She fronted the rock trio Crowsdell in the 90's, recording two albums, Dreamette and In the curve of an arm. Both featuring her intense writing, playing and singing.
Her first solo album, Flightsafety (1999) featured a gentle acoustic sound. Her next release, Maps of Tacit (2000) brought a more vocally aggressive approach. This was further developed on her next two albums, Dyed in the Wool (2001) and Over the Sun (2004), which were both recorded with Steve Albini.
After a collaboration with French musician Yann Tiersen (Yann Tiersen & Shannon Wright, 2004), the works that followed moved in a gentler direction, mixing warm folk and rock songs with moodier pieces. These albums included Let in the Light (2007), Honeybee Girls (2009), and Secret Blood (2010).
Her next album, In Film Sound (2013), incorporated more raw and harsh indie rock elements reminiscent of earlier works. Later, on Division (2017), she experimented with a fragile keyboard-based sound incorporating sampling and electronic beats. Her most recent release, Providence (2019), also has a haunting sound mainly based on piano.
She's a frequent road warrior, playing shows everywhere from South Dakota to Brazil. Her live shows are emotionally charged, unbridled pieces of rock and roll, featuring Shannon's trademark vocal howl and multi-instrumental palette. Shannon was handpicked by Sleater-Kinney and Nick Cave to open some of their US tour dates.
St. Pete
Shannon Wright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Worn out tired, right here
And the night falls on this oceans' white hour
'Cause you won't be coming home to me
And you said it sad and so playfully
I wish God would make things clear
'Cause there's no fight left in me
Relentlessly the sun is igniting
While all these concrete boxes sit empty
On these defeated Floridian streets
I know you won't be coming home to me
Two young horses dragging to St. Pete
Worn out, tired
Worn out, tired
There's no fight left in me
The lyrics to Shannon Wright's song St. Pete express a sense of disillusionment and loss. The first two lines, "Two young horses dragging to St. Pete / Worn out tired, right here" convey a sense of weariness and exhaustion. The horses are tired and struggling to move forward, just as the singer of the song feels tired and defeated. The reference to St. Pete, which is short for St. Petersburg, Florida, suggests that the singer is in a state of transit, perhaps leaving behind a familiar place or a former lover.
The second stanza reinforces this sense of loss and despair, as the singer laments the absence of a loved one: "And the night falls on this oceans' white hour / 'Cause you won't be coming home to me". The reference to "oceans' white hour" is poetic and evocative, suggesting a sense of quiet and peace that is also tinged with melancholy. The singer feels resigned to the fact that their loved one is gone and they cannot do anything to change this: "I wish God would make things clear / 'Cause there's no fight left in me".
The final stanza of the song brings us back to the image of the two young horses. The repetition of "worn out, tired" reinforces the sense of exhaustion and fatigue that pervades the song. The singer has nothing left to hold onto, feeling defeated in the face of their loss. The final line, "There's no fight left in me", is a powerful expression of resignation and surrender.
Line by Line Meaning
Two young horses dragging to St. Pete
Two exhausted and worn-down individuals making their way to St. Petersburg
Worn out tired, right here
Feeling fatigued and drained from the current state of affairs
And the night falls on this oceans' white hour
Night closes in on the tranquil white hour of the ocean
'Cause you won't be coming home to me
The sadness of the absence of a beloved partner is being felt
And you said it sad and so playfully
The partner expressed their separation in a sorrowful yet light-hearted manner
I wish God would make things clear
Looking for clarity and guidance from a higher power
'Cause there's no fight left in me
Feeling completely drained and unable to fight anymore
Relentlessly the sun is igniting
The sun continues to shine relentlessly, showing no mercy
While all these concrete boxes sit empty
The surroundings are empty and devoid of life
On these defeated Floridian streets
The streets of Florida seem forlorn and defeated
I know you won't be coming home to me
Coming to terms with the fact that the beloved partner is not returning home
Worn out, tired
Feeling exhausted and fatigued
Worn out, tired
Completely depleted with no energy to spare
There's no fight left in me
Unable to fight or struggle anymore, feeling completely drained
Contributed by Ella B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.