Their debut EP Taking Abalonia was released in 2007. It was re-released with seven new songs on June 3, 2008, in Canada as a full-length LP under the name Howe Sounds / Taking Abalonia.
On July 1, 2009, Said the Whale released the EP The Magician to drum up anticipation for the release of their second full-length album Islands Disappear on October 13, 2009.
In the spring of 2011, Said the Whale toured the U.S. for the first time. During this time they were the subject of the CBC documentary "Winning America" directed by Brent Hodge and Thomas Buchan. The movie documented the band's trip and performances along the West Coast of North America on their way to and from Austin, Texas' SXSW Music Festival and culminated when Said the Whale won the Juno Award for New Group of the Year at the 2011 Juno Awards. The documentary aired on July 23, 2011, in British Columbia, and on April 7, 2012, across Canada.
They released their EP New Brighton on November 8, 2011, in preparation for their third full-length album, Little Mountain, released internationally on March 6, 2012.
In early 2012, the band was awarded a spot on the Canadian music magazine Rockstar Weekly's list of the "Top 12 RockStars to Watch in 2012". The list also included Van Halen, The Rolling Stones, and Rush. The band performed at the Sasquatch! Music Festival in 2012 and 2013.
Said the Whale released their fourth studio album, titled hawaiii, on September 17, 2013.
On January 4, 2017, they announced their fifth album, As Long As Your Eyes Are Wide. At the same time, they announced the departure of Spencer Schoening, and that they would move forward as a trio. The album was released March 31, 2017. The first single was "Step Into The Darkness."
On March 5, 2017, they posted an Instagram video with an email address which fans could contact in order to listen to the whole album for free before its release. Fans could stream the whole album on a personalized, private SoundCloud account from the 10th until the 15th of March without leaking or sharing the link. From the 15th until the 26th of March, the fans could invite their friends to listen to the album in a "listening party" in order to promote it but still not sharing the link to the album, keeping it strictly limited to those who were sent the link.
In September 2018, Said the Whale signed to Canadian indie label Arts & Crafts, and announced a new record to be released in early 2019. The band released a new single "UnAmerican" on October 12, 2018. They released their sixth studio album, Cascadia, on February 8, 2019.
Throughout 2021, Said the Whale released a number of singles and music videos from their upcoming album, including "Honey Lungs," "Everything She Touches is Gold to Me," "Show Me Everything," and "99 to the Moon." In May, Bancroft announced he was launching a new record label called EVERYTHING FOREVER. Said the Whale's seventh studio album, Dandelion, was released on October 22, 2021, via that label.
Big Sky MT
Said the Whale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Upon the mountain side
And he knows the names by the color, shape, their size
Above the ridge and through the valleys
Picking flowers by the river side
My grandfather picks shooting stars,
Prairies smoke where lily of the valley grows
Above the ridge and through the valleys
To find true love everlasting in delight
Grows true love, the true love is there
He said
For true love you do the best that you can
She will always be there when you wake up
Grow
Above the ridge and through the valleys
Picking flowers by the river side
My grandfather was a fisherman,
And no fish ever stood a chance
When he was standing on the river bed
With a fistful of cut ? on the ?
My grandfather was a good man, for a good life came fast
Making flowers for his true love, for queen Anne on the river bank
My grandfather taught me there
If you show true love that you can’t take care of her
When you wake up, she will always be there by your side
My grandfather picks wild flowers at the top of the hill
Upon the mountain side
And he write the names in the back of his
Wildflowers feel guide
Above the ridge and through the valleys
To find true love everlasting in delight
Above the ridge and through the valleys
Picking flowers by the river side
Above the ridge and through the valleys
To find true love everlasting in delight
For true love, for true love he said
For true love you do everything you can
And she will always be there when you wake up
My grandfather taught me
That picking flowers is worthwhile
When you’re doing that for your true love
When you see her smile
It’s like big sky, shooting star and where we are
Where we grow, the roots are never ending life
Big sky, shooting stars and where we are
Where we grow, the roots are never ending life
Big sky, shooting stars and where we are
Where we grow, the roots are never ending life
High up in the mountain
The song "Big Sky MT" by Said The Whale is a tribute to the singer's grandfather who passes on his knowledge and wisdom to him. The lyrics describe his grandfather's love of nature and his expertise in identifying wildflowers. He picks the flowers for his true love, Queen Anne, who is mentioned throughout the song. The singer's grandfather also teaches him about true love, advising him to do the best he can and to take care of his partner, who will always be there for him. The chorus repeats the phrase "Big sky, shooting stars, and where we are," evoking a sense of wonder and possibility, and that life is a journey to be enjoyed.
