The first seeds of the band were originally planted on Canada’s salty-aired East Coast in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Young Warren C. Spicer and Matthew ‘the Woodman’ Woodley had begun playing together in high-school bands. The sea winds eventually carried them through the vast plains of Quebec to Montreal (a journey they would come to know intimately as the years wore on). It was in the now hallowed halls of Concordia University’s music department that they would come upon Nicolas Basque, a strange francophone native that shared their musical inclinations (and a trappeur’s finely-tuned taste in cuisine). It wasn’t until then that the three boys became men, signified their union with a name, and that Plants and Animals emerged from the wildlife.
In 2003 they bat out an instrumental menagerie of song-like folk-beasts, and put some of them to tape in the form of a recording that local label Ships at Night would later release. By 2005 the three young men were taming the sprawling wilderness of their sound and sculpting real songs, as Spicer also lead the way to a (hitherto unheard of) vocal domination of their material—as if he had been possessed by the ghost of some recently departed soul singer. During this time Spicer and Woodley would occasionally stop by to care for some of the neighbours—Timber, Socalled, and Katie Moore—and play. All the while, the Halifax-born were jamming and pruning with Basque, harnessing the band and its songs like a wild horse. Some called it post-classic-rock. Some called it folk-prog. Those who knew better didn’t say anything at all.
In about the summer of 2005 they carried a 24-track Studer “bull” up the stairs of Spicer’s apartment and split their time between their new makeshift studio there (aka Le Carillon Tropical), and the Treatment Room. By fall 2006 the foundations of what would later become Parc Avenue were layed, the band was playing shows (and singing), and a relationship with Montreal label Secret City Records was formed. By summer 2007 the once-monster was complete, temporarily tamed, housed, and ready to be unleashed. While the band awaited the release of Parc Avenue, they kept busy touring in the US, Canada, and Iceland, working on their album art and recording with/avec EP that was released in Canada in October 2007.
Since Parc Avenue was released in early 2008 the band has played over 175 shows, circling the Western world more than once, including appearances at the Pitchfork Festival in Chicago, Primavera in Barcelona, Central Park Summer Stage with the National, and even one night in Columbus opening for Gnarls Barkley, after Danger Mouse discovered Parc Avenue and invited them out.
In January 2010 Plants and Animals announced their latest offering, La La Land, due out on April 20th on Secret City. The album was recorded at the band’s home-base studio in Montreal, The Treatment Room, and at Studio La Frette outside Paris, a brokedown old mansion filled with vintage gear and a killer board in the cellar instead of wine. Spicer says, “the Paris stuff is like a nice Bordeaux and the Montreal stuff is more like a baked potato. Sessions in Paris ended by 10pm, sessions in Montreal by 6am.” Rum and cokes supposedly inspired the initial Treatment Room sessions in late 2008. The album’s first track, “Tom Cruz,” eventually came out of these late nights. As the Woodman tells it, “it was December, pre-Christmas, so we fuelled the session with rum and cokes. They made us feel like Tom Cruise. It gave us killer smiles and made our enemies wither.”
Faerie Dance
Plants and Animals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I thought I would know when to leave when the time came
I thought I could recognize the sign
I thought I would know when the planets had aligned
I was wrong, I didn't know anything at all
I was wrong, I didn't know anything at all
saving all the letters you wrote
and I can't help
help but wonder
what's gone wrong
then fell asleep under a tree
got woken up by birds and bees
they're hard at work, but they're hardly workin'
there might be rain, but not for certain
followed the trail to the wild flowers
I cut as many as I could handle
I was workin' hard, but hardly workin'
I heard the train, but not for certain
oh, we're living in the wild life
we're living in the wild life
fell asleep under a tree,
got woken up by birds and bees,
they're hard at work, but they're hardly workin',
there might be rain, but not for certain
In the first verse of Plants and Animals's song "Faerie Dance," the singer expresses a sense of naivety and uncertainty. They had thought that they would know what to do and when to do it, but they were wrong. They thought they could recognize signs and align themselves accordingly, but all of those assumptions were misguided. The repetition of "I was wrong, I didn't know anything at all" reinforces this feeling of being lost and unsure of oneself.
