Founded by Creager in 1992, they have long held true to their mission of enlightening the common man as to the power and versatility of the mighty cello. Historically influenced, and constantly costumed, Rasputina keeps a small legion of incredibly passionate admirers enthralled with their earnest musicianship. Considered to be quite a pioneer and visionary, Melora and her group have inspired countless young people to pick up the cello, and have re-inspired many uninspired string players. Rasputina considers this to be the finest payment for their work.
Professional involvements have included Nirvana, Ultra Vivid Scene, Marilyn Manson, Porno For Pyros, Belle and Sebastian,and Cheap Trick.
Former Members of Rasputina:
Julia Kent (89-99)
Kris Cowperthwaite (00-02)
Zoë Keating (02-06)
Sarah Bowman (06-08)
Jonathon TeBeest (00-08)
Yellow Fever
Rasputina Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At first only a few where sick and then it
Started raging bad,
It was the wort this town has had
It was the summer of 1853
Only my dear old dad and me
Escaped alive
Escaped unscathed
Summer of 1853
the river reeked of mortality
Summer of 1853
the river reeked of mortality
It was a deadly yellow fever epidemic
Rasputina's song Yellow Fever tells the story of a town that was hit by a deadly yellow fever epidemic in the summer of 1853. The song starts with the singer describing how the epidemic started with just a few people falling sick, but it quickly escalated and became the worst the town had ever seen. The only ones who managed to escape unscathed were the singer's "dear old dad and me". The chorus repeats the year and the haunting image of the river "reeking of mortality".
The lyrics are a vivid portrayal of the devastation and horror caused by an epidemic. The use of the first-person point of view gives a personal touch to the story and creates a sense of empathy with the singer's experience. The reference to the river reeking of death is a powerful image that highlights the scale of the tragedy and the impact it had on the community. The fact that only two people escaped also emphasizes the severity of the outbreak and the randomness of who survived or succumbed.
Line by Line Meaning
It was a deadly yellow fever epidemic
The town was hit with a deadly epidemic of yellow fever
At first only a few where sick and then it
Initially, only a few people fell sick as a result of the epidemic, but then it spread rapidly
Started raging bad,
The epidemic became severe and uncontrollable
It was the wort this town has had
The epidemic was the worst disaster that ever happened to the town
It was the summer of 1853
The epidemic broke out in the summer of 1853
Only my dear old dad and me
My dad and I were the only survivors of the epidemic in our family
Escaped alive
We managed to stay alive despite the fatal epidemic
Escaped unscathed
We didn't contract the disease and thus emerged unharmed from the epidemic
Summer of 1853
The same year that the epidemic broke out
the river reeked of mortality
Due to the large number of deaths caused by the epidemic, the river smelled of decaying corpses and death
Summer of 1853
The same year that the epidemic broke out
the river reeked of mortality
The river continued to stink of death and decay due to the ongoing epidemic
Contributed by Lucy J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.