The song captures the beauty of nature and the importance of love in our lives. The lyrics are very personal, telling a story that is both specific and universal. The use of nature imagery adds weight to the lyrics, creating a sense of beauty and transcendence. The repetition of the chorus makes the song easy to sing along to and reinforces the themes of love, growth, and connection to the world around us. The song also has a gentle and uplifting melody that matches the tender and positive message of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
My grandfather picks wild flowers at the top of the hill
My grandfather enjoys picking wild flowers from the hill
Upon the mountain side
He climbs up the mountain and picks flowers there
And he knows the names by the color, shape, their size
He picks flowers while recognizing their different characteristics
Above the ridge and through the valleys
He travels far and wide to pick these flowers
Picking flowers by the river side
He picks flowers near the river
My grandfather picks shooting stars,
My grandfather also likes picking shooting stars
Prairies smoke where lily of the valley grows
He enjoys finding lilies of the valley in the smoky prairies
Porcelain queen and beauty bathing in the ? glow
He finds porcelain queens and beautiful flowers shining in the light
Above the ridge and through the valleys
He travels far and wide to find these flowers
To find true love everlasting in delight
He is searching for a lasting love
Grows true love, the true love is there
He believes that true love exists and can be found
He said
My grandfather shared his wisdom
For true love you do the best that you can
In the pursuit of true love, always give your best effort
She will always be there when you wake up
True love will always stay by your side
Grow
Keep growing and nurturing your love
My grandfather was a fisherman,
My grandfather was also a fisherman
And no fish ever stood a chance
He was an expert in catching fish
When he was standing on the river bed
He was often standing in the river searching for fish
With a fistful of cut ? on the ?
He would use cut bait to lure the fish
My grandfather was a good man, for a good life came fast
My grandfather lived a good life because he was a good man
Making flowers for his true love, for queen Anne on the river bank
He also made flowers for his true love, aka Queen Anne, while by the river
My grandfather taught me there
He passed down his wisdom and knowledge to me
If you show true love that you can’t take care of her
If you don't take care of your true love, you will lose her
When you wake up, she will always be there by your side
But if you do take care of her, she will always be there for you
And he write the names in the back of his
He also writes down the names of the flowers he picks
Wildflowers feel guide
In a guidebook for wildflowers
For true love, for true love he said
He reiterated the importance of true love
For true love you do everything you can
You must put in your all to attain true love
And she will always be there when you wake up
True love will always remain with you
My grandfather taught me
My grandfather shared his teachings with me
That picking flowers is worthwhile
Picking flowers for your loved one is a meaningful endeavor
When you’re doing that for your true love
Especially when it's for your true love
When you see her smile
Seeing her smile makes it all worth it
It’s like big sky, shooting star and where we are
It feels like we are under a big sky with shooting stars
Where we grow, the roots are never ending life
Our love grows deeper and will last forever
High up in the mountain
This journey led us to a high mountain
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Ewimnotluke
this makes me wish my grandfathers had lived long enough to meet me. every one here, while you remember the good times you had with your grandparents, please PLEASE try to realize how lucky you really are. said the whale has so much talent to be able to write a song that can bring out such different emotions to people. i hope they make it, i hope they become famous and everyone will know them everywhere.
@seanmcintyre9490
Still amazing. Thank you, Said The Whale.
@dboyd1089
The rare STW song that is longer than 3 minutes! And it couldn't be any better.
@HowlinForMusic
You should always show the person you love how much you love them and they will always be around to love you back.
@lizzyM
This video is probably really painful to watch for the people that lost there grandfather's..including me but if that's you then I hope you have a really good day..
@bigbro20xd6
Your lyrics are amazing, in all your songs. Just thought I'd point that out.
@paraplegicgiraffe
i cried when I heard this live.
@anedzdances
I'm crying. Beautiful song, beautiful video!
@ukulelelucy
For true love you do everything you can, and she will always be there when you wake up
@PaytienceRose
Gorgeous.... I kinda cried a little bit. Don't tell anyone!