The band was formed by two members of Okkervil River, back-up vocalist and accordion/keyboard player Jonathan Meiburg and singer and guitarist Will Sheff, so they could write quieter songs. Beginning in 2005, Sheff lessened his role in the band, leaving Meiburg as the band's songwriter from Palo Santo on.
Band members today include Jonathan Meiburg, Thor Harris, Kim Burke, Lucas Oswald, with many contributions from others. The touring band in 2012 featured producer/drummer Danny Reisch and guitarist/vocalist Mitch Billeaud of The Lemurs and Christiaan Mader of Brass Bed.
To date, Shearwater has released nine full-length albums The Dissolving Room, Everybody Makes Mistakes, Winged Life, Palo Santo, Rook, The Golden Archipelago, Animal Joy, and Jet Plane & Oxbow as well as EPs Thieves and The Snow Leopard, and a split LP with Okkervil River entitled Sham Wedding/Hoax Funeral, as well as an album of covers of former touring partners, Fellow Travelers, released in November 2013.
As an ornithologist and writer, Meiburg has a unique perspective. The songs of Palo Santo were partly written at the Galápagos Islands in the footsteps of Charles Darwin. Rook was influenced by studies in the Falklands Islands and by the current mass extinction we are living through. The Golden Archipelago examined the destruction of island cultures in the 20th century and beyond. Animal Joy returned to more personal concerns; Meiburg stated repeatedly in interviews that the foundational idea is that life is most real when "the blood flows fastest and closest to the surface." Fellow Travelers started as a small home EP and expanded into a full album celebrating relationships with the other bands they've met along the way.
Angelina
Shearwater Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Aren't we lucky to live in this odd little world?
Aren't we lucky to walk in this funeral line?
And if we marry,
I'll kiss every tear from her eyes,
If we marry,
I'll love every word from her lovely young mouth,
And we'll drive past the violent blooms of the opulent south...
And the lampposts all humming,
And I told her that though
I can't bend back the barbs of these wires,
Aren't we lucky to live in this world full of fire,
And I told her about how you would sing for your life as a child,
And I showed her azaleas and books of pressed flowers you pulled wild,
And I told her how lucky was all that I ever have been,
And will you marry me,
Kimberly Anne?
The lyrics of "Angelina" by Shearwater are a romantic ode to the beauty and strangeness of life. The opening lines address a woman named Angelina, suggesting that the singer feels fortunate to live in a world that is peculiar and out of the ordinary. The phrase "odd little world" suggests that the singer sees the world in a unique way, and that the "we" that he addresses, which could be Angelina or someone else, shares this perspective. The idea of walking in a "funeral line" suggests that the world is full of sorrow and loss, but that our ability to experience these feelings is what makes us human and connects us to one another.
The second stanza introduces the idea of marriage and the depth of love that the singer feels for his beloved. He promises to "kiss every tear from her eyes" and "love every word from her lovely young mouth," suggesting that he is willing to go to great lengths to make her happy. The final line of this stanza, "And we'll drive past the violent blooms of the opulent south," suggests that the couple will face challenges together, but that they will do so with courage and determination.
The final stanza ties the opening lines of the song together by referencing the beauty of the world that the couple inhabits. The singer mentions cathedrals and humming lampposts, suggesting that there is something magical and otherworldly about the environment they find themselves in. He then describes telling Angelina about a childhood experience, where someone had to sing for their life, suggesting that we must overcome adversity to survive. He shows her flowers and talks about how lucky he has been, asking her to marry him at the end.
Overall, the song is a meditation on the power of love and the wonder of the world we live in. It suggests that despite the challenges we face, there is beauty and meaning to be found in the everyday experiences that we share with one another.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh Angelina,
Addressing a woman named Angelina
Aren't we lucky to live in this odd little world?
Expressing gratitude for the peculiarities and uniqueness of the world we live in.
Aren't we lucky to walk in this funeral line?
Finding joy in everyday life despite life's sadness and difficulties.
And if we marry,
Contemplating the possibility of marriage.
I'll kiss every tear from her eyes,
Promise to comfort and support his future partner through life's ups and downs.
If we marry,
Reiterating the idea of considering marriage with Angelina.
I'll love every word from her lovely young mouth,
Expressing love and affection for Angelina's words and her as a person.
And we'll drive past the violent blooms of the opulent south...
Describing a journey full of contrasts, passing by both the beauty and the danger that life has to offer.
We walked past the cathedrals,
Recalling a specific moment with Angelina.
And the lampposts all humming,
Adding sensory detail to the scene.
And I told her that though
Sharing a personal thought.
I can't bend back the barbs of these wires,
Admitting the inability to change certain aspects of life's difficulties.
Aren't we lucky to live in this world full of fire,
Celebrating the resilience and courage needed to face life's challenges.
And I told her about how you would sing for your life as a child,
Sharing a personal detail about Angelina's childhood.
And I showed her azaleas and books of pressed flowers you pulled wild,
Revealing an experience that demonstrates Angelina's nature and personality.
And I told her how lucky was all that I ever have been,
Expressing gratitude for his life up to this point.
And will you marry me, Kimberly Anne?
Asking Angelina to marry him using her full name.
Contributed by Amelia C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.