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)
White
Okkervil River Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the white pot burst of the fiery blast
We fled through chilled air and the deafening land, scattering ash
Sun is here and I'm gonna crack, crack, crack
Sun is here and I'm gonna crack
We soared through sharp quotes in a jewelry store
As your sister and dad
Sun is here and I'm gonna crack, crack, crack
Sun is here and I'm gonna crack
Sun is here and I'm near a heart attack
Flash of fear and national blasting wield to black
'Cause kids, when I forsake the morals I was right and she was wrong
But that just kinda meant she was bringing back
When I was first the driver, I felt good and he felt bad
But kids, you'll find that most the time you feel trapped
Spring is gone and you go gas, gas, gas
Spring is gone and you go gas
And friends, when I first say the ' in the darkness of the tomb
I was unversed through it all, I was right
When I first saw the problem inside I just cried
Some have cars and cries to stop, just say it now
Fall is here and you talking down, down, down
Fall is here and you talking down, down, down
Winter is here, it's too cold to drown, drown, drown
Winter is here, it's too cold do drown, drown, drown
Winter is here, it's too cold to drown, drown, drown
Winter is here, it's too cold do drown, drown, drown
Winter is here, it's too cold to drown, drown, drown
Winter is here, it's too cold do drown, drown, drown
Winter is here, it's slowing down
Winter is here, and I'm nearly '
I don't want me around
The lyrics to Okkervil River's song "White" are laden with abstract imagery and poetic language that can be difficult to interpret. The song appears to be about a tumultuous and uncertain time in the singer's life, with themes of fear, morality, and the changing of the seasons. The opening lines describe a chaotic and violent event, with the singer and others fleeing from an explosion or fire. The image of cased glass crashing and a white pot bursting suggest something fragile and valuable being destroyed.
As the song progresses, the singer reflects on the people in their life and the way they approach problems or challenges. The lines "Concerned with kept poisons, why in the world is here his light?" seem to question the motives and actions of someone close to the singer, while the lines "When I forsake the morals I was right and she was wrong" suggest that the singer is grappling with right and wrong, and perhaps struggling to reconcile their own actions with their values.
The final section of the song repeats the refrain "Winter is here" several times, as the singer reflects on the passing of time and the feeling of being trapped or overwhelmed. The line "Winter is here, and I'm nearly / I don't want me around" suggests a sense of despair or hopelessness.
Overall, the song "White" paints a picture of a difficult and uncertain time in the singer's life, and explores themes of morality, fear, and the changing of seasons.
Line by Line Meaning
We crashed through cased glass
We broke through a closed and transparent barrier
And the white pot burst of the fiery blast
The white container exploded in a sudden and intense burst of fire
We fled through chilled air and the deafening land, scattering ash
We ran away through cold surroundings and a loud environment, leaving behind fragments of destruction
Sun is here and I'm gonna crack, crack, crack
The intense heat of the sun is making me crazy and I'm going to explode
We soared through sharp quotes in a jewelry store
We moved through a place with sharp-witted remarks, possibly referring to snobbish jewelry store employees
As your sister and dad
Referring to the sister and father of the person being spoken to
Concerned with kept poisons, why in the world is here his light?
Worried about hidden dangers, why is there such brightness in this world?
Sun is here and I'm gonna crack, crack, crack
The intense heat of the sun is making me crazy and I'm going to explode
Sun is here and I'm near a heart attack
The intense heat of the sun is causing my heart to race and I'm on the verge of a heart attack
Flash of fear and national blasting wield to black
A sudden feeling of terror overtakes us and everything turns black
'Cause kids, when I forsake the morals I was right and she was wrong
Because, children, when I abandon my values, I feel like I'm in the right and the other person is in the wrong
But that just kinda meant she was bringing back
But that really just meant that she was returning
When I was first the driver, I felt good and he felt bad
When I was in charge, I felt confident and the other person felt uncomfortable
But kids, you'll find that most the time you feel trapped
But, children, you'll discover that most of the time you feel stuck or helpless
Spring is gone and you go gas, gas, gas
Spring has passed and you hurry forward with all your energy
And friends, when I first say the ' in the darkness of the tomb
And my friends, when I initially see the ' symbol in the darkness of my grave
I was unversed through it all, I was right
I was unfamiliar and inexperienced with all of it, but I still felt like I was correct
When I first saw the problem inside I just cried
When I first became aware of the issue inside, I simply broke down and cried
Some have cars and cries to stop, just say it now
Some have automobiles and reasons to stop, but they should just speak up now
Fall is here and you talking down, down, down
Autumn has arrived and you are becoming increasingly negative
Winter is here, it's too cold to drown, drown, drown
Winter has arrived and it's too frigid to even consider drowning
Winter is here, it's slowing down
Winter has arrived and everything is becoming more sluggish
Winter is here, and I'm nearly '
Winter has arrived, and I'm almost out of time or energy
I don't want me around
I don't want myself to be present or exist anymore
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: WILL SHEFF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind