Silkworm's "official" debut L'ajre followed in 1992, spotlighting the band's evolving, dissonant sound, anchored in Midgett's propulsive bass work. After the following year's His Absence Is a Blessing EP, the quartet signed to the C/Z label for 1994's In the West, recorded by fellow Montana native Steve Albini (who continued to oversee the majority of the group's work). After 1994's strong Libertine, Phelps left the band, resurfacing in 1996 under the name Joel R.L. Phelps with the solo effort Warm Springs Night. As a trio, Silkworm signed to Matador and in 1996 issued Firewater, a sprawling yet finely honed set which ranked as their finest record to date. Developer followed in 1997, and a year later the group jumped to Touch & Go to issue Blueblood. Around this time, the band finalized their re-location to Chicago. Lifestyle was released in mid-2000, and they toured into the following year to support the release. Italian Platinum followed two years later and featured vocals from Kelly Hogan and keyboard work from the New Year's Matt Kadane. 2004's It'll Be Cool would be their last album. In July of 2005, Dahlquist and two fellow Chicago-based musicians were killed when the car they were occupying was struck by a car driven by a woman intent on ending her life.
Roots
Silkworm Lyrics
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Just watching the river flow, on our last night in town
If you're ever gonna get away, you better learn to run
But if the lessons are coming slow, don't be upset if that just means you're home
If I leave work early one day, on the 31st floor
You can stand aside, call the cops, as I break for the door
You can look for me upfront and main, but I'm not there, I'm gone
There's a Puerto Rican in this bar, she's thinking about San Juan
If I could, you know, I'd wave a wand and send her home
But first, you know, I'd send myself back where the river flows
But I can't even see that road, "When" is a secret, and that means nobody knows
The song "Roots" by Silkworm explores the idea of leaving and returning to one's hometown. The lyrics paint a picture of someone standing on the Higgins Bridge as the lights go down, watching the river flow on their last night in town. It's a moment of reflection before leaving. The lyrics suggest that in order to get away, one must learn to run, but if the lessons are coming slow, that just means they're home. This line could be interpreted as saying that even though leaving home is difficult, it's important to go and experience new things.
The second verse describes someone leaving work early and breaking for the door. They won't be found upfront and main, because they're gone, and neither is anyone else. This verse is a metaphor for leaving a job or a city behind. The line "will the last one remember to turn the lights off?" suggests that eventually, everyone will leave, and the place they left behind will be empty.
The final verse talks about a Puerto Rican woman in a bar, thinking about home. The singer wishes they could send her back to San Juan, but they also want to go back to where the river flows. However, they can't even see the road, and "when" is a secret. This line could be interpreted as saying that the future is unknown and unpredictable, and we can't always go back to the places we left behind.
Overall, "Roots" is a song about the bittersweet feelings of leaving and returning home. It acknowledges that leaving can be difficult, but it's also necessary for growth and change. The lyrics are open to interpretation and can be applied to many different situations and experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, to stand on the Higgins Bridge as the lights go down
To experience the feeling of standing on a bridge as the sun sets, watching the river flow
Just watching the river flow, on our last night in town
Taking a moment to observe the beauty around you on your final night in a place
If you're ever gonna get away, you better learn to run
To escape from something, you must learn to move quickly
But if the lessons are coming slow, don't be upset if that just means you're home
If you are struggling to learn something, it may be because you are where you belong
If I leave work early one day, on the 31st floor
Hypothetically leaving work early from a tall building
You can stand aside, call the cops, as I break for the door
If someone were to leave work early, others may try to stop them or report them
You can look for me upfront and main, but I'm not there, I'm gone
Others may search for the missing person, but they will not be found
None of us is there anymore, will the last one remember to turn the lights off?
Everyone has left the building, will the last person remember to turn off the lights?
There's a Puerto Rican in this bar, she's thinking about San Juan
A person of Puerto Rican descent is reminiscing on their home town
If I could, you know, I'd wave a wand and send her home
If it were possible, the person speaking would help the Puerto Rican person return home
But first, you know, I'd send myself back where the river flows
Before helping anyone else, the singer would like to return to their own place of comfort
But I can't even see that road, "When" is a secret, and that means nobody knows
The artist is unsure when they will be able to return home, or if it's even possible
Contributed by Reagan K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.