Small Black started with a name and worked backwards: a housemate of singer/multi-instrumentalist Josh Kolenik came up with the moniker on a cold Portland, Oregon night. The name stuck when he returned to Long Island, New York and began collaborating with Ryan Heyner, an area musician and former member of the hardcore band Silent Majority who shared friends with Kolenik. The pair holed up in the attic of the beach house and surfboard shop Kolenik's uncle owned to record songs with vintage keyboards and samplers, spending late 2008 and early 2009 recording as Uncle Matt made surfboards underneath them.
Though Kolenik had played in several bands before Small Black, the mix of shoegaze and synth pop he and Heyner hit upon felt special, and the group's lineup was complete once bassist/guitarist Juan Pieczanski and Jeff Curtin from Kolenik's previous band, Slowlands, joined to bolster production and fill out their live act. Small Black released their self-titled five-song EP on their own CassClub label in October 2009, and released the U.K. single "Despicable Dogs" as well as a video for that song featuring Uncle Matt soon after. Following their performances at that year’s CMJ Music Marathon, Small Black signed to Jagjaguwar Records, which reissued the band’s debut EP with two bonus tracks in 2010. That year, they also released a split single with the like-minded Washed Out, with whom they also toured. New Chain, the band's first full-length, boasted a slightly more polished sound that reflected their consistent touring as well as their interest in hip-hop and arrived in October 2010. In late 2011, the band offered the Moon Killer mixtape as a free download from their website. The collection of new material was built on samples ranging from Pere Ubu to Nicki Minaj and featured multiple drop-ins from Das Racist MC Heems as well as remixes from Star Slinger and Phonetag.
After spending much of 2012 on the road, Small Black returned with May 2013's Limits of Desire, a more sophisticated-sounding set influenced by Talk Talk and the Blue Nile. They covered the latter band's classic "Downtown Lights" on the following year's Real People EP, which had a more dancefloor-oriented style and featured vocals from Frankie Rose. Small Black's passion for sophisti-pop grew on October 2015's Best Blues. Recorded by the band in their Brooklyn home studio and mixed by Nicholas Vernhes at the Rare Book Room Studio, the album included contributions from trumpeter Darby Cicci of the Antlers and vocalist Kaede Ford. Soon after Best Blues' release, Kolenik's Uncle Matt passed away, and the memory of him inspired many of the songs on Small Black's fourth album. Arriving on 100% Electronica in April 2021, the reflective Cheap Dreams found the band returning from their hiatus with an extra dose of goth to their synth pop reveries. In 2023, Small Black looked back with a pair of archival releases. They commemorated the tenth anniversary of Limits of Desire with a deluxe edition of the album, and also issued a deluxe version of their debut EP that included previously unreleased songs from their early beach house sessions.
Biography by Heather Phares for ALLMUSIC
Lady in the Wires
Small Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With terrible things in mind
A long way, a long way to go
The spirit's endearingly slow
Oh, lady in the wires
Of another time
How first you knew me!
A boy, as you drew me
Could've known where
Anyone at all
Could've told her
Lady in the wires
Of another time
How you've tried!
Tried and tried
Had nowhere, had nowhere to go
The spirit delirious chose
Anyone at all
Could've known where
Anyone at all
Could've told her
Lady in the wires
Lost in the wild
Lady in the wires
Of another life
Lady in the wires
Lady in the wires
Once in awhile
The lyrics of "Lady in the Wires" by Small Black paint a vivid picture of a narrator who feels trapped and lost in their own thoughts and emotions. The opening lines, "I came here half alive, with terrible things in mind," suggest that the singer is burdened by inner turmoil and negative thoughts. They feel stuck and have a long journey ahead towards finding peace or resolution.
The mention of the "Lady in the wires" refers to a mysterious figure from another time who seems to understand the singer's struggles. This lady is portrayed as someone who sees beyond the surface and truly knows the singer, even from their younger years as a boy. The repetition of the phrase "Anyone at all could've known where, anyone at all could've told her" implies that anyone who truly knew the singer could have helped or provided guidance.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Lady in the wires" multiple times, highlighting her importance in the singer's life. The line "The spirit delirious chose" suggests that the singer's own spirit or inner self made the decision to get tangled up in their own thoughts and feelings. Despite the lady's efforts to help, she seems to be lost herself, lost in the wild of another life.
Overall, "Lady in the Wires" portrays a sense of longing for understanding and connection with this enigmatic lady who represents someone who can truly comprehend the singer's struggles. It reflects the internal battles and challenges of finding one's path and seeking solace in a complex world.
Line by Line Meaning
I came here half alive
I arrived in this place feeling empty and unfulfilled
With terrible things in mind
I had dark thoughts and negative emotions on my mind
A long way, a long way to go
I have a significant journey ahead of me
The spirit's endearingly slow
My inner strength and motivation are gradually building up
Oh, lady in the wires
Metaphorical representation of a mysterious figure or force
Of another time
Belonging to a different era or reality
How first you knew me!
You understood me from the very beginning
A boy, as you drew me
You shaped me and influenced my identity when I was young
Anyone at all
Any person, regardless of who they are
Could've known where
Had the potential to understand the location or state I was in
Could've told her
Had the ability to inform her about it
How you've tried!
You made numerous attempts and put in great effort
Tried and tried
Continuously made attempts and exerted effort
Had nowhere, had nowhere to go
I felt lost and had no clear direction or purpose
The spirit delirious chose
My bewildered and confused inner self made a decision
Lost in the wild
Feeling disoriented and overwhelmed in a chaotic environment
Of another life
Belonging to a different existence or reality
Once in awhile
Occasionally, at infrequent intervals
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB.
Written by: Joshua Hayden Kolenik, Ryan Frank Heyner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@chevy0500
I love this song! Heard it for the first time today. My indy station played it for me. This song is begging to be from the mid 1960s. It's from 2009. I love music that sounds older than it really is. And yes! Thank you for the upload.
@Purrpetuity
Thanks for the upload! (:
@elmiguefriendscovers
<3