her but recognizes that they will never be able to forget each other. They lament the fact that expressing such emotions is difficult, and if they could write a letter, they would, trying to convey the message that the dancer's mother is still with her in some way.
Line by Line Meaning
Red is my favorite color, red like your mother's eyes after a while of crying about how you don't love her.
The color red is associated with strong emotions, like the sadness and hurt that the singer's love interest's mother feels because she believes her daughter doesn't love her.
She says “I know I don't deserve supervised sight of her, but each day becomes a blur without my daughter.”
The mother understands that she doesn't have the right to see her daughter, but misses her so much that every day feels the same without her.
Fall is my favorite season, like falling to reasoning why you crashed from on high.
The singer likes the season of Fall because it symbolizes a time of reflection and introspection, which can help someone understand why they failed or made mistakes in the past.
She says “Why is my life so uneven, and what have I done right but given you your life if after I led you on into that bar room?”
The mother feels guilty for leading her daughter astray and blames herself for the difficulties in her own life.
“Yes” is my favorite answer. I took a dancer home, she felt so alone.
The singer likes to say yes to things, including taking home a dancer who is feeling lonely.
We stayed up all night in the kitchen doing my dishes, on and on until the dawn.
The singer and the dancer spend the whole night talking in the kitchen while doing the dishes.
She said “I know it's easy to have me, but I have seen some things that I can't even tell to my family pictures,” and “I'm full of fictions and fucking addictions” and “I miss my mother.”
The dancer reveals that she has a troubled past and is struggling with addiction, and also misses her mother.
She'll never know I could never forget her.
The singer feels strongly for the dancer and knows he will never forget her, even if she never knows.
If I could write her a letter, I'd try with every line to say “She still remembers your touch. And I know that it's not much, but you still haven't lost her.”
If the singer could write the dancer a letter, he would let her know that while it may not mean much, she still remembers the touch of her lost loved ones and hasn't lost them completely.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@CamVonBarren
Red is my favorite color
Red like your mother's eyes after a while
Of crying about how you don't love her
She says, I know I don't deserve supervised sight of her
But each day becomes a blur without my daughter
Fall is my favorite season like falling to reasoning why
She crashed from on high
She says, "Why is my life so uneven
And what have I done right but given you your life
If after I led you on into that bar room
Into that bar room
Yes is my favorite answer
I took a dancer home, she felt so alone
We stayed up all night in the kitchen doing my dishes
On and on till the dawn
She said, "I know it's easy to have me
But I have seen some things that I
Cannot even tell to my family pictures
And I'm full of fictions and fucking addictions and I miss my mother
She'll never know I could never forget her
If I could write her a letter I'd try with every line
To say she still remembers your touch
And I know that it's not much
I know that it's not much
I know that it's not much, but you still haven't lost her
You still haven't lost her
You still haven't lost her
You still haven't lost her
Not yet
@MindTheHumanKind
She'll never know I could never forget her.
@thatONEmachine
Let's go! My favorite is "I have seen some things I can't even tell to my family pictures. And I'm full of fictions and fucking addictions and I miss my mother."
@Zaburi
The end part is my favorite...it's never to late to go back... emotional.
@BeardedBushMan81
"I'm full of fictions and fucking addictions and I miss my mother."
@saidinjest
me too.
@MoosieCoverz
every song from them is filled with emotion im in love with this band
@KillerLettuce
Saw them play this live a few days ago. Can't describe how great it was.
@user-bf1oy6bn3k
amazing song cant wait to here new album.
@jubjub2112
so completely digging this band . . .
@MrO10000
I love this song and i love you!