In the second verse, the focus shifts to being alone and trying to make sense of what's happening. The singer saves letters they have received, perhaps looking for guidance or comfort. The imagery of falling asleep under a tree and being woken up by birds and bees creates a sense of natural innocence and purity. The line "they're hard at work, but they're hardly workin'" could refer to the idea that the natural world is just doing what it's meant to do without overthinking it, while the singer is struggling to figure out their own path.
Line by Line Meaning
I thought I would know what to do when the time came
I believed I would know the right thing to do when the situation arises
I thought I could recognize the sign
I believed I would be able to identify the indication of what's to come
I thought I would know when the planets had aligned
I believed I would sense when the celestial bodies come into the right place
I was wrong, I didn't know anything at all
I am admitting that I was incorrect, and I was not aware of what I thought I knew
saving all the letters you wrote
Keeping all the messages you sent to me as a reminder of our connection
and i'm all alone for the first time
I am by myself for the first time, without the presence of others
and I can't help
I cannot resist
help but wonder
But to contemplate deeply
what's gone wrong
What has happened to cause things to turn out differently
then fell asleep under a tree
Later, I rested beneath a tree
got woken up by birds and bees
Awakened by the lively sounds of nature around me
they're hard at work, but they're hardly workin'
The creatures are active, but not in a strenuous manner
there might be rain, but not for certain
The weather may change, but the final outcome is not definite
followed the trail to the wild flowers
I pursued the path to the untamed blooms
I cut as many as I could handle
I gathered and detached as much as I could bear
I was workin' hard, but hardly workin'
I was as productive as possible, but not excessively
I heard the train, but not for certain
The sound of the moving train was heard, but not with complete certainty
oh, we're living in the wild life
We are living in a carefree way, embracing the wilderness around us
we're living in the wild life
We live our lives enjoying the natural and unbridled world
fell asleep under a tree,
After a while, I closed my eyes beneath a leafy tree
Contributed by Gabriella V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Daev // III SLEEP III
Seeing Plants & Animals live in 2009 at "Virgin Festival" in Vancouver/Burnaby, BC made me an instantaneous fan. They were my favourite performance, alongside Sonic Youth, and Future of the Left; but theirs are a performance I will never, ever forget. The way they play their songs "perfectly imperfect" make their performances something very special. Incredible, unfathomably talented band, and for the past 14 years have been one of my favourite bands. Faerie Dance has always been one of my favourites from them, and it is always such a treat to watch every rendition of it in their live shows.
jhonny Gringo
so under rated. These guys crush it, seriously one of the best songs!
Jake Dill
Gotta say though I wish they would go find all those live performances KEXP used to have on their website, the ones before they switched over to the new building... I still would love to hear that version of this song again they did in the studio again before I die, that and the live version of Viva Voce's So Many Miles.
Jared Sabovitch
I'll never forget when they played this at the Starlight lounge in Edmonton in 2013.
I hate getting old, and I ain't even old yet.
Sacrifice is worth it, but it comes with regret.
Regret comes without sacrifice, but it just ain't worth it.
MikeDel76
Yeah! They rock, sure they do!
JdmEuroNorth
For those who asked why they haven't heard of this band before, it's because they're from Canada and have real talent, most people disregard such bands and focus on Nickelback and Lady gaga. The best music isn't on the radio! (I saw a nickelback concert, I want my nickel back)
Jake Dill
Funny, cause I heard them first on the radio... infact this particular station...
Ethan Lawrence
Fucking awesome!!!
Holden McKenzie
i would love to see this band
Nick Stayner
The lighting is hilarious for this intense of a jam...